Serena Williams Wins Epic First Match of 2009

Serena Williams started her 2009 Sony Ericsson WTA Tour season with an epic thriller on Sunday.

The number one seed survived four match points to defeat Australia’s Samantha Stosur 6-3, 6-7(4), 7-5 in two hours 26 minutes at the Medibank International Sydney today.

Williams opened the match slamming down three aces in the first four points. She broke Stosur’s serve in the fourth game of the set and maintained the advantage to close things out. The second set see-sawed, with players exchanging breaks of serve.

The second went to a tiebreak, which Stosur won seven points to four. When the Australian leveled the match the crowd on Ken Rosewall Arena, which was up around 8,000 roared with approval.

Early in the deciding set, Stosur broke to go up 2-1. Williams struck back immediately. Again the Aussie took the advantage and lead 4-2 as the pressure was being put on Williams. Stosur came within one game of the match at 5-3 and one of the biggest upsets in the event’s history.

At 5-4 and serving Stosur went up 40/0, three match points but two were lost with double faults. She had one more match point and that too was saved by Williams who broke for 5-5, held for 6-5 and then with Stosur serving to force a tiebreak, Williams unleashed some big returns to clinch victory on her second match point.

For more information about the Medibank International, please visit www.medibankinternational.com.au.