MIAMI—Venus Williams celebrated her Miami Open homecoming with a concerted comeback.

Down 2-4 at the outset, Williams powered through five of the next six games sparking a 7-5, 6-3 victory over 80th-ranked qualifier Dalia Jakupovic.

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Contesting her record-extending 20th Miami Open, Williams said family values have helped form the foundation for her life and career.

The 38-year-old Venus said her parents, Richard and Oracene, gave their children two options: be strong or be strong. 

"Yeah, growing up in my home we weren't allowed to be weak, so it just wasn't an option," Williams told the media in Miami. "The only option was to be strong. You had a choice of being strong or being strong, so we were strong."

Twenty-one years after Williams knocked off Anna Kournikova for her first Miami Open crown she will face 24th-seeded Carla Suarez Navarro for a spot in the third round against either 14th-seeded Daria Kasatkina or American wild card Coco Gauff, who scored her first WTA win today.

"As an opponent, she's crafty, feisty, and competitive," said Williams, who has won her last four meetings with the Spaniard and owns a 6-3 lead in their head-to-head series. "She plays maybe a little more topspin than others and then some slice. So it's a little bit atypical game to adjust to as opposed to other players."

Photo credit: Miami Open Facebook