Venus Williams cruised through her fourth round match in less than an hour, defeating Estonian opponent Anett Kontaveit 6-2, 6-1 to showcase a dominating performance. She hit a total fifteen winners in her easy victory.
Venus takes easy first set
It was Williams who began proceedings with a somewhat nervous game, serving a double fault and going down 0-30, but held without facing a break point.
Both players served well for the next two games, but it was Williams who was able to draw first blood in the fourth game by converting two break point opportunities in Kontaveit’s service game. Kontaveit was able to hold once more in the set, but Venus was dominant in breaking her once again to take the set 6-2 extremely convincingly. The Estonian was looking to replicate the results of fellow countrywoman in 2010, but at a set down to a former world number one, it looked like a mountain to climb for the qualifier.
Venus swiftly wins the second set
Williams started the second set with a solid service game, and continued her dominance by breaking Kontaveit immediately. She then extended her lead to 3-0 and broke Kontaveit again; this time to love. Williams then held her serve to love, but the Estonian avoided the bagel by getting on the board in her next service game. There was some minimal drama in Williams’ last service game as she conceded a break point opportunity in lieu of Kontaveit giving the match her last shot, but the American saved this easily to go up match point on advantage and take the set 6-1, thus winning the match.
The former world number one can be extremely pleased with her performance, especially when it comes to serving statistics. She was able to serve sixty percent of her first serves in, winning eighty-four percent of said points and seventy-one percent of her second serve points. Besides the break point opportunity in her last service game, she conceded no other opportunities. She can take this in confidence as she goes into the quarterfinals to play the winner of Madison Keys vs Serena Williams.
The last five sets that the former world number one played were extremely fantastic. She closed out Irina Falconi with ease after being pushed to a decider. She would then display some fantastic tennis in taking out Swiss teenager Belinda Bencic in straight sets. It was only a qualifier that she defeated today, but she'll have to be happy with the high-level of tennis she has been playing over the past few days and will provide a major threat to Keys or her sister when they play on Tuesday.