Serena Williams has continued her unbeaten run against Ukrainian players by crushing Elina Svitolina 6-1, 6-1, in the fourth round of the French Open.
The defending champion, who is making her 63rd appearance in a grand slam, displayed her supremacy throughout the match against a despondent Svitolina.
It was a Williams Masterclass from the onset as the world No.1 dominated a nervous svitolina throughout the first set. The series of unforced errors coming off the racket of the world No.20 resulted in the top seed racing to a 4-0 lead before her first blip in the match. Back-to-back unforced errors during a Williams service game enabled her Ukrainian rival to get herself on the scoreboard in the fifth game. Despite the minor blunder, it did little to disrupt the match momentum as the 34-year-old claimed the set with a forehand down the line, her tenth winner of the set.
The onslaught continued in the second set as an extremely focused Williams broke at the start of the second set to extend her lead. There were glimpses of Svitolina’s talent throughout the match, but it was overshadowed by the dominance of the 21-time grand slam champion.
What a passing shot by Serena Williams! 😮 #hotshot #RG16 (via @rolandgarros) https://t.co/ymvi9EUoIK
— We Are Tennis (@WeAreTennis) 1 June 2016
During the sixth game of the set Williams was forced to fend off five break points before extending her lead to 5-1. The straight sets triumph was sealed after a ball from Svitolina landed far beyond the baseline.
During her 63-minute triumph, Williams produced eight aces, 27 winners and 17 unforced errors to reach her tenth French Open quarter-final.
The impressive performance gives the top seed her 58th win at Roland Garros, increasing her winning percentage to 84%. Williams currently has the highest winning rate at the tournament among active players (who have played over 20 matches). It is also her fourth win over Svitolina and her 13th consecutive over a Ukrainian player.
