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sonyopentennis.com: March 20, 2014 Miami, Florida - World No.1 Serena Williams opened with a shaky first set but eventually regained her rhythm to defeat  Yaroslava Shvedova 7-6(7) 6-2 on Thursday.

The 17-time Grand Slam winner led 3-1 in the first set but Shvedova won the next four games to lead 5-3.

Williams managed to break back and stay in the set but again fell behind 3-6 in the tie-breaker before winning six of the next 7 points to secure the opening set. The second stanza was all Williams breaking the Russian’s serve twice to close out the match after one hour and 46 minutes.

No. 4 seed Maria Sharapova scratched her way to a 6-3, 6-4 victory over scrappy Kurumi Nara in a second-round match at the Sony Open Tennis tournament Thursday night on Stadium Court. The five-time Sony Open finalist won the last three games of the first set after it was deadlocked at 3-all, and she rallied from 3-1 down in the second set to win five of the last six games and the match.

In a marathon 10th game that lasted 21 points, Sharapova finally broke Nara when the Japanese player’s backhand went long. Sharapova will face Lucie Safarova, a 6-3, 7-6 (2) winner over American Vania King earlier in the day, in the third round.

In men’s second round action, American Donald Young defeated Carlos Berlocq 6-2, 6-2 to advance, and his next opponent will be fellow American and 10th seed John Isner.

Roberto Bautista Agut knocked off another U.S. player, Steve Johnson 4-6 6-3 6-1; Jarkko Nieminen topped Bernard Tomic 6-0, 6-1; Joao Sousa beat Pablo Carreno Busta 6-4, 7-6 (3); and Guillermo Garcia-Lopez came back to beat Bradley Klahn 1-6, 6-1, 6-4.

March 20 2014 ITS Staff Miami, Florida – Germany’s Angelique Kerber barely survived her opening match on Thursday at the Sony Open winning a tough three-set victory over the women’s No.1 doubles player Peng Shuai 6-3, 1-6, 7-6(5).

In the third round, the fifth-seed will face Tsvetana Pironkova who upset No.25 seed Sorana Cirstea 6-3 6-3.

Last week’s BNP Paribas Open winner Flavia Pennetta kept her streak alive in Miami by cruising past Olga Govortsova 6-3 6-3. Meanwhile, former World No.1 Ana Ivanovic, the 12th seed, romped over American Lauren Davis 6-1, 6-1.

However, two-time Grand Slam winner and No. 28 seed Svetlana Kuznetsova could not advance as the Russian lost to qualifier Donna Vekic 7-6(5), 7-5. 2011 U.S. Open champion and 16th seed Samantha Stosur defeated Kiki Bertens 6-3 6-2

Lleyton Hewitt defeated Robin Haase 3-6, 6-3, 6-3 in the first round on Thursday to record his career 600th match victory becoming only the 21st player in history of the ATP Tour to achieve the feat. The former World No.1 Australian is third among active players behind only Roger Federer with 942 and Rafael Nadal at 675.

In other men's singles first round, American Jack Sock, who entered the main draw through the qualifying rounds, beat wild card Guido Pella 6-3 6-4. Sock’s compatriot Ryan Harrison also won by ousting Sao Paolo champion Federico Delbonis 6-2 6-4.