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NEW YORK - Sisters Venus and Serena Williams served their way into the last eight of the US Open with impressive straight-sets singles victories yesterday to set up a possible semifinal date.
Venus never lost her serve during a 6-4, 6-2 drubbing of Ana Ivanovic, of Serbia, while
Serena stopped France's Marion Bartoli 6-3, 6-4 by blasting 10 aces and landing 73 per cent of her first serves.
A Venus-Serena matchup would be their fourth at Flushing Meadows - and the first since a fourth-round meeting in 2005.
Venus, who won that last clash, said: "That would be awesome because it would mean that there is a Williams in the final, and that an American has a chance to win."
Standing in the way of Serena, who won the title in 1999 and 2002, is world No 1 Justine Henin, who demolished 15th seed Dinara Safina, of Bulgaria, 6-0, 6-2 in just 59 minutes. Henin beat Serena in the quarter-finals at Roland Garros and Wimbledon.
On the men's side, second seed Rafael Nadal said he continued to suffer from nagging injuries to both knees - but it never showed during a 7-6, 6-2, 6-1 victory over Jo-Wilfried Tsonga. Nadal had only 14 unforced errors and never lost his serve against the Frenchman, ranked 74.
"It was important for me to win in straight sets," the Spaniard said. "For my knees, it's better that I played only three sets because I can be a little bit more relaxed next match."
In the fourth round, Nadal will face compatriot David Ferrer, who needed just under four hours to beat David Nalbandian, of Argentina, 6-3, 3-6, 4-6, 7-6, 7-5.
In a mild upset, Argentine Juan Ignacio Chela tamed the 12th seed, Croatian Ivan Ljubicic, 6-4, 6-7, 2-6, 6-3, 6-3. Hard-hitting Ljubicic hit 80 winners and 64 unforced errors but was unable to close out the steadier Chela, the 20th seed.
Venus Williams has not lost a set during her four matches and will face either third seed Jelena Jankovic or 19th seed Sybille Bammer, for Austria for a place in the final four. Ivanovic, the French Open finalist, was unable to keep up with Venus' punishing serve and angled groundstrokes.
Ivanovic said the American might be in sufficient form to claim her first Open crown since winning the second of two consecutive titles in 2001.
"She's the type of player who plays better each match and, as the tournament progresses, she is raising her level.
"She is definitely playing some good tennis and has a good chance to win."
Like Venus, Serena has also not lost a set, and failed to win her serve only once against Wimbledon finalist Bartoli.
"When it's coming 125 miles [an hour] or something, I didn't even see the ball coming up," Bartoli said.
"I can't see if it's a middle or side serve - it's coming so fast."
Eighth-seeded Serena said: "Each match I feel like I've gotten better. I'm still not near where I want to be.
"But I feel like I'm doing better, which is important."
- Reuters