Serena Williams stepped up a gear dispatching Italian Sara Errani in quick time to power into the quarter-finals of the Sydney WTA International on Tuesday.
The American world number two and tournament top seed rattled past the 38th-ranked Errani 6-1, 6-2 in just 50 minutes to set up a last-eight meeting with Denmark's eighth seed Caroline Wozniacki.
Should the nine-time grand slam champion get past the world number 12 Wozniacki on Wednesday night she will likely have to beat two Russian opponents to win the final lead-up tournament into next week's Australian Open in Melbourne.
Williams, who is favourite to land her fourth Australian Open crown, is pleased with her form heading into the business end of the Sydney tournament.
"I was a little better today," she said. "I still think I can improve on some things, and that's what I want to do. I don't want to peak too soon."
The intimidating 27-year-old American, who collected her 400th career victory in the first-round win over Australian Samantha Stosur, was encouraged by her service game on Tuesday, winning 79 percent of the points on her serve.
"I was a little disappointed with my serve in the first round, but it was much better today," she said.
With forecast temperatures of 38-40 Celsius (100-104 Fahrenheit) over the next two days, Williams was not perturbed at the prospect.
"I didn't think it was that hot. I felt a nice breeze today," she said.
"I wasn't necessarily trying to get off fast, but I wasn't going slow either. I was just trying to win the points."
Williams has yet to play Wozniacki, who accounted for Britain's Melanie South, 6-2, 6-0, but could face Beijing Olympic gold medallist Elena Dementieva of Russia in the semi-finals.
Dementieva, who won the ASB Classic in Auckland last week, ousted Australian-based Slovak Jarmila Gajdosova, 6-2, 6-4 to stretch her unbeaten run to six matches into the new year.
"It's very important to play a couple tournaments before the grand slam just to get used to the game and get good confidence," Dementieva said.
"It's just the beginning of the year. It's very interesting to see who's in the good shape."
Dementieva will play Polish sixth seed Agnieszka Radwanska, who wore down Daniela Hantuchova of the Slovak Republic, 6-3, 7-5.
Second seed Dinara Safin raced through her second round match, dropping just three games in downing fellow Russian Vera Dushevina, 6-3, 6-0 and will play Alize Cornet of France in the quarter-finals.
Cornet showed great fighting qualities to overhaul Russian Alisa Kleybanova, 7-6 (7/5), 6-1.
Fifth seed Svetlana Kuznetsova needed a third set tiebreak before seeing off Estonia's Kaia Kanepi, 6-2, 2-6, 7-6 (7/3) and will play Japan's Ai Sugiyama in the last eight.
Sugiyama was too strong for Spain's Anabel Medina Garrigues, 2-6, 6-1, 6-2.
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Serena Williams stepped up a gear dispatching Italian Sara Errani in quick time to power into the quarter-finals of the Sydney WTA International on Tuesday.



Serena breezes into Sydney quarter-finals

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