Venus Williams wins in three sets

ROME, May 4 (UPI) -- Venus Williams had to go three sets Monday to win her second-round tennis match at the $2 million Internazionali BNL d'Italia in Rome.

The former world No. 1 Williams defeated Czech Lucie Safarova 6-2, 4-6, 6-2. Williams won this tournament in 1999 and was the runner-up in 1998.

Williams was joined in the third round by sixth-seeded rising Belarusian Victoria Azarenka, who was beating Ayumi Morita 6-0 when the Japanese qualifier retired from the bout with a left thigh injury. Azarenka won in Miami last month.

This week's top-eight seeds received opening-round byes.

Ninth-seeded Dane Caroline Wozniacki beat Hungarian Agnes Szavay 6-3, 6-2, and 10th-seeded Pole Agnieszka Radwanska beat Ukrainian Alona Bondarenko 6-0, 6-1.