Venus Williams in Sony Ericsson Open

Quietly and serenely Venus Williams is cruising through 2010. She continued her 11-match win streak Thursday in the Sony Ericsson Open in Miami rolling smoothly through game Romanian Sorana Cirstea 6-4, 6-3 in an efficient 78 minutes.

Surprisingly the Romanian was up a break in each set before the 29-year old American mounted closeout surges. The 6’1” stylish number three seed pitched six aces in the match. Although seeded third, Venus is the people’s choice here in Miami as a three-time winner and playing with more consistency than any other tour player.

Venus is flourishing in the absence of her injured and younger sister, Serena, and in the wake of her recent win at Dubai now boasts a 15-1 singles and 6-0 doubles record this year. Venus Williams knows how to play on the biggest stages and although is sometimes slow to get out of the blocks, she can rely on the game’s most trustworthy serve when under pressure. Venus is also pacing herself like the veteran winner she is. She did not play at Indian Wells to focus on this Florida $3.45 million event.

Venus doesn’t want it all. She’s had that. She just wants her fair share and with more then $750 k in the bank so far in 2010, she appears on line to accomplish her goal.

Top seed Svetlana Kuznetsova struggled early again, but managed to outlast China’s pesky Peng Shuai 6-2, 3-6, 6-4. In the third set, at 4-4, 0-30 Kuznetsova finally played with some power and consistency to manage a hold and an easy break. It seems Kuznetsova’s play is too one-dimensional and that she is playing not to lose rather than to win.

Her path to the semis may have eased a bit as 8th seed Na Li suffered a surprising second round loss to Timea Bacsinszky, 6-4, 4-6, 7-6 (3). Li handed Venus her only loss of the year in the quarters at Melbourne but has struggled the past two weeks.

Number ten seed Italian Flavia Pennetta fell to Russian Andrea Petkovic 6-3, 3-6, 6-0. Pennetta appeared to hit the wall in the 23 minute third set. Pennetta’s string of surprising losses began with her loss to Agnes Szavay at Paris. The impressive Szavay bullied her way past Aussie Alicia Molik 6-0, 6-0 and will next face the top seed. If Svetlana does not raise her game, the Hungarian beauty will be ready to strike.

As expected, 6th seeded Agnieska Radwanaska, 12 seed Yanina Wickmayer, 13 seed Marion Bartoli, 16 seed Nadia Petrova and 19 seed Daniela Hantuchova all moved on. Ana Ivanovic ended a four-match losing streak with a nice win over play-in Pauline Parmetier 6-4, 6-3. Nothing is coming easily for Ana these days.

In today’s big matches, the top two Belgians Kim Clijsters and Justine Henin will both be featured on the center court while American Melanie Oudin will challenge Russian hotshot Vera Zvonareva.

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