Brisbane, Australia – Serena Williams' preparations for the round match, but then withdrew from the Brisbane International tennis event because of an ankle injury.
A fourth-seeded Williams got past Serbian Bojana Jovanovski in straight sets, 6-2, 6-4, but injured her left ankle in the process at Queensland Tennis Centre.
The 13-time Grand Slam champion Williams, playing in her first tournament since losing to Samantha Stosur in September's U.S. Open final, was serving for the match at 6-2, 5-3 against Jovanovski on Wednesday when she twisted the ankle and fell hard to the court.
The five-time Aussie Open champ laid near the baseline for several minutes while receiving medical attention.
After having her ankle wrapped, Williams returned to action, only to have her serve broken, but would then prevail in the following game.
She then withdrew from Brisbane later Wednesday, saying "I have a left ankle sprain (and) that I probably shouldn't play on."
"I'm going to take a couple of days off -- not too many -- and see how I feel," Williams said in a statement. "I'm still hopeful of playing the Australian Open."
The Aussie Open will commence January 16 in Melbourne.
Williams' scheduled quarterfinal opponent in Brisbane, Slovakian Daniela Hantuchova, received a walkover into the semis.
Meanwhile, Czech left-hander Iveta Benesova took down the local favorite and top seed here, the U.S. Open champion Stosur, 6-4, 6-2.
In other second-round action, sixth-seeded former world No. 1 Serb Jelena Jankovic cruised to a 6-3, 6-2 win over Russian qualifier Nina Bratchikova and Estonia's Kaia Kanepi upset seventh-seeded Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova of Russia 6-0, 6-3.
Thursday's quarters will pit second-seeded German Andrea Petkovic against Kanepi, third-seeded French Open runner-up Francesca Schiavone of Italy versus Jankovic and fifth-seeded former No. 1 Kim Clijsters against Benesova. Petkovic was last year's runner-up here to Czech slugger Petra Kvitova. The reigning Aussie Open titlist Clijsters captured the Brisbane title two years ago.
The winner of this season-opening event will collect $110,000.
