CHARLESTON, S.C. — Venus Williams used her powerhouse serves and crisp groundstrokes for a 6-4, 6-2 victory over fellow American Alison Riske at the Volvo Car Open on Wednesday.
The third-seeded Williams, a seven-time Grand Slam champion, is going for her 50th WTA title — and got off to a strong start at the clay-court event. She had consecutive serves of 121 mph and 119 mph to close out one game in the first set as fans in the stadium court marveled as the ball zoomed past Riske.
Williams, 35, kept up the attack throughout, winning the final four games to advance. She won the final two games without dropping a point. Riske walked to the sideline after a 102 mph ace that put Williams ahead 5-2, then the 25-year-old from Pittsburgh double-faulted to end the match.
Also moving on were fifth-seeded Sara Errani and seventh-seeded Sloane Stephens. No. 2 seed Belinda Bencic plays later Wednesay.
The top seed and defending champion, Angelique Kerber, needed a third-set tiebreaker to escape her opening match Tuesday night over Lara Arruabarrena. Kerber, the reigning Australian Open champion, returns to action at the season's first clay-court tournament on Thursday.
No. 4 seed Lucie Safarova and No. 8 seed Madison Keys were upset in opening matches. Safarova, a finalist here in 2012, was beaten by American wild-card entrant Louisa Chirico 6-3, 6-3. Keys, who lost to Kerber in the championship match here a year ago, was outlasted by Laura Siegemund of Germany 6-7 (3), 6-4, 6-4.
Former champion Sabine Lisicki, the 15th seed, lost to Yulia Putintseva 7-5, 4-6, 6-3.
Canada's Eugenie Bouchard, the 2014 Wimbledon finalist, withdrew from her match with Lourdes Dominguez Lino with an injury to her lower abdomen.
Williams moved easily in her first match on clay this season and quickly erased any mistakes with her stellar play. The 2004 winner here when it was called the Family Circle Cup had her serve broken by Riske to fall behind 4-3. Williams immediately broke back then closed out the set with two more wins.
Riske broke Williams' serve to start the second set before the world's 14th-ranked player took control.
Venus and younger sister Serena have combined to win four Volvo titles in the previous 11 years. Venus Williams has never lost her opening match in Charleston in eight career appearances.
The 21-year-old Keys took a hard tumble in her loss to Siegemund while sliding for a ball in the third set and had her left wrist wrapped by a trainer.
Keys had hoped to start her clay-court season with another strong showing like last year in Charleston. She didn't lose a set on the way to the finals when Keys lost to Kerber in three sets.
This time, Siegemund's feistiness could not be matched. She continually caught Keys flat-footed on the baseline, forcing the taller American to rush up and spray returns wide. Siegemund also hung tough against Keys' powerhouse serves and forehands, sending them back often as quickly as they arrived.
"It was a very difficult match," Siegemund said. "Madison played really tough when things were tight."
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