Serena dispatches Knapp, Ivanovic overhauls Stephens

Cincinnati: Women´s holder Serena Williams dispatched Karin Knapp 6-0, 6-2, while sixth seed Ana Ivanovic, losing finalist to Williams a year ago, overhauled Sloane Stephens 2-6, 6-4, 6-1.

"Ëveryone enjoys easier matches," Williams said after her 54-minute stroll.

"I think testing is also really important, but at the end of the day if you could have only easy matches for the whole tournament I don´t think anyone would object to that."

Williams and Ivanovic will next play a re-run of their final from 12 months ago.

"There is not much secret there, she´s been playing really well," said Ivanovic.

"It will be very important to play well and to put pressure on her and try to also challenge myself and see where I´m at."

French Open finalist Lucie Safarova advanced to the quarter-finals when injured opponent Belinda Bencic, who beat Williams en route to victory in Toronto at the weekend, retired hurt after losing the first set 6-2.

Elsewhere, Jelena Jankovic punished eighth seed Karolina Pliskova 6-2, 3-6, 7-5.

Two-time Australian Open champion Victoria Azarenka had to stop with leg pain after being taped at the end of the first set, handing a 1-6, 3-0 win to Russian Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova.

Former number one Jelena Jankovic beat eighth seed Karolina Pliskova 6-2, 3-6, 7-5.

Bencic later explained she retired with a muscle problem from so much recent tennis.

"I don´t think it´s like very serious, I just wasn´t 100 percent today," she said. "To beat Lucie or even compete against her, you need to be 100 percent." (AFP)