PARIS, France – It looked like she might follow Maria Sharapova to the sidelines, as Sloane Stephens was completely dialed in, ripping winners left, right and center and chasing down everything coming her way. But the biggest fighter in the game just never stop fighting, and after exactly two hours and one minute on Court Philippe Chatrier, Serena Williams won her spot in the French Open quarterfinals.
Williams came into Week 2 with some battle scars from Week 1 – she had to rally from a set down to win both her second and third round matches, against Anna-Lena Friedsam and Victoria Azarenka, and with Stephens next – a player who had beaten her at a major before – she wasn’t out of trouble yet.
And that became very evident early on, as Stephens raced through the first set in just 23 minutes, 6-1.
But the World No.1 won seven of the next nine games to take the second set and build a 4-2 lead in the third, and though she came close to giving back the break she never did, eventually closing it out, 1-6, 7-5, 6-3.
Next up for Williams is No.17 seed Sara Errani, who stopped the run of Julia Goerges – who had taken out No.5 seed Caroline Wozniacki earlier in the tournament – in two comprehensive sets, 6-2, 6-2.
Parecia que Serena seguiria los pasos de Sharapova…con una S. Stepehens contundente en el primer set desde todos los sectores de la cancha, que tuvo muy cerca de la eliminacion a la numero uno del mundo, quien recurrio a toda su experiencia para dar vuelta y en 2 horas y 1 minuto superar la cuarta ronda y avanzar a cuartos de final…
Williams llegaba a una segunda semana despues de muchos trabajos especialmente en los partidos de segunda y tercera ronda frente a Anna-lena Friedsam y Victoria Azarenka y con Stephens como la siguiente , los problemas no habian terminado…
Y eso fue evidente este lunes, pues Stephens le gano el primer set en solo 23 minutos, 6-1…
Pero la Numero uno, se recupero estuvo 4-4 en el segundo y cerro el partido con parciales de 1-6, 7-5 y 6-3..
En cuartos de final Williams se enfrentara a la numero 17, la Italiana Sara Ferrrani, quien freno a Julia Georges, y temprano en el torneo habia eliminado a Caroline Wozniacki, con parciales de 6-2 y 6-2.