By Richard Pagliaro | Friday, June 2, 2017
Venus Williams overpowered Elise Mertens, 6-3, 6-1, cruising into the French Open fourth round for the 10th time.
Photo credit: Julian Finney/Getty
Time is the only unbeaten adversary in tennis.
Venus Williams continues to confront both advancing age and the next generation on the rise with complete confidence.
Watch: Muguruza Marches Into Fourth Round
Two weeks away from celebrating her 37th birthday, Williams was in vintage Venus form overpowering Elise Mertens, 6-3, 6-1, in reaching the Roland Garros fourth round for the 10th time without dropping a set.
The Australian Open finalist scored her ninth victory in 10 Grand Slam matches this season.
Playing her Open-Era record 20th Roland Garros, Williams is moving well, striking with conviction and operating with the self-assurance of a player capable of a deep run.
The victory vaults the former world No. 1 into a fourth-round rematch with Timea Bacsinszky.
The 30th-seeded Swiss swept Ons Jabeur, 6-2, 6-2. Last year, Bacsinszky beat Williams, 6-2, 6-4, in the French Open fourth round.
A revitalized Williams has advanced to the round of 16 or better in seven of her last eight majors.
The day began with four former Grand Slam champions in the field.
By the time the final ball was struck all four—Williams, reigning Roland Garros champion Garbiñe Muguruza, two-time major champion Svetlana Kuznetsova and Samantha Stosur—were all still standing in the top half of the draw.
Playing dynamic all-court tennis from the start, Williams set the tone on serve winning 19 of 22 first-serve points to set up her first strike.
The 10th-seeded American broke for 2-0 then spun a double fault into net to gift back the break in the third game.
Imposing her heavy strokes, Williams whipped a backhand crosscourt stamping her second straight break for 3-1.
The 21-year-old Mertens couldn’t consistently produce enough pace or length to slow the 2002 French Open finalist from stepping inside the baseline and battering drives into the corners.
Williams reeled off 11 consecutive points to take charge. Following a forehand forward, Williams broke again extending her lead to 5-1.
Trying to take more risk in rallies, Mertens broke in the seventh game when Williams sailed a backhand beyond the baseline.
The woman in the striped shirt showed her reach stretching to stab back a squash-shot forehand. That slick retrieval drew a backhand error as Mertens held for 3-5.
Swatting away the resistance, Williams rolled through a love hold snatching a one-set lead after 33 minutes.
Spreading the court with her forehand, Williams mixed deep crosscourt angles with some daggers down the line. Pouncing on a floater, Williams was in full flight firing a forehand swing volley winner to break for 2-1.
Taking the short preparation steps to ensure proper space between her body and the ball, Williams played deep crosscourt coaxing a forehand to convert her fifth break for 4-1.
Pumping one final backhand crosscourt, Williams wrapped up a sharp 62-minute victory giving the crowd wave and winning twirl.