Scriptwriter Serena reaches 3rd round at Wimbledon

WIMBLEDON, England — Serena Williams is writing a TV script that borrows from some of her favorite shows, including “Desperate Housewives,” ”Sex and the City” and “Family Guy.”

Then there’s the other script she has in mind — the one that ends with her winning Wimbledon next week.

Her attention was on the latter storyline Wednesday afternoon, when she advanced to the third round by beating Jarmila Groth 6-2, 6-1. Williams is seeking her third Wimbledon title and her first since 2003.

“I should have won more than twice here,” she said. “Hopefully I can rectify that this year.”

The victory took only 57 minutes, leaving Williams with lots of time to get back to her TV script treatment.

“You’ll be excited to know I wrote three parts already,” she said. “I was going to do it (Tuesday), but I started watching ‘Dexter’ and I got a little sidetracked. You know what, today’s a good day. I can write. For me it’s really about being in the mood, and how I’m feeling.”

Williams always keeps busy. She’s an actress, a clothing designer and the winner of 10 Grand Slam titles, most recently this year’s Australian Open. She writes a blog — in one entry this week, she complained about Wimbledon rules prohibiting food in the players’ locker rooms. She has a ghostwritten autobiography due this year.

And now she wants to write for television.

“Definitely for TV,” she said. “I don’t know how good I would be at writing a movie. But I just love to write.”

Sister Venus gave her a book on script writing to help. Serena’s agent also offered advice.

And how would she craft a script of the Serena Williams story?

“There are definitely so many options,” she said. “I think I would open a scene holding a championship, and then I would rewind time. I think those stories are told well.”

One possible Wimbledon plot has Williams facing Venus in the final.

“I wouldn’t want anything less for me or for my sister,” Serena said.

Venus won her fifth Wimbledon title and second in a row by beating Serena in the final last year.

Serena has yet to drop a set in two rounds and committed only six unforced errors against Groth.

“For me, there’s always room for improvement,” she said. “I could have returned better, come to the net a little bit more. That’s exciting to think that I can do better.”

She need not worry about a potential quarterfinal showdown against Maria Sharapova. The 2004 champion lost to Gisela Dulko, 6-2, 3-6, 6-4 in the biggest upset so far.

Like Williams, Roger Federer advanced easily, moving a step closer to a sixth Wimbledon championship and a record 15th major title overall by beating Guillermo Garcia-Lopez 6-2, 6-2, 6-4.

The grace with which Federer and Williams won proved elusive for others. Taylor Dent double-faulted 21 times in defeat. Michael Llodra retired with an abdominal injury after his pursuit of a shot sent him off the court, where he bounced off the chair-umpire stand and into a ball girl before they tumbled into a trash can.

The wait continued for rain and the first match under the new retractable roof on Centre Court. But for the second day in a row, steady sunshine prompted the roof to be closed slightly to provide shade for the Royal Box.

“It’s good that it gets a little bit of a workout,” All England Club spokesman Johnny Perkins said.

Playing at Wimbledon for the 10th time, Williams knows well how rain often creates an unwelcome plot twist. She loves the tournament anyway, although she concedes it wasn’t her favorite growing up in Los Angeles.

“My dad would always say, ‘Which Grand Slam do you want to win?’ And Venus always said Wimbledon, ironically enough, and I always said the U.S. Open,” Serena said. “That’s kind of like my first memory.”

For her next memory, she plays No. 53-ranked Roberta Vinci in the third round Thursday.