Serena Williams thumps Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova in straight sets

Serena Williams has remained on course for a third successive Italian Open title after swatting aside Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova in straight sets to advance to the third round.

Williams dropped just two games in the match as the world number one eased to a 6-1 6-2 win in less than an hour in Rome this evening.

The American lost her first match of 2015 after going down to Petra Kvitova in the Madrid Open semi-finals last week.

Consequently, Williams started this encounter with a point to prove, inflicting two breaks of serve en route to a 5-1 lead, before closing out the first set with ease.

Two more broken service games in the second set had Williams on course for a repeat as she led 5-1 and seemingly heading toward the next round.

However, Pavlyuchenkova, rated 39th in the world, pulled two games back in a mini resurgence that proved a wake-up call for Williams, who went on to win the 10th game.