Rusty triple champion Serena Williams booked an Australian Open fourth round clash with rising teen star Victoria Azarenka today as the men's French revolution gathered pace.
Rusty triple champion Serena Williams booked an Australian Open fourth round clash with rising teen star Victoria Azarenka today as the men's French revolution gathered pace.
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Williams, the tournament favourite, crushed China's Peng Shuai 6-1, 6-4 to set up an intriguing showdown with Azarenka after the Belarusian ended any hope Amelie Mauresmo had of repeating her 2006 heroics here.
Stung by a listless 'D-minus' performance in the second round and sister Venus' shock exit at the same stage, Williams stamped her authority on the match early.
Peng mounted a stiffer challenge in the second set but couldn't match the American's power, leaving Zheng Jie as China's only player left in the draw.
Wimbledon semi-finalist Zheng, seeded 22, beat Ukraine's Kateryna Bondarenko 6-2, 6-2 to continue her best-ever Australian Open showing with a fourth round tie against former US Open champion Svetlana Kuznetsova.
"It was definitely a lot better than my second round. But, you know, I'm still trying to work on some things and hoping they'll come together," said Williams.
"I'm feeling a little rusty, for whatever reason. I'm hoping my next round I'll be a little better."
She added that her sister's shock upset in the second round had given her extra motivation to win a 10th Grand Slam title.
"It obviously increases my motivation and my desire to win and hopefully do better."
The woman who beat Venus, Spain's unseeded Carla Suarez Navarro, continued her surprise march through the draw, easily beating countrywoman Maria Jose Martinez Sanchez 6-1, 6-4.
Next up for her is another Spaniard, Anabel Medina Garrigues, who sent Italian 12th seed Flavia Pennetta packing 6-4, 6-1.
Suarez Navarro said she wasn't thinking too far ahead.
"Maybe, maybe not," she said of her quarter-final chances.
"I play now with Anabel, so we'll see -- I don't know. I just want to enjoy today's win before I start thinking about the next match."
Williams eliminated the big-hitting Azarenka from last year's Open but the Belarus teen is a far better player now and full of confidence.
"We'll see how it goes, I'm sure it'll be a great match," said Azarenka on the Williams showdown.
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