HONG KONG (AP) β Venus Williams brushed aside Wang Yafan of China 6-0, 6-2 Thursday to reach the quarterfinals of the Hong Kong Open.
Williams will next play eighth-seeded Alize Cornet of France, who outlasted Yaroslava Shvedova of Kazakhstan 6-7 (4), 6-3, 6-4.
The 143rd-ranked Want struggled with her serve throughout the match against Williams, and failed to convert three break points in the seventh game of the second set.
The 21-year-old Wang said “I have only seen Venus Williams on television before and to be playing such a famous player on court was a big honor for me, but I was very nervous.”
Seventh-seeded Caroline Garcia of France also reached the quarterfinals by defeating Anastasiya Komardina of Russia 6-0, 6-2.
