In brief: Serena Williams works hard to win tuneup for U.S. Open

Tennis: Serena Williams pumped her fist after each important point and screamed as she smacked another emphatic shot. The defending Cincinnati champion wasn’t going to ease into the tournament.

Williams put a lot of emotion into her opening match at the Western & Southern Open on Wednesday, a 7-5, 6-3 victory over Tsvetana Pironkova that made her the first of the top seeds to advance.

Novak Djokovic won his rain-delayed opening match, beating Benoit Paire 7-5, 6-2 in 1 hour, 39 minutes.

Williams won the Cincinnati tournament for the first time last year, getting one of the few titles that had eluded her. This year, she’s using it as a final tuneup for the U.S. Open, where she’ll be the focus as she tries to complete a rare Grand Slam sweep.

For her, this week is about getting her game ready to take a swing at history.

“I think it could be a lot better,” she said. “It’s not where I would want it ideally, but, you know, I’m going to have to fix that more mentally than anything. I think once I lock in there I will be OK.”

The top-ranked Williams was coming off a loss to Belinda Bencic on Saturday night in Toronto in the Rogers Cup semifinals.

Williams’ sister, Venus, dropped out of the tournament Tuesday night with an illness. Maria Sharapova also dropped out with a lingering injury to her right leg.

Djokovic has never won in Cincinnati, losing the finals to Andy Murray in 2008 and 2011, and to Roger Federer in 2009 and 2012. A title this week would make him the first player to win all nine ATP Masters events.

Fourth-seeded Stan Wawrinka rallied for a 3-6, 7-6 (3), 6-3 win over Borna Coric. He will meet Ivo Karlovic in the third round.

Phillies trade Utley to Dodgers

Baseball: Two people familiar with the deal say the Philadelphia Phillies have agreed to trade six-time All-Star second baseman Chase Utley to the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Both sources spoke to the Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the deal hasn’t been finalized and is pending a review of Utley’s medical records. Utley has a history of knee injuries and recently returned from the disabled list after missing more than a month because of an ankle injury.

Utley has waived his no-trade rights to go to his hometown Dodgers and he already cleared waivers.

• Wright expected to be activated: New York Mets third baseman David Wright is expected to be activated from the disabled list next week after missing four months with a back injury.

• Twins bring up Buxton: Minnesota has called up top hitting prospect Byron Buxton from Triple-A Rochester when it had to put Aaron Hicks on the 15-day disabled list because of a left hamstring strain.

• Hamilton placed on DL: Cincinnati placed outfielder Billy Hamilton on the 15-day disabled list with a sprained capsule in his right shoulder.

Lloyd, O’Reilly lead U.S. win

Soccer: Carli Lloyd and Heather O’Reilly each scored twice and the United States beat Costa Rica 7-2 in a Women’s World Cup victory tour exhibition game that included an 83-minute weather delay at Chattanooga, Tennessee.

Abby Wambach and Alex Morgan also scored and the U.S. got an own goal in its second friendly since winning the Women’s World Cup.

• Valencia beats Monaco: Valencia is close to returning to the Champions League group stage after beating Monaco 3-1 in their first-leg playoff.

Wolverine beats medalist

Miscellany: Michigan sophomore Kyle Mueller held off U.S. Amateur stroke-play medalist Brett Coletta of Australia 1-up at Olympia Fields, Illinois, in the first round of match play.

Mueller, from Watkinsville, Georgia, survived a playoff to advance to match play. He took a 3-up lead with a par on the par-4 11th, lost the par-3 15th and 17th with bogeys and finished off the 19-year-old Coletta with a par for a halve on the par-4 18th.

• More harassment complaints received: University of Minnesota president Eric Kaler says the school has received “a small number” of additional complaints of sexual harassment by Norwood Teague since the athletic director resigned.

Teague stepped down in early August after being accused of harassing two administrators during a senior leadership retreat in July.