Miami - Justine Henin rolled out a bulked-up serve, firing 10 aces in a 6-4, 6-2 defeat of Angelique Kerber to reach the third round of the Miami Masters on Friday. The Belgian world number one couldn't help but be pleased with her reinforced delivery, the result of a month's worth of specialised training.
"I did spend a lot of time on my serve in the last few weeks," said the seven-time Grand Slam champion who has not played for a month since a Dubai quarter-final loss.
"I also had to spend a lot of time in the gym and really working hard, trying to get confidence back in my strength.
"I feel much better physically today than a few weeks ago, that's for sure. We could see it in my serve. I can play with my forehand again, and I feel that everything is better now.
"But I still have to improve my game."
The top seed Henin has played sparingly this season, competing in only 15 matches as a right knee injury slowly heals after a pain- killing injection two months ago.
Henin still struggled with 28 unforced errors against the 80th- ranked German teenager, shaking the rust out of her game and saving three break points.
"It was my first match, and I just feel much better than I was a few weeks ago," said the seed.
The Belgian who won her first home title in Antwerp last month said her task is to stay aggressive on court.
"If I'm aggressive at the beginning of the point, usually I remain aggressive the whole point. But if I start being defensive already, it's pretty hard after to change."
Holder Serena Williams, the eighth seed with four titles at Crandon Park, advanced easily over Romanian Edina Gallovits 6-1, 6-2 in 54 minutes with four breaks of serve.
Russian Elena Vesnina knocked out 15th seed Agnes Szavay of Hungary 6-2, 4-6, 6-1.
In men's play, French 16th seed Paul-Henri Mathieu reached the third round after the bye given to all seeds with a defeat of Croatian Marin Cilic 4-6, 6-1, 6-4.
Germany's Nicolas Kiefer produced a 6-3, 6-2 win to hand slumping Jarkko Nieminen his seventh straight defeat this season as the Finn continues to suffer with a virus from February.
