In a result reminiscent of the Australian Open final, Serena Williams beat top-seeded Maria Sharapova 6-1, 6-1 to reach the Sony Ericsson Open quarterfinals on Tuesday.
“Once she gets up in the set or in the match, she seems to steamroll,” Sharapova said.
The match was only the third for Williams since she defeated Sharapova 6-1, 6-2 in Melbourne two months ago.
Ranked No. 1 in 2002-03, Williams has played only six tournaments in the past 18 months and has slipped to 18th. But when she hit a forehand winner on match point, she raised her index finger and shouted “No. 1” to the cheering crowd.
After shaking hands with Sharapova, a jubilant Williams raised her finger again.
Seeking her fourth Key Biscayne title, No. 13-seeded Williams will play No. 8 Nicole Vaidisova in the quarterfinals on Wednesday.
Sharapova, who lost the No. 1 ranking last week to Justine Henin, has yet to win a tournament this year. Her biggest problem is Williams, who has won 24 of the 29 sets they’ve played since 2006.
Sharapova beat Venus Williams in the third round on Sunday but lasted only 58 minutes against the younger sister.
There was no repeat of the heckling Williams endured from a fan during her match on Monday, including a racist remark. The fan was ejected and banned from the site for the rest of the tournament, and Williams said she had no concerns about security.
