Serena Williams vs. Christina McHale: Score, Reaction from 2016 Miami Open

Three-time defending champion Serena Williams started her run at the 2016 Miami Open with a hard-fought 6-3, 5-7, 6-2 victory over Christina McHale on Thursday.  

She didn't play anywhere near her best tennis, but while her fellow American put up a fight, she still found a way to advance in the end. McHale, who's gone through some growing pains since reaching the top 25 in 2012, can take some positive lessons from the match despite the loss.

The Miami Open illustrated the emotion from Williams after the hotly contested win:

Williams is still looking for her first title of the 2016 campaign after losing in the final of both the Australian Open (Angelique Kerber) and the BNP Paribas Open (Victoria Azarenka). She entered the Miami Masters with an 11-2 record after going 53-3 last season.

The top seed is playing for something more than just another trophy over the next couple of weeks, though. She authored an essay for the New York Times entitled "Why Tennis Needs the Miami Open," as the event faces an uncertain future.

She called Miami a "true home" and explained why it's important to keep the tournament from moving to a new location:

"

As a tennis tournament, Miami has always achieved greatly despite the odds. It doesn't take place in the biggest city; it's not the oldest, nor is it the most traditional. But the tournament keeps moving forward, finding creative ways of improving each year.

Leaving Miami would be a blow to our sport, to the city of Miami and to me. The tournament has, in many ways, set the standard for tennis events around the world in a unique time and place, and I hope we can all work together to improve this home court.

"

She concluded: "I am so grateful for the opportunities the Miami Open has afforded Venus and me, and I can't wait to get another chance at holding that trophy a week from Saturday."

While it's unclear whether her efforts will be enough to save the tournament, she took her first step toward the goal of raising the trophy again by beating McHale. The win sends her into the third round after an opening-round bye.

Williams raced out to a 5-1 lead in the first set with a couple of breaks of serve. She appeared poised for a dominant performance by overwhelming the New Jersey native, but then another one of the lulls she's dealt with this season popped up.

It allowed McHale to get one of the breaks back to at least make the set competitive. Though she couldn't complete the comeback as the top seed returned to form in time to close out the set with her second try on serve, it set the tone for a tight match.

Olly Dickson Jefford of Vavel USA noted McHale did play better as the opening set went along:

The WTA highlighted the ace Williams used to grab command:

McHale carried those upbeat vibes into a more competitive second set. Even after dropping her first service game, she forced Williams to work for just about every point. She earned the break back with her superstar counterpart serving for the match, even saving a match point in the process.

The break started a run of four straight games for the underdog, including a second straight break to close out the second set in emphatic fashion. It highlighted the difference in play between the first 20 minutes and the next 60.

Craig O'Shannessy of Brain Game Tennis noted McHale even notched more winners off the forehand in the second set than Williams:

The WTA showcased a visibly frustrated Williams after watching the set slip away:

Williams finally managed to retake control of the match with an early break in the third. It still wasn't easy or aesthetically pleasing, but this time she didn't let the lead slip away.

She closed out the deciding set without any further drama. But there's no doubt her form will need to improve in the remaining matches if she wants to keep her streak of Miami Open titles alive.

Kate Salemme of the Herald Sun spotlighted Williams' high error total:

Andrew Jerell Jones of The Intercept pointed out McHale can still take a lot away from the match even though she couldn't finish the comeback:

"

McHale brought her best. That and the good vs Muguruza will give her some needed confidence into the clay to maybe get back inside Top 40.

— Andrew Jerell Jones (@sluggahjells) March 24, 2016"

Looking ahead, Williams faces another potentially tricky match with Zarina Diyas in the next round. The 22-year-old rising star from Kazakhstan played some terrific tennis in straight-sets victories over Olga Govortsova and No. 31 seed Daria Gavrilova so far.

The No. 1 player in the world is still the heavy favorite to advance, of course. She dropped just two games in a lopsided victory over Diyas at Indian Wells last year. The unseeded player likely hasn't improved enough to make up that large gap quite yet.

Williams should advance comfortably into the latter stages of the event despite Thursday's close call. The question will be whether she can regain her championship mojo after some previously rare lapses in finals so far in 2016.

Post-Match Reaction

McHale posted a message on social media following the match:

Williams reiterated her love for Miami after the triumph, as relayed by WTA Tennis:

"

Miami is such a special place for me. I live so close to here; in fact I was just home yesterday.

When I was younger, I used to watch so many people play here. I know a lot of the kids have that same experience. I grew up wandering the grounds like everyone here, and now I'm playing here and it's always such a special moment.

"

The report also included the 21-time Grand Slam singles champion's comments about McHale's performance.

"She definitely started to fight harder, and is clearly capable of playing great tennis," Williams said. "She showed it today."