Serena motors through for Petrova showdown

MELBOURNE, Jan 17 (Reuters) A touch of daydreaming left Serena Williams stuttering before completing to a 7-6 6-2 win over Luxembourg's Anne Kremer in the second round of the Australian Open today.

The twice former champion slapped a backhand winner to set up a third round showdown with Russian fifth seed Nadia Petrova.

''I feel excited to go into the match. I'm ready to go,'' declared Serena, who holds a 5-1 record against Petrova.

Unseeded at these championships after her ranking nosedived following an injury-plagued 2006, Williams was left grimacing and yelping in the first set as she dropped her serve to hand Kremer the initiative.

But the American got her act back together and after winning the tiebreak, thundered to a 4-0 lead before sealing the win in 95 minutes.

''I lost a little focus when I was 4-0 up. I started daydreaming,'' said the American, who has failed to win a title of any kind since lifting her seventh grand slam trophy in Melbourne Park in 2005.

''I'm too experienced to daydream at that stage of the match.'' REUTERS SAM ND1540