The ITA Bank of the West Classic, now in its 28th year, is the longest-running women’s professional tennis tournament in the world and is the first stop of the U.S. Open Series. And it all happens right here on the Farm.

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Serena Williams got all she could handle from an unheralded 15 year old, Michelle Larcher de Brito of Portugal, last night, but pulled through to advance past the second round at the Bank of the West Classic. #gallery http://daily.stanford.org/image/full/9355
Sammy Abusrur

Serena Williams got all she could handle from an unheralded 15 year old, Michelle Larcher de Brito of Portugal, last night, but pulled through to advance past the second round at the Bank of the West Classic.

Consisting of a 16-team doubles draw with total prize money of $700,000, the Bank of the West Classic is a well-established Bay Area event. Taking place at Taube Family Tennis Stadium, Stanford will be serving up the best in women’s tennis with 33,000 expected to be in attendance throughout the week, in addition to extensive television coverage. Competition began on Monday and is slated to run through Sunday.

To cut to the chase, Serena Williams is here — finally. The star who has withdrawn from the Bank of the West Classic three times since 2003 pulled up a chair in a hospitality tent near Stanford’s Taube Family Tennis Stadium on Monday, appearing, frankly, exhausted.

Last night, Williams needed every ounce of talent she had to avoid a near monumental upset at the hands of a previously unknown 15-year-old challenger, Michelle Larcher de Brito of Portugal, in the second round of the Classic.

Larcher de Brito launched out to an early lead against the fifth-ranked woman in the world, as Williams committed eight unforced errors in the initial 12 points, en route to an eventual 4-6, 6-3, 6-2 match victory.

The past few weeks have not been free of preoccupations and troubling thoughts for the world’s No. 5 player. Since losing to her sister, Venus, in a dramatic Wimbledon final July 5, Serena has barely had time to relax, let alone reflect on her loss.

“Team tennis, no sleep and just working — lots of tennis since Wimbledon,” Williams said in a press conference earlier this week.

Williams’ hectic schedule won’t end soon. She will play next week’s WTA tournament in Carson before heading to Beijing for the Olympics.

Williams will next take on the winner of today’s second round match between Russia’s Alisa Kleybanova and tournament fifth-seed Patty Schnyder of Switzerland.