Toronto: Top seed Serena Williams avoided the upset bug at the WTA hardcourt tournament at Montreal on Thursday, defeating Lucie Safarova 7-5, 6-4 to reach the quarter-finals.
Williams fired 11 aces and won 76 percent of her first serve points against the Czech in the 90 minute match on centre court.
The American world number one next faces former world number one Caroline Wozniacki, who beat Shelby Rogers earlier Thursday 6-1, 6-0.
While Williams progressed on cue, second-seeded Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova and French Open winner Maria Sharapova both lost in the third round on Thursday.
AFP
First Published: Friday, August 8, 2014, 04:19
