Sport
French Open 2013: Serena Williams storms into the quartefinals
Serena Williams urges herself on whilst in action against Roberta Vinci. PHOTO/David Josek/AP
Serena Williams earned a berth in the French Open quarterfinals and extended her career-best winning streak to 28 matches by beating No. 15-seeded Roberta Vinci 6-1, 6-3.
It was her toughest test of the first week, but she swept the last 10 points and has lost only 10 games through four rounds.
“I just want every point,” Williams said. “Every match I’m really focused for the whole period of time. I really want it every match.”
The 15-time Grand Slam champion next plays 2009 French Open winner Svetlana Kuznetsova. With a victory, Williams would earn her first berth in a French Open semifinal since 2003.
She won her lone Roland Garros title in 2002.
Vinci tried everything to get Williams off balance. The 5-foot-4 Italian played serve and volley, attempted to chip and charge and mixed the pace of her groundstrokes, including an occasional drop shot.
“She played really smart,” Williams said. “I knew how she was going to play. Some of the things she did I definitely expected, and I just had to come up with an answer.”
Williams answered forcefully, whacking second serves harder than Vinci’s first serves, and her persistent power proved the difference.
“I don’t want to say it was a one-sided match, but it basically was,” Vinci said. “She hits hard, and you can’t tell where she’s going to hit it.”
Serving in the opening game of the second set, Williams fell behind love-30, as if trying to make it a fair fight. She then hit an ace, kissed a forehand winner off a line, won the next point with another booming groundstroke and closed out the game with a drop-shot winner.
The rout left Vinci regretting the luck of the draw.
“It’s a shame I had to face Williams here,” Vinci said. “She’s the strongest player by far.”
Williams improved to 20-0 this year on clay. Since losing in the first round a year ago at Roland Garros, she’s 71-3, including titles at Wimbledon, the U.S. Open, the London Olympics and the season-ending WTA Championships.
Williams first reached the quarterfinals at Roland Garros in 2001, when she was 19. Now she’s 31 and the oldest player in the top 10.
“She’s the best in the world,” said Kuznetsova, who is 2-6 against her. “She has been playing unbelievable tennis. But I believe that I have game and my good days as well. Let’s cross fingers I will have a good day.”
Copyright 2013 The Associated Press