Williams Opens Tourney With Decisive Victory

Serena Williams pumped her fist after each important point and screamed as she smacked another emphatic shot. The defending Cincinnati champion, she wasn't going to ease into the tournament.

Williams put a lot of emotion into her opening match at the Western & Southern Open on Wednesday, a 7-5, 6-3 victory over Tsvetana Pironkova that made her the first of the top seeds to advance.

Novak Djokovic won his rain-delayed opening match, beating Benoit Paire 7-5, 6-2. Third-seeded Andy Murray and eight-seeded Rafael Nadal also advanced in rain-delayed matches that ended after midnight.

Williams won the Cincinnati tournament for the first time last year, getting one of the few titles that had eluded her. This year, she's using it as a final tuneup for the U.S. Open, where she'll be the focus as she tries to complete a rare Grand Slam sweep.