LONDON (AP) – Serena Williams is back in the Wimbledon quarterfinals for the 13th time after beating Russian qualifier Evgeniya Rodina 6-4, 6-2.
In a matchup of the only two mothers remaining in the draw, Williams jumped into a 3-0 lead in both sets and wrapped up the win in 62 minutes.
“It was tougher than the scoreline,” Williams said. “I knew we were both moms, and I’m not sure how often that’s happened, if ever. So it’s really cool. You can be a mom, you can still play tennis and you can still be great.”
Rodina, who upset 10th-seeded Madison Keys in the previous round, broke back for 3-2 in the second set but was broken to love straight away.
Williams is looking for her eighth Wimbledon title and has established herself as the big favorite once again, with the top-10 seeds all eliminated. She is seeded 25th after missing last year’s tournament while pregnant.