Serena Williams trounces Marina Erakovic to enter quarter-finals – Family Circle Cup 2012
Fifth seed, Serena Williams, eased past New Zealand’s Marina Erakovic in straight sets at the Family Circle Cup 2012 on Thursday. She nudged up a 6-2, 6-2 victory over the world number 45 to advance into the last eight at this WTA (Women’s Tennis Association) clay court event taking place in Charleston, United States.
The home favourite, Williams, showed flawless performance to outfox the Kiwi in almost one and half hour. Encountering each other for the first time, the American not only edged in the head-to-head series by 1-0 against the Croatian-born Erakovic bur also secured a place in the quarter-finals at this Premier event.
The former world number one high-spiritedly entered the Family Circle Tennis Center and held her serve in the opening game. After the Erakovic held her second serve, the veteran bombarded powerful forehands from her box of tricks to wind up the following four games in a row, subsequently sealing the opener with a 6-2 win.
Williams kept momentum rolling into the proceeding set and after earning the desiderated break in the fourth game, she jumped to a 4-1 lead. She maintained consistency in her game and capitalised on another break chance in the last game to clinch the set with a 6-2 score line.
All in all, the 30-year-old ruled throughout the match as she fired six vicious aces and produced a better first serve share. Williams also brilliantly marked 28 out of 35 points on it and dusted away all three breakpoints she came across.
Next in line for the world number 10 is the sixth seed, Sabine Lisicki, who halted the Kazakhstani qualifier, Yaroslava Shvedova, in straight sets to occupy this position.
The American conquered Lisicki with a 6-1, 6-2 score line in their only previous clash at the Stanford WTA event last year.
"It can only get better," the blooming German said about her last meeting. "I was very nervous there in the beginning. I made some terrible mistakes and overhit way too many balls. In the second set I actually had chances - the games were close, and it was a good match from mid-second set on. So I hope I can start like that tomorrow."
Serena’s sister Venus, who is a wild card entrant in this event, also stole the show later that day. The world number 87 lost her serve once but cashed in four out of 10 break opportunities to seal the deal with a 7-5, 6-2 success.
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