Ivanovic, Serena book last-eight spots
Three-time champion Serena Williams stormed to a double bagel 6-0, 6-0 rout of Czech Andrea Hlavackova to reach her 10th US Open quarterfinal on Monday in a ruthless display of her title credentials.
The 30-year-old American allowed the world number 82 just eight points on her serve and finished the last-16 clash with 31 winners against just seven unforced errors, backing up her 57-minute win with eight aces.
Williams, a 14-time Grand Slam title winner and the reigning Wimbledon and Olympic champion, has dropped just 12 games in four matches at the Open this year.
She hasn't lost a game in her last three sets played while Monday's mauling was the fifth time she had handed out a double bagel.
"Andrea played really well," Williams insisted of her outclassed opponent, who departed the singles tournament $120 000 richer for making the fourth round of a Grand Slam for the first time.
"She never gave up. She's such a great fighter. But I played really well today, I tried to stay relaxed and do what I do."
Williams dismissed suggestions that the 2012 title was already a formality.
"I think my road has been a journey. I don't think anything's easy. I don't think anything is easy," she said.
"I never play a person and say, 'Oh, that was an easy opponent.' No, I have never done that. Everything takes some type of match and mental toughness."
Williams has now reached a 34th quarterfinal at a major and next faces 12th seed Ana Ivanovic.
The Serb reached her first Grand Slam quarterfinal in four years – and first ever at the US Open – when she defeated Bulgaria's Tsvetana Pironkova 6-0, 6-4.
Ivanovic has never taken a set off Williams in her three defeats against the American. Two of those losses came at the US Open in 2006 and 2011.
The 24-year-old Ivanovic, whose last major quarterfinal came on the way to her one and only Grand Slam triumph at the 2008 French Open, swept through the first set in just 23 minutes on Monday.
Pironkova, the world number 55, who became the first Bulgarian to make a Grand Slam semifinal when she charged into the last four at Wimbledon in 2010, was the first woman from her country to make the last 16 in New York since 1994.
But her challenge was restricted by a neck injury and she twice needed treatment, including a medical time-out at the end of the first set.
She battled gamely in the second set, breaking Ivanovic twice, including the ninth game when the former world No 1 was serving for the match.
But the Serb hit back immediately for victory in the 10th game with the match's 10th break of serve in the 16 games played.
"I hardly made any mistakes in the first set but she is a tough opponent and I knew she would come back in the second set," said Ivanovic after her 71-minute win, where she finished with 28 winners and 21 unforced errors.
"It's amazing to be in my first quarterfinal at the US Open."
Italian 10th seed Sara Errani, the French Open runner-up, made her first US Open quarterfinal with a 7-6 (7/5), 6-3 win over German sixth seed Angelique Kerber, a semifinalist in 2011.
Errani, 25, is enjoying the best year of her career with four singles titles and seven doubles trophies to her name.
Vinci, the 30th seed, saw off Polish second seed Agnieszka Radwanska 6-1, 6-4 to qualify for her first Grand Slam quarterfinal at the age of 29 and at the 32nd attempt.
