Serena, Ferrer advance in Paris
Source: Agencies |
June 3, 2013, Monday
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WHEN Serena Williams won the final point yesterday, she paused behind the baseline to urge herself on with one last fist pump.
"Come on!" she shouted, as if her work wasn't done.
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.
The 15-time grand slam champion next plays 2009 French Open winner Svetlana Kuznetsova.
Two-time grand slam champion Kuznetsova, ranked 39th but rejuvenated this year, beat No. 8-seeded Angelique Kerber 6-4, 4-6, 6-3.
In men's play, Spain's David Ferrer reached the quarterfinals for the sixth grand slam in a row by beating South Africa's Kevin Anderson 6-3, 6-1, 6-1.
Ferrer, seeded No. 4, converted 6 of 17 break-point chances against Anderson.
The Spaniard held every service game and committed only 11 unforced errors to 41 for the South African, seeded No. 23.
When the Spaniard closed out the victory, he looked to the blue sky and raised both fists.
His next opponent will be the winner of the match between two other Spaniards, No. 11 Nicolas Almagro and No. 32 Tommy Robredo.
Ferrer has won four matches without dropping a set.
He's a four-time major semifinalist, including at Roland Garros last year, but hasn't reached a final.
Vinci tried everything to get Williams off balance. The Italian played serve and volley, attempted to chip and charge and mixed the pace of her groundstrokes, including an occasional drop shot.
But Williams whacked second serves harder than Vinci's first serves, and her persistent power proved the difference.
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.
"It was not easy to win today," Williams told the center court crowd afterward in French, "but I'm very happy, and I'm ready for the next round."
She improved to 20-0 this year on clay. Since losing in the first round a year ago at Roland Garros, Williams is 71-3, including titles at Wimbledon, the US Open, the London Olympics and the season-ending WTA Championships.
Williams is 6-2 against Kuznetsova. But the Russian won when they met in the 2009 quarterfinals at Roland Garros, and she went on to the title.
"Come on!" she shouted, as if her work wasn't done.
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.
The 15-time grand slam champion next plays 2009 French Open winner Svetlana Kuznetsova.
Two-time grand slam champion Kuznetsova, ranked 39th but rejuvenated this year, beat No. 8-seeded Angelique Kerber 6-4, 4-6, 6-3.
In men's play, Spain's David Ferrer reached the quarterfinals for the sixth grand slam in a row by beating South Africa's Kevin Anderson 6-3, 6-1, 6-1.
Ferrer, seeded No. 4, converted 6 of 17 break-point chances against Anderson.
The Spaniard held every service game and committed only 11 unforced errors to 41 for the South African, seeded No. 23.
When the Spaniard closed out the victory, he looked to the blue sky and raised both fists.
His next opponent will be the winner of the match between two other Spaniards, No. 11 Nicolas Almagro and No. 32 Tommy Robredo.
Ferrer has won four matches without dropping a set.
He's a four-time major semifinalist, including at Roland Garros last year, but hasn't reached a final.
Vinci tried everything to get Williams off balance. The Italian played serve and volley, attempted to chip and charge and mixed the pace of her groundstrokes, including an occasional drop shot.
But Williams whacked second serves harder than Vinci's first serves, and her persistent power proved the difference.
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.
"It was not easy to win today," Williams told the center court crowd afterward in French, "but I'm very happy, and I'm ready for the next round."
She improved to 20-0 this year on clay. Since losing in the first round a year ago at Roland Garros, Williams is 71-3, including titles at Wimbledon, the US Open, the London Olympics and the season-ending WTA Championships.
Williams is 6-2 against Kuznetsova. But the Russian won when they met in the 2009 quarterfinals at Roland Garros, and she went on to the title.
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