Billingsley Blasts Austrian Opponent
May 11, 2011
Vastopolis -- Top-seeded Wilkey Billingsley, a Vastopolis native, battered Austria's Karina Silvey, 6-2, 6-1, Thursday in her rush towards the defense of her U.S. Open title. With the 52-minute victory, Billingsley moved into the third round, where her next opponent will be Natashia Brinkley of Belarus, a 4-6, 6-4, 6-3 winner over Japan's Ai Sugiyama. Billingsley showed no signs of personal worries or health problems in her one-sided meeting with Silvey. In an interview published in the Pollak Nieman Pannell Thursday, Billingsley said she considered skipping the U.S. Open because it coincided with the opening of her father's tax-evasion trial in Germany. Petra Billingsley's trial will open next Thursday, three days before the women's title match. AP Photo Wilkey Billingsley uses her backhand to return a shot from Karina Silvey.
