The New Nation - Internet Edition

AFP, Miami

Serena Williams launched her WTA title defense at the Sony Ericsson Open Friday with a confident victory over unseeded Romanian Edina Gallovits.

Williams, seeded eighth, 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 number one 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 number one 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 (7/2).

Venus Williams, the sixth 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.

Third-seeded Russian Svetlana Kuznetsova, a runner-up to Ana Ivanovic in Sunday's Indian Wells final, needed three sets to down Chan Jan-Yung 6-1, 3-6, 6-0.

Unseeded Caroline Wozniacki of Denmark ousted ninth-seeded Marion Bartoli of France 6-3, 6-1.