Serena Williams wallops Andrea Hlavackova; Ana Ivanovic is next
NEW YORK -- At one moment during her U.S. Open fourth-round match on Monday, Serena Williams had 32 points. Her opponent, Andrea Hlavackova, had 10. The beating that took place was that decisive.
Williams won the match, 6-0, 6-0, in 57 minutes on Arthur Ashe Stadium. Williams hit 31 winners to nine for Hlavackova while winning 60 points to 29 by her opponent.
Williams, seeded fourth, was unsympathetic with her tennis Monday. Hlavackova, a 26-year-old from the Czech Republic, who was playing with an upper leg injury that caused her to play with heavy tape near her thigh, was overpowered from first point to last. Hlavackova is known more for her doubles play and is still in the women’s doubles draw with her partner Lucie Hradecka. They are seeded third and if Hlavackova had used her injury as a reason to withdraw from her singles beating from Williams, she could not have continued in doubles.
The 12th-seeded Ana Ivanovicis up next for Williams. Ivanovic advanced to the Open quarterfinals for the first time in her career Monday with a 6-0, 6-4 win over Tsvetana Pironkova of Bulgaria.
Even though Williams had finished her win when Ivanovic spoke, Ivanovic described her anticipated matchup against Williams as “tough.”
“She’s obviously a great player,” Ivanovic said, “and she’s playing the best out of all the girls on the tour at the moment. Her serve is her strength. I really have to be sharp from the first moment on and stay aggressive. You know, try to enjoy it as well and enjoy the challenge.”
Ivanovic said her game plan against Williams will be simple. “I’ll try to make as many returns as possible and try to look for opportunities,” Ivanovic said. “Just try to look for opportunities, little windows you might get. Because, yeah, that’s basically the only way. To try and put pressure on her second serves.”
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