The 22 year old served first, and received a Williams forehand winner to begin. The opening game service break included a drop shot winner from Williams and signalled a tough evening ahead.
Three more winners in her consolidating service game gave Williams a flying start.
Zidansek settled in well, and with good defence, plus a forehand winner, was able to hold serve to love.
The chance came to level the match in the next game after Williams was down a break point, following an off forehand drive winner from Zidansek.
Williams snuffed that out with a quality serve, and proceeded to win the game, extending her lead to 3-1.
The disappointment of not converting the break point was compounded immediately when Williams sent a backhand return past the Slovenian. A double fault and forehand error produced three break points. One was saved, but a netted forehand meant that Williams had secured a double break.
Three big serves, including two aces, took Williams to 40-15, but 5-1 only arrived after two visits to deuce, with Zidansek belting a couple of winners off her forehand to keep the champion honest.
Serving at 1-5, Zidansek saved a set point, but Williams had no difficulty when at the line, dropping just one point in taking the set 6-2.
Set two for five games was a source of frustration for Williams as she failed to convert seven break point opportunities. Zidansek was competitive to a fair extent in set one, but was now seeing that reflected on the scoreboard in set two.
The sixth game could have seen her turn the match. It was Williams serving at 2-3, and the eighth seed led 30-15 before smashing a forehand into the net and putting another forehand long to be down break point. She survived that moment with the obligatory ace. A second break chance arose when a Zidansek drop shot forced Williams to hit long. Saved when a Zidansek return landed out. An ace gave Williams game point, but a Zidansek backhand winner neutralised that.
A backhand pass brought up a third break point. A Williams backhand passing shot and deuce once more.
Williams did hold serve and it was 3-3.
Enough stress thought Serena Williams, and she broke to love, then held to 15.
Serving at 3-5 to stay in the match, Zidansek hit a forehand winner down the line. A Williams return landed on the baseline and Zidansek couldn’t handle it. 15-30 when a Slovenian forehand hit the net.
Match point when that was repeated. An off forehand return winner clinched the match for Serena Williams 6-2 6-3.
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