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Indian Wells - Serena Williams won her first match at Indian Wells since 2001 on Friday, beating Monica Niculescu in straight sets to end her 14-year self-imposed exile from the California desert event.
World number one Williams earned the 7-5, 7-5 victory in two hours, three minutes in front of a crowd of about 14 000 on the Tennis Garden stadium court.
The 19-time Grand Slam winner walked onto the court to a roaring ovation from the crowd, a sharp contrast to her last Indian Wells appearance when as a 19-year-old she was booed after beating Kim Clijsters in the final.
Friday evening's match was one of the most anticipated of the two week hardcourt tournament because Williams finally decided to bury the hatchet after telling herself she would never play in Indian Wells again.
"I felt excited to be out there, almost overwhelmed," Williams said. "I wasn't able to get off to as fast a start as I wanted to. It felt so good, I just wanted to be out there."
Williams won the Indian Wells crown in 1999 at age 17 and again two years later when she rallied to beat Clijsters in the final 4-6, 6-4, 6-2 after a controversial semi-final walkover when her sister Venus pulled out.
Niculescu came out onto the court first Friday followed a few minutes later by Williams who received a warm reception from the crowd as she emerged from the tunnel.
One fan yelled "We love you Serena" which was followed by more clapping and cheering.
Several members of Williams' family were in also in attendance including her mother Oracene.
Results on Friday in the ATP and WTA BNP Paribas Open at Indian Wells:
Women
Second round
Serena Williams (USA x1) bt Monica Niculescu (ROM) 7-5, 7-5
Ekaterina Makarova (RUS x8) bt Elena Vesnina (RUS) 6-4, 6-0
Heather Watson (GBR) bt Camila Giorgi (ITA) 7-5, 7-5
Agnieszka Radwanska (POL x7) bt Alison Riske (USA) 6-3, 6-1
Elina Svitolina (UKR x23) bt Alison Van Uytvanck (BEL) 4-6, 7-6 (7/4), 6-1
Zarina Diyas (KAZ x28) bt Donna Vekic (CRO) 6-3, 6-3
Svetlana Kuznetsova (RUS x22) bt Katerina Siniakova (CZE) 7-6 (7/2), 6-2
Sloane Stephens (USA) bt Angelique Kerber (GER x13) 7-6 (8/6), 6-2
Timea Bacsinszky (SUI x27) bt Marina Erakovic (NZL) 4-6, 6-3, 6-2
Simona Halep (ROM x3) bt Daria Gavrilova (RUS) 2-6, 6-1, 6-2
Karolna Pliskova (CZE x14) bt Lara Arruabarrena (ESP) 6-3, 7-5
Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova (RUS) bt Barbora Zahlavova Strycova (CZE) 6-3, 6-3
Men
First round
Steve Johnson (USA) bt Marcel Granollers (ESP) 6-2, 6-3
Alexandr Dolgopolov (UKR) bt Frank Dancevic (CAN) 6-2, 7-5
Michael Berrer (GER) bt Victor Estrella (DOM) 6-3, 5-7, 6-4
Donald Young (USA) bt Pablo Carreno-Busta (ESP) 6-3, 6-4
Martin Klizan (SVK) bt Pablo Andujar (ESP) 7-6 (7/4), 6-3
Sergiy Stakhovsky (UKR) bt Sam Querrey (USA) 2-6, 6-4, 6-2
Igor Sijsling (NED) bt Filip Krajinovic (SRB) 6-4, 3-6, 6-2
Simone Bolelli (ITA) bt Thomaz Bellucci (BRA) 6-2, 6-7 (3/7), 6-4
Robin Haase (NED) bt Alex Bolt (AUS) 6-4, 6-2
Jack Sock (USA) bt Lu Yen-Hsun (TPE) 6-7 (4/7), 6-2, 7-5
Malek Jaziri (TUN) bt Tatsuma Ito (JPN) 7-5, 6-1
