MELBOURNE, Australia — Just before she walked on court, Greta Arn said she was looking forward to the “privilege” of playing her first match against Serena Williams. Some privilege.
The 13-time Grand Slam champion overpowered Arn, 6-1, 6-1, in 59 minutes on Saturday for her 17th straight win at the Australian Open.
The mismatch was so great that the crowd was muted, rousing themselves only when Arn won her two games and when Williams completed her third-round victory.
Arn double-faulted twice to end the match. As the players shook hands at the net, Williams looked briefly taken aback and smiled.
“I told her it was an honor to play against you,” the 32-year-old Arn said. “And she told me, ‘Oh, you are so sweet.’ I’m a big fan of hers. She’s the real No. 1.”
Williams, who racked up her 501st career match win, is hoping to become the second woman over age 30 to win the Australian title in the Open era.
“It makes me feel really good,” she said of her Hungarian opponent’s remarks. “I’m really proud of the work that I’ve been doing for so many years, all the hard work.”
Vania King’s loss to Ana Ivanovic left Williams as the only American player left in either singles draw. John Isner lost Friday, the last American man to exit.
Williams is frequently the only American left in a tournament, and it doesn’t bother her.
“I really don’t think when I go out there that I’m the last American,” she said. “I just think I’m trying to come in here and win this match, play this girl. That’s all I really think about.”
Coming off an injury-ravaged 18 months, Williams is seeded 12th in Melbourne. She hasn’t held the top ranking since 2010, the year she won the last of her Grand Slam titles.
Arn says “everybody knows” if Williams hits top form she will win the Australian Open, where she hasn’t lost since 2008. She won back-to-back titles in 2009 and 2010 and was unable to defend her title last year while she recovered from two foot surgeries.
Because of her ranking, Williams can’t take the No. 1 spot with a win at Melbourne. However, No. 2 Petra Kvitova, No. 3 Victoria Azarenka and No. 4 Maria Sharapova could walk away with the top ranking if they win the tournament.
Azarenka was the first player to reach the quarterfinals early Sunday when she beat Iveta Benesova, 6-2, 6-2.
Next up for Williams is unseeded Russian Ekaterina Makarova. After that, things are likely to get a lot tougher. Sharapova is a potential quarterfinal opponent, and Wimbledon champion Kvitova may await in the semifinals.
“I’m nowhere near where I want to be,” said Williams, who came into the tournament nursing a sprained left ankle. “A little rusty, just trying to play through my rust.”
On the men’s side, No. 2 seed Rafael Nadal’s cruised past countryman Feliciano Lopez on Sunday, winning 6-4, 6-4, 6-2 to reach the quarterfinals.
Saturday’s late finals included No. 4-ranked Andy Murray brushing aside Michael Llodra, 6-4, 6-2, 6-0, and Lleyton Hewitt, a 30-year-old Australian, dumping promising Canadian Milos Raonic, 4-6, 6-3, 7-6 (5), 6-3, before a raucous home crowd.
Playing in his 16th straight Australian Open, Hewitt needed three match points in the final game to close out the win and become the first wild-card entry to reach the fourth round in Melbourne since Mats Wilander in 1994.
“It’s just a game,” Hewitt said. “But it’s a bloody big game.”
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