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 World number one Serena's resume includes six Miami titles but
before her reign began with a first victory in 2002 it was big
sister Venus who was the Queen of South beach having hoisted the
trophy three times (2001, 1999, 1998).
"I haven't won Miami (in a while) but at least I've won (in Dubai).
That's how I look at it," smiled Williams, who won the in the Middle
East last month. "I figure another win would be very sweet.
"My whole plan is to be playing. That's it."
Venus, at 33 the oldest player in the women's draw, joined her
sister in the third round on Friday despite an uneven performance
that included five double faults and 35 unforced errors.
Playing her first event since claiming her 45th career title earlier
this year in Dubai, Williams displayed a few signs of rust but was
never put under serious pressure by the 19-year-old Slovakian.
"First match back, I felt good," said Williams, the former world
number one who is seeded 29th in Miami. "I have been working hard
since (Dubai) and I feel really confident in every situation I'm in
on the court.
"I have small goals. My goal from Doha and Dubai was to be seeded
here and got that.
"Then obviously my next goal is to be in the top 20 and ultimately
the top 15.
"To make those steps you do have to play well and I want to win
tournaments."
Elsewhere, world number two Li Na advanced to the third round
without hitting a single ball when Russia's Alisa Kleybanova
withdrew because of a viral illness.
After a first round bye, the Australian Open winner was supposed to
lead off what has been dubbed the 'parade of champions' on the
Crandon Park center court.
Even without Li, however, the lineup remained a mouth-watering one
with 17-times grand slam winner Roger Federer, world number two
Novak Djokovic, Williams and defending champion Andy Murray all in
action.
Kleybanova, who is fighting her way back up the rankings after
battling Hodgkin's lymphoma, handed her Chinese opponent a walkover
due to a viral infection.
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Third seed Agnieszka Radwanska, the Sony champion in 2012, arrived
in Miami riding the momentum from a runner-up finish last Sunday at
Indian Wells but the Pole's participation had been left in doubt by
a knee injury,
Radwanska, however, displayed no signs of distress as she thumped
Swiss Romina Oprandi 6-0 6-4 in just 74 minutes.
Seventh seed Jelena Jankovic became the biggest casualty in the
women's draw when the Serb was taken out 6-3 2-6 7-6 (7-2) by
American Varvara Lepchenko, while 13th seeded Italian Roberta Vinci
was stopped 6-4 2-6 7-5 by Czech Barbora Zahlavova Strycova.
Slovakian 10th seed Dominika Cibulkova, who lost the Australian Open
final to Li, sped past Austria's Yvonne Meusburger 6-1 6-2 to reach
the third round.
(Reporting by Steve Keating; editing by Pritha Sarkar
and Patrick
Johnston)
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