Serena Williams makes it to US Open quarterfinals with win over Kaia Kanepi

Serena Williams is through to the quarterfinals of the US Open, defeating the unseeded Kaia Kanepi on Sunday, 6-0, 4-6, 6-3. Williams, the 17th seed, has looked great thus far and with both Simona Halep and Caroline Wozniacki already out, her biggest competition is Sloane Stephens, the third seed.

The first set was an absolute dominant performance by Williams. She won 100 percent of her first serves that went in, and also hit four aces with just two unforced errors. She won 24 of 30 points, and took that opening set, 6-0.

In the second, Kanepi fought back, scoring a break on Williams in the first game. She then held to consolidate the break. Williams slowed down a bit, hitting the ball with less power, but she held her next two serves. Kanepi, though, scored a second break to go up 5-2 and was serving for the set.

Williams fought back and broke Kanepi, getting one of them back, and was serving to stay in the match. She held serve, though Kanepi got it to deuce. That set up a Kanepi service game for the set. But Williams had a double break point attempt at 40-15. Kanepi saved the first one, and then the second to bring it to deuce. Kanepi took advantage, and converted on the third set point.

Kanepi got to deuce on Williams’ first service game, but Williams fought it off to hold. She then scored a break of her own to go up in the set. Kanepi was eventually serving at 5-2 to stay in the match. Kanepi held, but Williams was then serving for the match. She held for the victory and a spot in the quarterfinals.

Sunday’s match was the fifth time that Williams and Kanepi have faced each other, but the first since 2014. Williams had won the previous four matches, all in straight sets. That 2014 match also happened to be on the hard courts of the US Open fourth round, ending 6-3, 6-3.

Karolina Pliskova, the eighth seed, will be Williams’ opponent in the quarterfinals. Pliskova is coming off a fourth-round, straight-set victory over Ashleigh Barty, the 18th seed. Pliskova hasn’t been to three sets all tournament, besting Zarina Diyas, Ana Bogdan, Sofia Kenin and then Barty on her way to the quarterfinals.

Pliskova has had a good season thus far, making it to the quarterfinals of the Australian Open and winning the Stuttgart Open in April.

Williams’ run through the tournament has been impressive, as she’s looked as much like her old self as can be expected. Since the birth of her child and the health issues that came with it, she’s had some great wins and some bad losses. But she looks strong, fast and confident at the moment, and has the support of the fans at the tournament, which she had to miss last year.

In the first round she bested Magda Linette, 6-4, 6-0, and then she took down Carina Witthoeft in the second round, also in straight sets, 6-2, 6-2. The most impressive win, though, was an incredibly dominant match over her sister, Venus Williams, winning in straight sets, 6-1, 6-2.

Venus was one of the first players to welcome Serena back to competitive play, besting her at Indian Wells earlier this year. So to see Serena notching such a dominant win is very encouraging, especially with Sunday’s match on top of it.