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Serena takes care of Safarova in straights to move into Round 3

Jason Reed / REUTERS

MELBOURNE - Serena Williams has managed to do what another six-time Australian Open champion couldn't achieve on Thursday - advance to the third round. Williams, playing on the same court that saw six-time winner Novak Djokovic lose in five sets to wild-card entry Denis Istomin, beat Lucie Safarova 6-3, 6-4.

It was their first meeting since Williams won their French Open final in 2015.

Safarova had saved nine match points in her first-round match, but there were no such theatrics in this one.

The Czech player double-faulted on break point in the seventh game of the second set, and Williams clinched the match three games later.

Williams will now play Nicole Gibbs, who beat another American, Irina Falconi, 6-4, 6-1.

The second-seeded Williams is bidding to become the first player in the Open era to win 23 Grand Slam singles titles. She lost in the final here last year to Angelique Kerber, but clinched her 22nd major, tying Steffi Graf, at Wimbledon.

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