CHARLESTON, S.C. (AP)—Venus Williams looked strong in powering past Jelena Jankovic 7-5, 6-0 at the Family Circle Cup on Wednesday.
Williams won 12 of the last 14 games to take the matchup of two former world No. 1s trying to rediscover their old form. Williams had fallen to 87th in the world after missing more than six months because of a fatigue-causing autoimmune disease.
Williams returned last week and won four matches in the Sony Ericsson Open before falling to eventual champion Agnieszka Radwanska in straight sets. This, though, may have been Willilams’ best showing as she evened her career record to 6-6 against Jankovic.
Williams fell behind Jankovic 3-1 before taking control. Williams cracked her serves all match long, topping out at 120 mph, and hit the lines for winners throughout.
Williams broke Jankovic’s serve seven times on way to her second win this week.
“I didn’t serve well and against Venus, you have to serve well,” said Jankovic, the seventh seed.
Williams’ serve got stronger as the match progressed. She appeared out of sorts following a 30-minute rain delay and quickly lost the first game back to move behind 3-1.
Jankovic was still up 5-4 and was two points from the set, but mistakes—a double fault and a wide forehand—opened the door for Williams as she won the final nine games of the match.
Williams, the 2004 champion here, will meet Anastasia Rodionova for a spot in the quarterfinals. Two more wins by Williams could bring the matchup the Family Circle most wants to see—Venus playing little sister Serena in the semifinals.
Serena Williams, the 2008 Family Circle champion seeded fifth here, was off Wednesday. She meets Marina Erakovic in Thursday’s third round.
Other winners Wednesday were third-seeded Marion Bartoli, who beat Russian Vera Dushevina in three tough sets, sixth seeded Sabine Lisicki, ninth-seeded Lucie Sararova, 13th-seeded Nadia Petrova and 14th-seeded Polona Hercog.
Bartoli acknowledged she’s got work to do if she hopes to go even further at Roland Garros this year. Still, she was pleased that she had the mental strength to prevail in the 3 hour, 4 minute match.
“It was great to put up a fight and get the win out there,” said Bartoli, the highest seed in action at Family Circle Tennis Center.
Second-seed and 2010 Family Circle champion Samantha Stosur had the day off. The scheduled top seed, Agnieszka Radwanska of Poland, withdrew from the tournament this past Sunday after taking the Sony Ericsson Open final in Key Biscayne, Fla., last weekend.
Bartoli, the 27-year-old French woman, has had her share of big victories in the past. She beat then top-ranked Justine Henin at Wimbledon in 2007 and No. 1 Jankovic at the Australian Open in 2009. Just last week, Bartoli ended the 26-match win streak of current world No. 1 Victoria Azarenka in Key Biscayne.
Bartoli has long been one of the WTA’s fittest players. She’s added an improved mental strength to her game, too.
Bartoli she didn’t enter her match against Azarenka with the goal of stopping the streak or proving to the people she could trade ground strokes with the world’s best. “I have the same motivation no matter what,” Bartoli said. “That’s to play my best and win.”