Top seed Serena Williams outclassed Sloane Stephens to reach the quarter-finals of the US Open in an all-American clash on the Arthur Ashe Stadium.
The defending champion scaled through her 20-year-old opponent 6-4, 6-1 and will face Spanish 18th seed Carla Suarez Navarro in the next round.
“The quality was great,” said Williams. Sloane’s a great player.
“It was a fourth round match, but it definitely had feelings more of a quarter-final or a semi-final match.”
Sloane, who won Williams at the US Open in January, found it difficult to withstand an early pressure from the four-time champion.
There were occasional signs of nerves from Williams as the French Open winner double faulted three times in game seven and failed to convert another break point, pegged down to 4-4.
Two set points came and went before the 16th seed yielded, sending a forehand flying out to give up the first set with her 21st unforced error of the afternoon.
Williams escaped and early break point in the second, with a forehand, and Stephens’ double fault at 2-1 placed the world number one in the ascendancy.
A fourth break of serve followed as Williams powered through to the quarter-finals after one hour and 27 minutes.
“It’s definitely difficult playing people that you like, that you always want to see do well,” said Williams.
“But you have to go out there and kind of put that to the side and realise, I want to do well myself and take every point as it comes.”
