Scott Clarke / ESPN Images(MELBOURNE, Australia) — Serena Williams advanced to the next round of the Australian Open Thursday, beating her opponent in two straight sets.
The No. 2 seed defeated Lucie Safarova in the second round, 6-3, 6-4. Williams, 35, will next face Nicole Gibbs.
Should Williams continue her winning streak and take the title in Melbourne, she will break her tie with Steffi Graf and become the leader in major wins in the Open era with 23 Grand Slam titles.
Williams tied Graf with her 22nd Grand Slam win last year in the Wimbledon final against Angelique Kerber.
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