The 32-year-old was locked at 5-5 in the deciding set against Carlos Moya before bad light ended play on day one.
Martina Hingis was nearly caught napping on a gloomy day before she woke up in the nick of time to reach the second round.
The world No. 13 will be the top attraction at the September 18-24 WTA tournament in Kolkata.
Since exploding onto the tennis scene as a 14-year-old, Serena Williams has achieved everything on a tennis court - but her incredible collection of titles and trophies barely define the imprint the American has left on her sport.
Martina Hingis was knocked out of the German Open, losing 6-4, 6-0 to fellow Swiss Patty Schnyder.
Top seed Amelie Mauresmo, Kim Clijsters and Martina Hingis also revelled in improved conditions following the rain-soaked start to the French Open.
The unseeded Indo-Belgian pair beat the Argentine duo of Jose Acasuso and Sebastian Prieto in the men's doubles at the French Open.
The seventh seeds were subdued 6-1, 7-6 (4) by Janko Tipsarevic and Mikhail Youzhny
The Belgian advanced to the German Open semi-finals with a 6-4, 7-6 victory over Russian Svetlana Kuznetsova.
Belgians Kim Clijsters and Justine Henin pounded their way into the fourth round of the Sony Ericsson Open on Sunday but Martina Hingis fell to a Polish teenager
The Slovak won her first title in five years when she beat Svetlana Kuznetsova in the Pacific Life Open final.
Daniela Hantuchova maintained her good form at Pacific Life Open with a gritty 6-2 5-7 7-6 victory over Israeli 11th seed Shahar Peer in the quarter-finals on Wednesday.
Rohan Bopanna, along with his Romanian partner Florin Mergea, crashed out of the quarter-finals of the men's doubles at the US Open. The Indo-Romanian combine, semi-finalists at Wimbledon this year, lost 6-7 (2), 3-6 to Dominic Inglot of Great Britain and Robert Lindstedt of Sweden.
Martina Hingis cruised but top seed Maria Sharapova had to work a little harder to secure opening victories at the Pacific Life Open.
Justine Henin knocked out Swiss Patty Schnyder 3-6, 6-4, 7-5 to reach the Qatar Open semi-finals.
The rising Serbian star beat Martina Hingis 7-6, 6-2 to reach the semi-final of the WTA Dubai Open.
Sania Mirza and Ivan Dodig held their nerves and saved two match points against Rohan Bopanna and Gabriela Dabrowski before pulling off a tense win to seal a place in the mixed doubles semi-finals of the Australian Open, in Melbourne on Wednesday.
Maria Sharapova retired during her Pan Pacific Open semi-final against Ana Ivanovic due to a hamstring injury.
Former world number one Hingis, chasing a record fifth Pan Pacific crown, reached the last four by pulverising Australia's Samantha Stosur 6-0 6-1.
Amelie Mauresmo pummeled Martina Hingis 6-2, 6-2 in the semi-final of the Qatar Open.
Also entering the last eight of the Pan Pacific Open were Asian stars Li Na and Jie Zheng.
The two will meet in the semi-final of the Dubai Open on Friday
India's Sania Mirza and Croatia's Ivan Dodig moved into the semi-finals of the mixed doubles at the French Open beating Yung-Jan Chan/Max Mirnyi.
In another quarter-final at the Dubai Open, Russian third seed Maria Sharapova beat Switzerland's Martina Hingis.
They needed iron willpower to stagger through scrappy quarter-finals on Wednesday and set up a heavyweight meeting in the last four.
Martina Hingis played spoilsport at the Australian Open on Monday by denying China another entry into the record books.
Fourth seed Kim Clijsters overcame a late wobble to beat Slovakian Daniela Hantuchova 6-1 7-5 on Monday and set up a mouth-watering Australian Open quarter-final against Martina Hingis.
China's Li Na scored an emphatic 6-2, 6-2 win over ninth seed Dinara Safina in the Australian Open third round.
Both made it to the fourth round of the women's singles at the Australian Open.
The Indian tennis ace was beaten by Japan's Aiko Nakamura 3-6, 2-6 in the second round at the Australian Open.
Rohan Bopanna and Florin Mergea saved a match-point before emerging winners, while Sania Mirza and Martin Hingis were also tested en route to the quarter-finals of the ATP/WTA Western and Southern Open, in Cincinnati, on Thursday.
Dinara Safina proved she could keep a lid on her emotions when it mattered by beating Martina Hingis 6-3 3-6 7-5 in the final of the Australian women's hardcourt championships on the Gold Coast on Saturday.
Martina Hingis crushed Maria Kirilenko 6-2, 6-1 to set up a semi-final clash with Maria Sharapova in Tokyo
The former world number one pulverised Cho Yoon-Jeong 6-0, 6-0 at the Pan Pacific Open
Sania Mirza and Martina Hingis on Thursday claimed that the decision to end their astonishing partnership was due to the failure to achieve the "desired results" and added they would play together one last time in the season-ending WTA Finals in October.
Former world number one Martina Hingis' first comeback tournament ended in the semi-finals when she was beaten by fourth seed Flavia Pennetta 1-6, 7-6, 6-2 at the Australian hardcourt championships on Friday.
Martina Hingis continued her successful comeback to competitive tennis when she advanced to the semi-finals of the Australian hardcourt championships on Thursday.
© 2026 Rediff.com - Investor Information - Advertise with us - Disclaimer - Privacy Policy - Sitemap - Feedback - About us - Terms of use - Grievances