Down a break in each set, Serena WIlliams roars back in Toronto return

In her first match since finishing runner-up to Simona Halep in the Wimbledon final, Serena Williams opened her Rogers Cup campaign with a 6-3, 6-3 victory over Elise Mertens Wednesday evening in Toronto.

"It feels good. I'm a little sluggish. It definitely feels different. I haven't played a ton of matches on hard courts," Williams said in a post-match interview. "I love it in Toronto. It's no secret. I think it's because of the crowd."

While it may not have been her tidiest performance, Williams was certainly motivated, releasing a handful of ‘come ons!’ throughout the second-round encounter. The three-time event champion erased early break deficits in both sets and grew in confidence on the baseline with her ball-striking and footwork.

All three of Williams' Rogers Cup titles have come in Toronto. (Getty Images)

The 37-year-old unloaded on the Mertens second serve, hitting with authority to win 19 of 22 points. Her presence on return affected the Belgian, who felt pressured to go for more on her second serve and ultimately double-faulted for the sixth time to hand Williams a 3-2 lead in the second set. Williams would confidently take the first-time meeting after 76 minutes.

"I thought she had a really good performance. I've never played her but I've seen her play a lot," Williams said of Mertens. "I've always wanted to play her because she's had a couple of really good years on the tour."

Williams, the winner of this event in 2001, 2011, and 2013, will return as the top-ranked American next week after Sloane Stephens went out in the second round Tuesday. The eighth seed this week, Williams is aiming to win her first title since becoming a mom to daughter Alexis Olympia. A win over Russia’s Ekaterina Alexandrova could set up a clash with Naomi Osaka in a rematch of the 2018 US Open final, should Osaka also advance Thursday.