• US Open, Day Six

Serena surges past Azarenka

Serena Williams was at his blistering best against Victoria Azarenka © PA Photos

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Serena Williams produced a blistering display to claim a 6-1 7-6(5) win over Victoria Azarenka to book her place in the fourth round of the US Open.

At No. 28 seed, Williams has a totally false ranking following an injury-ravaged 12 months. She has looked in better form in recent weeks and arrived at Flushing Meadows looking extremely fit and focused. She impressed in her opening couple of matches, but took her form to a new level against Azarenka who produced some high-class play of her own but was simply overpowered and outplayed.

Azarenka once gave a savage beating to Williams, in Miami in 2009, and it is a defeat that is highly likely to have been at the forefront of the three time US Open champion's mind as she surged out of the blocks with some imperious serving and brutal hitting.

The fourth seed found laying a racket on the Williams serve a tough task as she won just four points against the serve in the first set. And it was no easier on her own serve as Williams punished anything that was less than perfect.

Azarenka got on the board in the fifth game and after clearing her head, she started to hit with real quality. But the problem she found was the sheer power facing her at the other end. Williams stood on the baseline and crashed winners at great regularity.

The first set got away from Azarenka in the blink of an eye, but the Belarusian stood up to the barrage in the second set. Azarenka stepped forward and looked to hit winners of her own. With Williams' level also extremely high, the crowd were treated to some high-class tennis.

Williams had to dig extremely deep as Azarenka advanced at every opportunity, but the American won a lot of free points on her own serve and after her opponent passed up a break-point chance when dumping a makeable forehand into the net, worked the crucial break in the seventh game of the second set.

Azarenka broke back, after Williams squandered four match points, but the American did not let it affect her as she took the set to a tiebreak and closed it out to seal her path into the second week.

Williams will meet the 16th seed Ana Ivanovic in the fourth round after the Serb produced a mixed bag of tennis in her 6-3 6-4 win over Sloane Stephens.

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