US player Serena Williams celebrates winning against Netherlands' Arantxa Rus during their women's singles first round match on the first day of the 2018 Wimbledon Championships at The All England Lawn Tennis Club in Wimbledon, southwest London, on July 2, 2018.
Williams won the match 7-5, 6-3. / AFP PHOTO / Ben STANSALL / RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE
Netherlands’ Arantxa Rus returns against US player Serena Williams during their women’s singles first round match on the first day of the 2018 Wimbledon Championships at The All England Lawn Tennis Club in Wimbledon, southwest London, on July 2, 2018. / AFP PHOTO / Ben STANSALL / RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USESerena Williams kicked off her bid for an eighth Wimbledon title with a hard-fought 7-5, 6-3 victory over Holland’s Arantxa Rus on Monday.
The 23-time Grand Slam champion has now won her last 15 singles matches at Wimbledon after clinching the title in 2015 and 2016.
Williams, who missed Wimbledon last year to prepare for the birth of her first child, will play Bulgarian qualifier Viktoriya Tomova or Czech wild card Tereza Smitkova in the second round.
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