Summary Flavia Pennetta beat Gabriela Dabrowski 6-4, 6-1 on Monday at the WTA Rogers Cup.
TORONTO (AFP) - Italy s Flavia Pennetta breezed past Canada s Gabriela Dabrowski 6-4, 6-1 Monday at the WTA Rogers Cup, booking a second-round date with world number one Serena Williams.
Williams, who like all top seeds received a first-round bye at the US Open hardcourt tuneup event, has won all six prior matches against the Italian, who will be the US superstar s first hardcourt foe since winning her fourth Grand Slam title in a row last month at Wimbledon.
"It s going to be nice because I ll play one of the best players ever," Pennetta said. "But it s good because she s the hardest test and I ll see where my game is."
Williams, who has dropped only one career set to Pennetta, is trying to complete a calendar-year Grand Slam and match Steffi Graf with an Open Era-record 22 Grand Slam singles crowns by winning the US Open, which starts in three weeks at New York.
Rain hit the Canadian tournament after Pennetta s victory, washing out much of the day s schedule.
