Serena Williams made up for lost time by racing into the quarter-finals of the French Open.
Having
been unable to get on court for the past two days for her fourth-round
clash against Elina Svitolina, conditions were finally dry enough on
Wednesday to allow play to start on time.
And defending champion Williams needed just 62 minutes to beat 18th seed Svitolina 6-1 6-1.
Conserving
energy could well be the key to winning this title, with whoever reaches
the final from the top half of the women's draw having to play four
matches in four days.
The
sky was resolutely grey and the court damp and heavy, not conditions
Williams favours, but she was in total control from the start.
Svitolina is being coached part-time by four-time French Open champion Justine Henin, who twice beat Williams at Roland Garros.
But
Svitolina does not possess Henin's finesse and it was not a happy 34th
birthday for the Belgian as she watched her charge get demolished by the
power of Williams.
The American won the first four games and it was not until early in the second set that Svitolina finally held serve.
The Ukrainian showed her frustration as the glimpses she had were snuffed out, with Williams saving seven of eight break points.
But
this was as comfortable as wins come and Williams moves through to a
last-eight meeting with either Carla Suarez Navarro or Yulia
Putintseva.
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