Serena Williams rolls in Wimbledon opener

Playing her first tennis since capturing the French Open title four weeks ago, Serena Williams was an easy opening-round winner Monday at Wimbledon.

After falling behind 1-3 in the first set on Day 1, the world No. 1 great responded by winning 11 of the next 13 games in a 6-4, 6-1 victory over little-known Russian Margarita Gasparyan at the venerable All England Club.

The reigning French and Aussie champion Williams is seeking a sixth Wimbledon title and her first since 2012. The American is also a two-time runner-up at the AEC.

Williams' second-round opponent will be Hungarian Timea Babos.

In other top-10 action, seventh-seeded former world No. 1 Ana Ivanovic drubbed Chinese Xu Yi-Fan 6-1, 6-1 and Latvia's Jelena Ostapenko stunned ninth-seeded Spaniard Carla Suarez Navarro 6-2, 6-0.

Eleventh-seeded Czech slugger Karolina Pliskova held off American Irina Falconi 6-4, 4-6, 6-1, while 23rd-seeded former No. 1 Victoria Azarenka drilled Estonian Anett Kontaveit 6-2, 6-1.

Kazakhstan's Zarina Diyas dismissed 24th-seeded Italian Flavia Pennetta 6-3, 2-6, 6-4.

Czech Petra Kvitova captured her second Wimbledon title in four years by beating Canada's Genie Bouchard in last year's lopsided finale.

[SportsNetwork.com]