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By Erik Gudris | Thursday, May 8, 2014

 
Serena Williams Backhand Madrid 2014

Top seed Serena Williams earned her 650th career WTA win as Li Na needed three sets to reach the Madrid quarterfinals.

Photo Credit: Christopher Levy

Defending champion Serena Williams overcame a local favorite as she advance into the Mutua Madrid Open quarterfinals on Thursday.

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Spain's Carla Suarez Navarro could do little against Williams in their round of 16 meeting earlier in the morning. Though both struggled to hold serve on the sunnier side of the court, Williams managed to claim an easy first set 6-2.

Navarro only managed to hold her own serve once in the entire match. With her lone ace on match point, Williams completed the 6-2, 6-3 win.

The victory also marked the 650th career WTA win for Williams, making her only the 11th player in tour history to earn that achievement. Williams is currently only one win behind her sister Venus for 10th on the all-time list. Martina Navratilova tops the list with 1,442 career wins.

Williams next faces Petra Kvitova who was the 6-4, 6-3 winner of an all-Czech battle earlier versus Fed Cup teammate Lucie Safarova.

Li Na Defeats Stephens in Three Sets

In a first time meeting for both, China's Li Na overcame a fast start by American Sloane Stephens in their round of 16 match.

Stephens leapt to a 5-1 lead in the opening set that she soon closed out. Li rallied to take the second set and raced to a 4-0 advantage in the third. Eventually Li clinched the 2-6, 6-3, 6-2 win.

Maria Sharapova will face Li in the elite eight. The No. 8 seed Sharapova beat Sam Stosur 6-4, 6-2.

France's Caroline Garcia posted the upset of the day as she ousted Sara Errani 6-2, 4-6, 6-3.

 

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