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A18 SPORTS
Saturday 10 March 2018

Serena powers to 1st win in comeback with baby on her mind

By BETH HARRIS Williams could potentially
AP Sports Writer meet older sister Venus in
INDIAN WELLS, Calif. (AP) the third round if both win
— Serena Williams' power their next matches.
game is intact, whether Away from the court, it's all
she's firing aces or smash- about her baby.
ing groundstrokes. Her grit is Venus said her 36-year-old
there, too. sister acts like a child her-
Her timing may be a little self, and Serena said that's
off and the unforced errors why she gets along so well
are a clue she has been with her daughter.
away for 14 months. "We play games. I can't
All in all, the 23-time major wait for her to grow up be-
winner is glad to be back cause we're going to go
on the job with a new hus- to Disney every week," she
band and 6-month-old said. "I don't know if it's go-
baby. ing to be for her or for me
Williams began her latest more. I have an excuse to
comeback with a 7-5, 6-3 watch certain programs
victory over Zarina Diyas of that are animated."
Kazakhstan in the first round Ohanian bought four bill-
of the BNP Paribas Open on boards along Interstate 10
Thursday night. outside Palm Springs in trib-
"I'm not where I want to be, ute to his wife. The fourth
but I'm getting there," she billboard shows a photo of
said. "Every day is going to Williams and their daughter
be a challenge for me, but with the phrase "G.M.O.A.T"
I know I'll overcome it." — greatest mother of all
Away since winning the time — and is signed by
2017 Australian Open early Serena Williams prepares to hit a forehand to Zarina Diyas during the first round of the BNP Paribas Alexis Sr. and Jr.
in her pregnancy, Williams Open tennis tournament in Indian Wells, Calif., Thursday, March 8, 2018. Williams said she almost
gave birth to Alexis Olym- Associated Press cried before her match
pia Ohanian Jr. in Sep- because she missed her
tember and married Alexis Another new mother, Vic- I like to do." nant to ask questions. daughter, who was sleep-
Ohanian in November. toria Azarenka of Belarus, Azarenka, who like Wil- "She's been incredibly help- ing at their home while the
She's playing under a pro- won her first-round match liams is a two-time winner ful," Williams said. "She's rest of her family watched
tected ranking of 22nd and over Heather Watson 6-4, of the desert tournament, such a great mom. I got to in the stands.
hasn't been unseeded at a 6-2. has been off the tour since meet her little baby when "My favorite thing is defi-
tournament since 2011 in "Walking out on court I felt Wimbledon. She gave birth he was so young." nitely her toothless smile.
Cincinnati. so much love and almost to son Leo in December Williams plays No. 29 seed It's absolutely my favorite
"I'm a little rusty, but it had tears in my eyes," Aza- 2016 and has been in a Kiki Bertens of the Neth- thing," she said.
doesn't matter," she said. renka said. "It really means custody fight that limited erlands and Azarenka "Just holding her and the
"I'm just out here on this the world to me to be able her travel. plays U.S. Open champion way my heart skips a beat.
journey and doing the best to be here and play and Williams said she texted Az- Sloane Stephens in the sec- I never thought about
I can." enjoy myself and do what arenka when she was preg- ond round on Saturday. that."q

New F3 championship to start

in 2019 on F1 race weekends

chosen by FIA to promote which the F1 Group says the organization of the FIA
the series. will make it "easier than Formula 3 Championship
F3 cars will have a single ever for fans to follow the as from 2019," F1 managing
supplier for engines, chas- careers of aspiring young director of motorsports Ross
sis and tires to be selected drivers" hoping to reach Brawn said. "The Grand Prix
by FIA in collaboration with the pinnacle of F1. weekends will also feature
the Formula One Group. A maximum grid of 30 cars another step on the FIA's
Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton of Britain steers his car during F3 represents an ideal will be accepted, with the racing ladder, in which the
a Formula One pre-season testing session in Montmelo, outside
Barcelona, Spain, Friday, March 9, 2018. platform for "young drivers championship planned to best young drivers from
Associated Press working their way up the run between nine and 10 national and regional cat-
FIA's single-seater pyramid, events, with two races per egories will be able to race
By JEROME PUGMIRE The decision to add an F3 which now spans the full event. F3 cars will feature on the greatest and most
AP Sports Writer race to the existing F1 and spectrum of the discipline the latest FIA safety, includ- prestigious race tracks of
Aspiring young drivers will F2 series was confirmed af- from Formula 3 to Formula ing the Halo frontal pro- the world."
get the chance to race in ter motorsport governing 2 and Formula 1," the F1 tection device, as well as Last year, the former GP2
a new Formula 3 champi- body FIA held a world mo- Group said in a statement increased chassis strength format — a traditional step-
onship featuring on F1 race torsport council meeting in Friday. and increased cockpit rim ping stone into F1 — was
weekends beginning next Geneva on Friday. The For- All three race series will be height. "We are pleased to renamed F2 to bring the
year. mula One Group has been held at the same events, have been entrusted with series more in line with F1.q