Serena Williams passes tough test against serve-and-volley Spaniard

S Williams moves on at US Open with 6-3, 7-5 win

NEW YORK — Serena Williams found herself in a time warp Friday, playing against a left-handed serve-and-volley specialist who had a game that brought back memories of Martina Navratilova, even if the talent wasn’t at that level.

Williams did what she usually does when the stakes are high — adapted and won.

The second-seeded, 11-time Grand Slam tournament champion overcame an early break in the second set to defeat Maria Jose Martinez Sanchez 6-3, 7-5 and advance to the fourth round of the U.S. Open.

It was an awkward match, full of counterpunches from the game’s biggest power hitter.

“I heard a guy in the crowd saying, ‘Stop hitting lobs,’ so I didn’t hit any more lobs after that,” Williams said. “My lob was not working today.”

Receiving at 5-all in the second set, Williams chipped back serves, made a few passing shots and found herself at deuce for the eighth time in a game that lasted 12 minutes. Martinez Sanchez finally wore out, double-faulting twice in a row to give up the break and, essentially, the match.

This was a rematch of a third-round meeting in the French Open, which Williams won in three sets. After that match, Williams said she hit a ball she thought went off her opponent’s arm, and accused Martinez Sanchez of cheating by not acknowledging it.

There were no signs of animosity during their rematch on a cloudless, comfortable, 80-degree afternoon at Arthur Ashe Stadium. Williams said that episode did not motivate her, nor would she cop to having less respect for her 43rd-ranked opponent because of what happened at Roland Garros.

“I only can speak for me,” she said. “I try to be very professional, extremely professional in my job. That’s what I’m here to do. And win, I hope.”

Williams, who came to her news conference wearing a T-shirt that said, “Can’t Spell Dynasty Without Nasty,” lost only seven games in her first two matches. She doubled that total Friday in the kind of match that very few have to play on the women’s — or men’s — circuit these days. Serve-and-volley is out, power groundstrokes are in.

“Every time I play, I say, ‘I’m going to be a serve-and-volleyer,” Williams said. “I even used to like Martina Navratilova and John McEnroe. But I couldn’t play more opposite than them. I love groundstrokes. I love rallies. I love hitting the ball.”

Seeking her fourth U.S. Open title, Williams next meets 22nd-seeded Daniela Hantuchova, who defeated American Vania King 6-2, 6-2.

Tenth-seeded Flavia Pennetta also moved on Friday, defeating Aleksandra Wozniak of Canada, 6-1, 6-1. No. 8 Victoria Azarenka of Belarus fell to No. 26 Francesca Schiavone of Italy, 4-6, 6-2, 6-2. Kim Clijsters, the 2005 champion who is returning to tennis after a two-year retirement, had a third-round match Friday afternoon against another Belgian, Kirsten Flipkens.

The men’s draw continued to go almost strictly to form, with No. 2 Andy Murray, No. 6 Juan Martin del Potro and No. 7 Jo-Wilfried Tsonga all winning. With the third round nearly complete, all the top 16 seeds were still in the tournament.

“It was a quick match. I played great,” Tsonga said after his 7-5, 6-3, 6-4 win over Finland’s Jarkko Nieminen.

Murray defeated Paul Capdeville 6-2, 3-6, 6-0, 6-2.

No. 16 Marin Cilic and No. 24 Juan Carlos Ferrero also won. Cilic overcame a two-set deficit to defeat 135th-ranked American Jesse Levine.

Americans Taylor Dent and Robby Ginepri were scheduled for later matches Friday.

Also playing later was No. 3 Rafael Nadal, against Nicolas Kiefer. That was the second half of the evening schedule that also included No. 3 Venus Williams against Magdalena Rybarikova.

The Williams sisters are on the same side of the draw, and could meet in the semifinals. But Serena insists she’s not looking that far ahead.

“I just try to focus on the moment,” she said, “and continue to do what I can do.”