Not a woman known for mercy, Victoria Azarenka had double-bageled her first opponent at the US Open on Tuesday night.  Both Serena Williams and Maria Sharapova had recorded first-round double bagels at the Australian Open, however, only to fall short at a major that Azarenka herself won.  Every round is a new round, as those stories show, and last year’s finalist had room to improve on a debut when she struggled to hold more than to break.

Azarenka has lost just one match on hard courts this year, winning two Premier Five titles in Doha and Cincinnati to accompany her second straight Australian Open crown.  And yet her last several tournaments, even her Cincinnati title run, have featured serving below the standard expected from a world No. 2.  Azarenka has built her reputation upon an outstanding return and baseline game, while her serve has remained a chronic thorn in her side.  That shot thus bore watching as she squared off against Alexandra Wozniak, playing just her third tournament of 2013 after recovering from a shoulder injury.

A Canadian with a WTA title (Stanford 2008) to her credit, Wozniak tested Azarenka in their only previous meeting at Roland Garros last year.  Before injuries overtook her, she notched victories over former No. 1s Amelie Mauresmo and Jelena Jankovic as well as Svetlana Kuznetsova and Samantha Stosur.  Wozniak lacks the explosiveness to finish points quickly when she takes control, but her shot-making talent surpasses what one would expect from a player of her status.

Whereas Roger Federer has started his match with a one-minute hold, Azarenka started hers with a one-minute break.  An error-prone Wozniak revealed the rust that one would have expected from someone who has played so little this year as she dropped the first six points.  Azarenka generally focused on not conceding any cheap points and forcing her opponent to work through each rally.  But she did unleash two stinging winners in the third game, one from each groundstroke wing, to break again.

To trouble Azarenka, an opponent needs to strike the right balance between patience and aggression.  Wozniak’s inconsistency hindered her in choosing the best moments to pull the trigger, which left her with few tactical options.  But then, at 0-5, Azarenka’s serving struggles resurfaced.  A multiple-deuce game unfolded in which neither woman could string together two strong points.

When Wozniak finally earned the break, the momentum swing lasted longer than one might have expected.  She followed her first game with her first hold of serve, and then the world No. 2 tossed in her third double fault as she failed to serve out the first set one more time.  Still, clawing back from a 0-5 deficit against an opponent of Azarenka’s quality is a tall task for any woman.  The plucky Canadian dropped serve at 3-5 to end the set, forestalling the intriguing question of whether Vika could fail to serve out a set three times in a row.

In general, though, Wozniak had finished the first set more positively than she had started it.  Azarenka must have known to her chagrin that she could have won the set far more efficiently.  The world No. 2 managed to stop the underdog in her tracks early in the second set by claiming a quick lead again.  By now, though, Wozniak had witnessed firsthand the vulnerability of Azarenka’s serve, and she continued to attack it with confidence.  A 0-30 opening appeared as she trailed 3-6 0-2, but the favorite managed to extricate herself after multiple deuces again.

As often as she could break or threaten to break Azarenka, those minor victories would count for little unless Wozniak could find a way to hold her own serve.  Never imposing in that category, she faced consistent pressure on serve throughout the match.  An ill-advised approach gave Azarenka plenty of time to fire a pass that set up two more break points.  Soon enough, the world No. 2 led 4-0 for the second set in a row.

But could she close the second more effectively than she had the first?  With a petulant look on her face, Azarenka again fell behind 0-30 as she watched a return winner zip past.  While the second seed cracked an ace, Wozniak regained one of the breaks.  It counted for little in the end as she managed to hold serve just once in the match.  Azarenka advanced to the third round with one of her most confident service games of the day.  There, she will face Alize Cornet, who extended her to three sets at Roland Garros this year. 

As she had in her first match, the world No. 2 struggled far more on her own serve than on her opponent’s serve.  Although Wozniak could not punish her for those struggles, nor most likely can Cornet, opponents in the second week of the US Open will not be so forgiving.  Other than that area of her game, for which she compensated well, Azarenka looked every inch a title contender.  She struck both of her groundstrokes cleanly throughout the match, finished points alertly in the forecourt, and transitioned smoothly from defense to offense.