Serena launches title defence
Serena launches title defence 
From correspondents in Miami, USA
Former Australian Captain March 29, 2008
SERENA Williams launched her WTA title defecse at the Sony Ericsson Open with a confident victory over unseeded Romanian Edina Gallovits.
Williams, the No.8 seed, needed just 54 minutes to dismiss Gallovits 6-1 6-2 to reach the third round of the tournament, which also features an ATP Masters Series tournament.
Like all 32 seeded players, Williams
enjoyed a first-round bye. Her victory took her record in Miami to 42-5, including her victory over world No.1 Justine Henin in last year’s final.
Williams, 26, also won three straight titles here from 2002-04 and was a runner-up to older sister Venus Williams in 1999.
The former world No.1 and eight-time Grand Slam champion never faced a break point against Gallovits as she booked a third-round meeting with 27th-seeded Italian Flavia Pennetta, a 6-4 6-2 winner against Anastasia Rodionova.
Henin opened with a 6-4 6-2 win over Angelique Kerber of Germany.
The Belgian is back in action for the first time since a surprising loss to Italy’s Francesca Schiavone in the quarter-finals at Dubai in February.
The 25-year-old, who has already captured titles this year in Sydney and her Belgium, improved to 13-2 this season.
She will face Italy’s Sara Errani, who defeated 26th-seeded Russian Maria Kirilenko, 6-4 4-6 7-6.
Venus Williams, the No.6 seed, also advanced, beating Poland’s Marta Domachowska 6-4 6-3.
Like her sister, Venus also has been a force at this event, capturing three titles between 1998 and 2001. She made a rare early exit last year, falling to Russian Maria Sharapova in the third round.
Russian Svetlana Kuznetsova, a runner-up to Ana Ivanovic in the Indian Wells final, needed three sets to down Chan Jan-Yung 6-1 3-6, 6-0.
Unseeded Caroline Wozniacki of Denmark ousted No.9 Marion Bartoli of France 6-3 6-1.
Agence France-Presse