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Armed with a philosophy as straightforward as her play, world No.1 Serena Williams produced a record-breaking win that has propelled her into the fourth round of the Australian Open.
The straight-sets defeat of 31st seed Daniela Hantuchova was Williams’ 61st at the championship she first played in 1998, surpassing the previous standard established by local legend Margaret Smith Court almost 40 years ago.
It also extended the American’s record of losing only five grand slam matches in which she has won the first set – an achievement that hardly seemed surprising to the player who may be the greatest there has been in women’s tennis.
“I just always try to win the first set … and then the second,” Williams said.
“That’s all I try to do. I don’t do anything different.”
Despite dropping a serve in the second set, Williams easily had the measure of Hantuchova, winning 6-3 6-3 and moving a step closer to her sixth Australian title, and 18th grand slam singles crown.
On a fourth consecutive day of extraordinary heat, Williams led a string of seeds into the last 16 – and along with them the unranked Australian Casey Dellacqua.
Williams took 80 minutes to seal her win and then received the not-unwelcome news that an injury to her sister Venus meant their doubles match also scheduled for Friday was cancelled.
“It’s tough mentally and physically in this heat, but I was prepared,” said Williams.
For Chinese fourth seed Li Na, her championship came within five centimetres of an early conclusion before she struggled to a 1-6 7-6 (7-2) 6-3 victory over Czech 26th seed Lucie Safarova.
Li, last year’s runner-up, admitted to being helpless in the opening set.
“In the first set, I couldn’t do anything,” Li said.
“She played very nice and I just had to think about putting the ball back in the court and running.”
Li’s opportunity to turn the tide came late in the second set when Safarova pushed a ball wide when up a break at 4-5.
“I think the five centimetres saved my tournament,” Li said.
“If she hit in, I think I am on the way to the airport.”
Li gave credit to the win to her new coach Carlos Rodriguez, who she says has instilled greater self belief in her.
“It’s like, how you say, more belief in myself, that I can do well in tough conditions against a tough opponent,” she said.
“Women’s tennis sometimes is crazy … I was sometimes thinking too much.”
Also into the fourth round are German ninth seed Angelique Kerber thanks to a 6-3 6-4 victory over American Alison Riske, Italy’s Flavia Pennetta, the 28th seed who accounted for for Germany’s Mona Barthel 6-1 7-5, and Russian 22nd seed Ekatarina Makarova, who beat Romania’s Monica Nicolescu 6-4 6-4.
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