WTA Italian Open: Serena Williams powers into quarter-finals

Serena Williams made it 21 wins on the bounce with an easy victory over Dominika Cibulkova to reach the quarter-finals of the WTA Italian Open.

The world No 1 beat the Slovakian 14th seed 6-0 6-1 to set up a last-eight clash with Spain's Carla Suarez Navarro.
But the American is taking nothing for granted ahead of the game with the unseeded Navarro, who beat Lourdes Dominguez Lino 6-2 6-3 to reach the quarter-finals.

"Nothing is ever perfect - I learned that last year when I felt perfect," said Williams, referring to her stunning first-round loss at the French Open in 2012.

"I am still in the danger zone."

Williams added: "I can't remember the other winning streaks, but I hope I can get to 22 and the rest of the matches that I have here.

"Plus seven, and Wimbledon too, so it would be dangerous to lose now."
Last Italian

Second seed Maria Sharapova, winner of the last two editions of the tournament, out-hit Sloane Stephens 6-2 6-1 in just over an hour.
She will play Sara Errani, the last remaining Italian in the tournament who advanced when 12th-seeded Maria Kirilenko of Russia retired with a left knee injury while trailing 6-3 2-0.

Unseeded two-time champion Jelena Jankovic upset 2011 Roland Garros winner Li Na, the Chinese fifth seed, 7-6 (7/2) 7-5.

"I felt like I wasn't playing so badly today, it was just a really long, tough match between me and JJ," Li said. "I was trying a lot of things out there on the court today. Sometimes it was working, sometimes it didn't."

Jankovic will next face Romanian qualifier Simona Halep, who beat 13th-seeded Roberta Vinci of Italy 6-4 6-2.

Third-seeded Victoria Azarenka also went through when Ayumi Morita retired through injury in the second set. She will face ninth seed Samantha Stosur, who beat eighth seed Petra Kvitova 7-5 2-6 6-1