Serena Williams wins first-round Wimbledon matchup

LONDON (AP) — Serena Williams was far from dominant at the start, but more than good enough at the end.

The top-seeded American opened her quest for a true Grand Slam with a 6-4, 6-1 win over Margarita Gasparyan of Russia on Monday in the first round of Wimbledon.

Williams has won three straight major titles, including the Australian Open and French Open. If she wins the title at the All England Club and then defends her title at the U.S. Open, she would be the first player since Steffi Graf in 1988 to win all four Grand Slam titles in the same season.

Williams started slow on the grass on Court 1, trailing 3-1 before turning things around and advancing to the second round.