Serena, Stosur Set Fourth-Round Clash

© Getty ImagesSerena Williams is a five-time former Miami titlist.

Five-time Miami champion Serena Williams made short work of No. 21 seed Roberta Vinci of Italy by cruising to a 6-2, 6-1 victory in women’s third round of the Sony Ericsson Open  on stadium court Saturday.

Williams, the No. 10 seed and one of four former champions remaining in the field, was able to remain aggressive throughout the match as her first serve rifled over the net at a 72 percent rate.

Thumping eight aces with a top speed on her serve reaching 120 mph, the advantageous Williams overpowered Vinci to finish in one hour and seven minutes. 

Since her return from illness at 2011 Eastbourne, Williams is now 10-3 against top 20 ranked players.  It’s the highest ranked player that Williams has defeated in 2012.

Williams notched 25 winners and converted on five of nine on break point opportunities. 

Although she has not won a title since last  August in Toronto, Williams affirmed that she’s hungry to add another to her collection.

“Yeah, definitely,” said the 30-year-old Williams, who has 39 career WTA singles titles. “I need trophies.  I want to add more and to do more.  There's records to break.  So I'll do it.  I've just got to believe it.  I do believe it.  Just go from there.”

As for Vinci, she’s still trying to build more consistency when facing the world’s best players. 

The Italian is now 7-42 lifetime when facing a top 15 ranked opponent and has lost her last five matches in such a scenario. 

Williams (54-6 lifetime in Miami) will next play No. 6 Samantha Stosur, who overcame a slow start to beat Chanelle Scheepers 2-6, 7-5, 6-2. The Australian won 12 of her 14 first serve points in the final set, breaking Scheepers three times to advance in two hours and 19 minutes.

Stosur topped Williams in last year's US Open final to win her first Grand Slam title.

In other third round action, No. 23 Yanina Wickmayer took care of two-time Miami champion Kim Clijsters 6-4, 7-6 (5) in a match that pitted the top two Belgian players.  It was the only same-country match up of the round.

Wickmayer, 22, passed Clijsters as the top-ranking Belgian on Jan. 30 of this year.  She was efficient on her first serve by winning 30 of 43 points. 
 
Eighth seed Li Na of China eliminated unseeded Czech Iveta Benesova 7-5, 6-2 behind 29 of 38 first serves.

Na advances to face German No. 12 Sabine Lisicki, who held on to defeat No. 17 Shuai Peng of China 6-4, 7-5.