World number one Serena Williams needed just 55 minutes to dismantle Margarita Gasparyan 6-2, 6-1 to advance to the quarter finals of the 2016 Australian Open, where she will play Maria Sharapova - a player she has not lost to in 17 previous meetings.
Williams Overcomes Early Roadblock to Race Through Opening Set
Beginning the match in emphatic style, it was surprisingly Gasparyan who drew first blood, breaking at the second time of asking to open proceedings in this third round encounter. However, Williams began to find her range shortly after getting broken, breaking straight back and consolidating the break in a matter of minutes. Targeting Gasparyan's one-handed backhand, the world number one was patient, waiting for the right ball to attack shortly after the Russian began to crack under the pressure, consequently resulting in another break of serve for Williams which opened up a sizeable 3-1 advantage. From there, the pair exchanged holds of serve, much to the delight of the Australian crowd who were doing their best to lift the spirits of the underdog. But no matter what they tried, it was only a matter of time before Williams began to put her foot on the accelerator, holding to 15 to open up a 5-2 lead before converting her second set point a game later to take the opening set 6-2.
Williams Continues to Assert Her Dominance; Cruises into Last Eight
Picking up right where she left off in the opening stages of the second set, Williams continued to assert her dominance against Gasparyan who seemed to have no answers to the world number one's power and precision. After exchanging a trio of holds, it was the Russian who cracked first on serve, handing the American the early break after hitting an untimely double fault. Now leading 3-1, Williams continued to cruise on serve, consolidating the early break with some strong serving and powerful ground strokes. In the game that followed suit, Gasparyan managed to play a series of great points, making chances of making a comeback a little brighter. However, Williams was in no mood to hang around, breaking at the third time of asking to lead by a set and a double break. Serving for the match with a sizeable 5-1 advantage, the world number one closed out the match in fine style, hitting another rocket of a serve down the T that her Russian counterpart could barely get a racquet on, consequently sealing a comprehensive 6-2, 6-1 win for Williams.
"I knew going in [Gasparyan] was going to go for her shots, that she was hungry," the world number one said. "She is an aggressive player, and I knew I had to be ready."
A Look at the Final Match Statistics
Williams made a couple of unforced errors that she didn't make in her last two matches, but it was still enough to demolish Gasparyan. She hit three aces to one double fault, 19 winners to 15 unforced errors and won a solid 75% of her first serve points. However, she only made 57% of her first serves, a statistic that she must improve in order to keep her winning streak at the Australian Open alive. The 34-year-old will play Maria Sharapova next, a player she hasn't lost to in more than 11 years. However, Sharapova has tested Williams in recent years and the American will need to get off to a fast start against the Russian who seems to come into every match with the belief that she can beat anyone.