Williams had little trouble against the 31-year-old German although the gusty breezes at Auckland Tennis Centre played havoc with her ball toss, especially when she was serving for the match at 5-3 in the second set.
Victoria Azarenka displayed the kind of form that could lead her to a hat-trick of Australian Open titles later this month by brushing aside German fourth seed Angelique Kerber 6-3, 6-1 in the Brisbane International final on Saturday.
Summary of sports events and persons who made news on Tuesday
As the first day's play got under way, she posted a video clip on Instagram of her pounding backhands on a clay court despite being absent from the tour since winning the Australian Open in January as she is expecting her first child.
Wimbledon champion Marion Bartoli shocked the tennis world on Wednesday by announcing her retirement from the sport at the age of 28.
Novak Djokovic continued his Wimbledon preparations by beating American Donald Young 6-2, 7-6(9) on Thursday to reach the semi-finals of the Aegon International tournament at Eastbourne.
Top seed Dominic Thiem was knocked out the Rio Open in the first round on Tuesday, going down 6-3, 6-3 to Laslo Djere.
Andy Murray took a step closer to a first title in arguably the toughest year of his playing career, grinding out a 3-6, 7-5 ,6-2 win over Ugo Humbert on Saturday to reach the final of the European Open in Antwerp.
In the women's draw, defending champion Garbine Muguruza will play 2010 French Open winner Francesca Schiavone
Roberta Vinci beat her opponent and the rain to storm into the quarter-finals of the US Open on Monday just before a thunderstorm forced play to be suspended.
Angelique Kerber's recent revival faces its toughest test in the shape of Maria Sharapova when the only two former Australian Open champions in the women's draw clash in round three on Saturday. A cool front broke the grip
'I definitely feel the respect from the athletes. Certainly when I play against them, in terms of the level they play with'
Former world number one Andy Murray won his first ATP tour singles match in nearly nine months with a 6-3, 6-7(6), 6-1 victory over American Tennys Sandgren in the opening round of the Zhuhai Championships.
World No 1 Novak Djokovicremained on course for his fifth title of the season after defeating 11th seed Milos Raonic in the quarter-finals of the Madrid Masters on Saturday.
World No 9 Lucie Safarova will miss this month's Australian Open as she has yet to regain full fitness following a bacterial infection last year, the Czech said on Friday.
List of Wimbledon women's singles champions:
Naomi Osaka continued her stunning run of form with a 6-3, 6-2 victory over 23-times Grand Slam champion Serena Williams in the first round of the Miami Open on Wednesday, the latest big win for the 20-year-old Japanese player.
Images from Day 5 of the French Open in Paris on Thursday.
'I'm not thinking ahead to the Open right now because I am here in Toronto and I haven't really played a hard court match in awhile. I'm thinking I want to get some of this under my belt and the Open will happen when the Open happens.'
Former FIFA official Jerome Champagne formally announced on Monday that he will stand against incumbent Sepp Blatter in next year's election for president of the world soccer body.
Millman, ranked 80 places above world number 14 Pouille, needed 73 minutes to clinch a 6-3, 6-4 victory and the best win of his career by ranking position.
Germany's Angelique Kerber, who will try to prevent Serena Williams winning an eighth Wimbledon title on Saturday, never went away but she too is making a comeback of sorts.
Images from Day 11 of the 2020 French Open at Roland Garros, in Paris, on Wednesday.
'Physically, tactically, emotionally, three out of five separates the great players from the good players'
World No 3 Angelique Kerber beat qualifier Laura Siegemund 6-4, 6-0 on Sunday to defend her Stuttgart Grand Prix title and end her opponent's sensational run.
Summary of sports events and persons who made news on Wednesday
One year after shaking off a crippling foot injury to claim a stunning US Open victory, Sloane Stephens said her follow-up season felt just as good as the American prepares to play in next week's WTA Finals for the first time.
Japan's Naomi Osaka claimed her first career title with a commanding 6-3, 6-2 victory over Russian Daria Kasatkina in a battle of 20-year-olds at the BNP Paribas Open on Sunday.
Spain's Garbine Muguruza insists she is enjoying herself at the French Open even if she doesn't look it, but don't expect her to smile too much until she gets her hands on the Suzanne Lenglen trophy for the second time in three years.
Petra Kvitova was proud of her second-set fightback against Naomi Osaka in the Australian Open final, on Saturday, but was left ruing her inability to convert her chances in her loss to the Japanese.
Fifteen-year-old Cori Gauff clawed her way back from a set and 5-2 down and saved two match points to beat Slovenia's Polona Hercog 3-6, 7-6(7), 7-5 on Friday and reach the Wimbledon fourth round.
Roger Federer is keeping a lid on expectations.
Jelena Jankovic eased into the last four at the BNP Paribas Open on Thursday when Ukrainian qualifier Lesia Tsurenko retired from their quarter-final with an ankle injury while trailing 6-1, 4-1.
The Slovakian eventually won 6-4, 6-1 but the match will be remembered for a ludicrous umpiring decision at a crucial stage of a tight opening set.
Russia's Svetlana Kuznetsova raced to a 6-2, 6-1 victory over Australian Daria Gavrilova to defend her Kremlin Cup title in Moscow on Saturday and secure a place at the season-ending WTA Finals.
Serena William powered her way to within two victories of a seventh US Open title on Tuesday and while she refused to look ahead there are many willing to do it for her, and what they see is a suddenly open path to a 24th Grand Slam.
Multiple grand slam champion Maria Sharapova has declared herself fully fit and ready for next week's Australian Open after having her preparations hampered by a forearm injury.
The Australian Open will lose one of its giant killers when South Korean Chung Hyeon meets American Tennys Sandgren in an unlikely quarter-final showdown at the Rod Laver Arena on Wednesday.
Japan's Kei Nishikori and Victoria Azarenka of Belarus continued their Australian Open preparations by swiftly marching through to the quarter finals of the Brisbane International on Wednesday.
Maria Sharapova is renowned for her sheer determination in the face of adversity but in Singapore on Saturday, the Russian was quick to cast doubt over her chances of winning the WTA Finals after an injury-ravaged second half of the season.
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