Serena Williams made short work of Sara Errani in the French Open quarterfinals Wednesday, cruising to a 6-1, 6-3 success to ease into the last four at Roland Garros.
In a repeat of the 2013 semifinal, which Williams won 6-0, 6-1, the world No. 1 was similarly dominant on Philippe Chatrier.
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Errani, a runner-up here three years ago, simply could not live with the overwhelming power of the 19-time major winner.
The Italian, a career Grand Slam winner in women's doubles, was blown away in the first set and although she showed more signs of fight in the second, she never looked likely to pull off an upset.
For Williams, victory booked her place in a 27th major semifinal, as she goes in search of a third French Open crown.
Both players struggled with serve in the early stages, Williams breaking to love to earn a 2-0 lead before Errani rounded off an immediate riposte with a powerful forehand down the line.
Williams' reply was similarly swift, though, as she restored her advantage courtesy of an errant backhand from her opponent.
Errani set up another break point in the next with a beautifully angled backhand, but Williams recovered her composure to hold, before a third break from three opportunities put her 5-1 to the good.
A thumping ace down the middle sealed the set, and Williams took that momentum into the start of the second, a delicate drop shot displaying the touch to go with her power.
The set continued on serve until game seven, when Errani sent the ball long to put her opponent on the brink.
An ace on second serve in the next game left Errani serving to stay in the match, and Williams piled on the pressure in a bid to complete the job.
Uncharacteristically, the American wasted three match-point opportunities — the third a glaring miss with an overhead smash into the net — but it was fourth time lucky as Errani sent a forehand into the tape as Williams advanced.