LEXINGTON, Aug 14: Twenty three-time Grand Slam champion Serena Williams overcame a stern test from elder sister Venus to make it to the quarterfinals at the inaugural Top Seed Open.
Serena, No. 1 seed, defeated Venus 3-6, 6-3, 6-4 in a thrilling match that lasted for two hours and 19 minutes on Thursday played at the Centre Court.
�I�ve lost a few tight sets lately, so I was telling myself I really wanted to win this one and try to focus on those last two games,� Serena said in her on-court interview as per the WTA website.
�I�m super relaxed. Having no crowd sort of makes things more relaxing. I�ve practised in louder places than this court!�
�I honestly didn�t come here to win. For the first time in my career, I came here to win some matches and see what happens. I haven�t had this much time off since the baby, so now I�m just trying to get some rhythm and see what happens,� she added.
It was Serena�s 19th win over the five-time Wimbledon champion in their 31 encounters.
Serena will next face Shelby Rogers � who defeated rising Canadian star Leylah Annie Fernandez 6-2, 7-5 � for a spot in the semifinals. � IANS
