Serena Williams of the United States continued her smashing return at the 2011 US Open after beating Belarussian Victoria Azarenka in the third round 6-1, 7-6 (7-5).
The Williams – Azarenka match was one of the highly anticipated early round match-ups of the tournament considering the Williams is a 13-time Grand Slam winner (2-time US Open winner) but only seeded 28th in the tournament while Azarenka is seeded fourth.
With the early exits of 2011 Slam winners (Li Na – French Open; Petra Kvitova – Wimbledon) and withdrawal of two-time defending US Open champion Kim Clijsters (also Australian Open 2011 winner), Serena Williams’ chances of hoisting the trophy at the end of next week has just gotten a notch higher. On Friday, 2006 winner Maria Sharapova (also a heavy favorite) was eliminated in the third round.
Williams will face the winner of Sloane Stephens vs Ana Ivanovic match in the fourth round.
