Serena stifles Stephens; Radwanska out at U.S. Open
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World No. 1 and four-time U.S. Open titlist Serena Williams straight-setted fellow American Sloane Stephens in fourth-round action Sunday at the U.S. Open.
The reigning U.S. and French Open champ Williams, a 16-time Grand Slam winner, smashed six aces en route to a 6-4, 6-1 triumph over the 15th-seeded Stephens on the hardcourts at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center.
"I definitely think it was a high quality match. I don't think either of us had an overwhelming amount of unforced errors," said Williams.
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Williams, who defeated Victoria Azarenka in last year's outstanding final in Flushing, will take on Carla Suarez Navarro in the quarterfinals after the 18th-seeded Spaniard upended eighth-seeded Angelique Kerber of Germany by a 4-6, 6-3, 7-6 (7-3) margin.
This year's Wimbledon runner-up was knocked out Sunday, as third-seeded Agnieszka Radwanska was bested by 24th-seeded Russian Ekaterina Makarova, 6-4, 6-4. Radwanska has never reached the quarterfinals at the Open.
Li Na was also a straight-set winner, as the fifth-seeded former French Open champion dominated former world No. 1 Jelena Jankovic, 6-3, 6-0, in just 57 minutes.