Serena Williams won her fourth-round match and the hearts of fans at the French Open yesterday, while Daniel Nestor of Toronto and partner Mark Knowles of the Bahamas are through to the quarter-finals. Williams, jeered earlier in the tournament, drew only cheers after beating Shinobu Asagoe of Japan, 6-3, 6-1.
It was the sort of dominating performance so typical of the Williams sisters. Second-seeded Serena smacked 24 winners to three for Asagoe.
Williams, the 2002 champion, closed out the victory when she put away a swinging volley from the baseline — a shot most players wouldn’t even attempt. She curtsied and smiled as the centre court crowd applauded.