Third seed Serena Williams displayed poor form and lack of energy in her first match at the Western & Southern Open against qualifier Arantxa Rus, but managed to advance to the third round by forcing a third-set tiebreak and then racing through it without losing a point, 7-6(6) 3-6 7-6(0).
Facing 72nd-ranked Rus for the second time in her career, the two-time Cincinnati champion Williams saved a set point en route to winning a tense first set in a tiebreak. Note that the 59-minute opening set featured no breaks of serve and only one break point!