Serena Williams falls out of love with tennis

Serena Williams says she has fallen out of love with tennis despite recording an impressive comeback win over Chanelle Scheepers in the first round of the Brisbane International on Monday.Playing her first match since losing the US Open final to Samantha Stosur in August, Williams showed why she is the most feared player in the draw as she outgunned Scheepers 6-2, 6-3.Williams, who missed the last four months of 2011, struggled at times with her first serve but still had too much firepower for the South African, sending down seven aces in the 68 minute victory.The 30-year-old revealed later she was cutting her schedule back in 2012 as she prepares for life after tennis.I just want to be able to do other things that Im doing and expand on that. I think that helps keep my motivation up, she said.Williams, who has won 13 Grand Slam singles titles, admitted she took the latter part of 2011 off because she was tired and said she did not love the sport any more -- if she ever had.I dont love tennis today but Im here, she said.I cant live without it -- theres a difference between not loving something and not being able to live without it.Its not that Ive fallen out of love with it. Ive actually never liked sports and I never understood how I became an athlete.I dont like working out, I dont like anything physical. If it involves sitting down or shopping, Im excellent at it.Second seed Andrea Petkovic of Germany overcame a second set collapse to defeat Israeli Shahar Peer 7-6 (7/2), 1-6, 6-3.Petkovic, the runner-up in 2011, had problems with her serve throughout the first two sets but recovered in the third to outlast Peer in two and a quarter hours.Former world No.1 Ana Ivanovic breezed into the second round with a 6-3, 6-3 win over Austrian Tamira Paszek.Ivanovic raced through the first set then recovered from a slight wobble in the second to wrap up the match in 79 minutes. I really felt I played well and applied a lot of things that I have worked on, the 24-year-old Serb said.Still, there is room for improvement but it is the first match (of the year) and Im very, very happy to be through. Ivanovic next plays Belgiums Kim Clijsters in a mouthwatering second round clash. The two last met in Miami last year, a match Ivanovic lost despite holding five match points in the third set.Russias eighth seed Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova progressed when Slovenias Polona Hercog withdrew with Pavlyuchenkova leading 6-1, 4-1.In other matches, Kazakhstans Galina Voskoboeva thrashed Russian qualifier Vera Dushevina 6-0, 6-0, the Czech Republics Barbora Zahlavova Strycova saw off Australian wildcard Olivia Rogowska 6-2, 4-6, 6-4 and American qualifier Vania King upset Hungarys Melinda Czink 6-3, 6-4.