Serena's 6-3, 6-4 win over Goerges sets up blockbuster with Sharapova

Having barely survived Ashleigh Barty two days earlier, Serena Williams was in full flight against Julia Goerges in the third round of the French Open on Saturday, moving through to the second week of the clay-court major with an impressive 6-3, 6-4 victory over the in-form German.

Her reward? A blockbuster round-of-16 clash against a fellow WTA legend, Maria Sharapova.

Many were unsure what to expect as Serena stepped on court for her third-round match against Goerges—she had to come back from a set and a break down to beat the No. 17-ranked Barty in the second round, 3-6, 6-3, 6-4, and the big-serving Goerges had one of the best last 12 months on the tour, winning 51-of-71 matches since last year’s French Open and soaring from No. 51 to No. 11.

But in the second half of her match with Barty it was clear Serena was starting to find her range again, and apparently by the time she took the court with Goerges, she had found a lot more of it.

Match point from Serena's win over Goerges in the third round at Roland Garros:

The 23-time Grand Slam champion hit 20 winners to just 12 unforced errors, held nine of 10 service games and broke Goerges three times to reach the second week here for the 12th time in her career.

“It’s just a big relief to go out there and play a little more consistent,” Serena said after the match.

“I’ve been training so hard—it’s starting to get a little better, but I’ve still got a long way to go.”

Earlier in the day, Sharapova did her part to set up the blockbuster match-up in the fourth round, crushing the No. 6-ranked player in the world—Karolina Pliskova—by a 6-2, 6-1 scoreline in just 59 minutes.

“I was solid,” Sharapova said in her press conference. “I played smart. I did the right things. I was aggressive on the break points, I went for it. I took the match rather than her giving it to me.”

And so, two of the most accomplished players on the women’s tour—they’ve both been No. 1, they both have the Career Slam, they’re both multiple French Open champions—will meet. But it’s also one of the most lopsided head-to-heads there is, with Serena leading 19-2, and—even more daunting—winning their last 18 meetings in a row. The American is also 4-0 against the Russian on clay.

“I think any time you play against Serena you know what you’re up against,” Sharapova said.

“You know the challenge that is upon you. You know, despite the record that I have against her, I always look forward to coming out on the court and competing against the best player.”

Serena was also asked about playing Sharapova.

“This is the first time I come into an event with not too many expectations, and she’s playing really well, and I think this is her best surface,” she said.

“I’ll go out there and enjoy myself, and for the first time in a while I really have nothing to lose.”

Sharapova is a five-time Grand Slam champion herself, winning Wimbledon in 2004, the US Open in 2006, the Australian Open in 2008 and then the French Open twice—in 2012 and 2014.

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