'No more fun' Serena looks to become oldest World No 1

Serena Williams [ Images ] credited a more subdued lifestyle on Tuesday for the current form which has put her on track to succeed fellow-American Chris Evert as the oldest world one in women's tennis.

Williams, who recorded a serve of 200 kms an hour during a second-round 6-2, 6-2 win over France's [ Images ] Alize Cornet [ Images ] at the Brisbane [ Images ] International, is currently ranked third in the world.

However, the 31-year-old is regarded as the pre-eminent woman player at the moment after winning the Wimbledon [ Images ], US and Olympic [ Images ] titles last year. Evert was aged 30 years 11 months when she was number one in 1985.

"I'm really boring now," Williams said.

"I used to be fun.

"For a fun time, call Serena. Now for a fun time, do not call me. I don't know what happened to me.

"I think I just got older and I realised I can't be that fun girl for the rest of my life. I think that's pretty much what it is. I could be the oldest number one. I don't know how that goes with the funnest."

Williams said she had not celebrated New Year's eve.

"I've been having insomnia," she said.

"I don't know what time zone I'm in. I don't know if I'm in Florida [ Images ] or if I'm in Mauritius or if I'm in Brazil [ Images ].

"I just don't know anymore. My body is like telling me, 'Don't sleep ever'. I'm nocturnal right now. I can't sleep at night. I was awake for New Year's eve. I heard all the fire crackers and I would have loved to have seen it but I had a match today so I didn't do anything fun."

World No. 2 Maria Sharapova's [ Images ] preparations for the Australian Open [ Images ] starting in two weeks' time were interrupted by the collarbone injury which led to her pulling out of an exhibition match against Caroline Wozniacki [ Images ] at the end of last year.

Sharapova withdrew from her second-round match against Australian Jarmila Gajdosova and said she had been just practising ground strokes because of the injury.

"I still have quite a bit of time to prepare for the Australian Open," she said. "I'm on the right track, been training really well, so I just don't want to jeopardise what I've gained in the off-season so far."

In other matches, World No. 6 Sara Errani was defeated 4-6, 6-1, 7-5 by Slovakia's Daniela Hantuchova [ Images ] while number eight Petra Kvitovia was beaten 6-4, 7-5 by Russia's [ Images ] Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova [ Images ].

Photograph: Chris Hyde/Getty Images