Zvonareva was still a heavy underdog Thursday and playing without pressure, built up three set points on the Williams serve at 5-3 in the first set. Trouble for the world No. 1.
But just as Maria Sharapova and Rafael Nadal stepped up when their backs were against the wall Wednesday, so did Williams.
She erased all three of the set points to hold.
It was the start of a 10-game run that propelled the 18-time grand slam winner to a 7-5 6-0 win on the first day of sweltering conditions — temperatures reached almost 36 degrees Celsius in Melbourne — at the year’s opening major.
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For Nishikori, the weather forecast looks promising.
The forecast high for the next two days is 27 degrees Celsius prior to the highs falling to the low 20s.
Read: Nadal, Sharapova survive
