Serena Williams went from a late night to a much earlier start as the Rome Masters produces its usual scheduling surprises for player. After beating Nadia Petrova 4-6, 6-2, 6-3 to reach the third round the weekend Madrid champion admitted she doesn’t mind so much when she plays.
“It was a quick turnaround. When I saw the schedule, I said – Oh my God – are you serious. That’s life. You just have to be able to adjust and make the best of it and so I was really happy to come through today.”
The American believes that early matches have a benefit. “It turns out that morning matches are the best because you finish your match and you have the rest of the day, I don’t care too much when I play.
“I’m just so inspired to be out there, The only incentive that I have is that I love tennis and I love playing.
“This is what I love best. There are a lot of times in life that you don’t get the chance to do what you do best but this is definitely where I belong,” said the winner in Rome a decade ago.