Sisters in the hunt

NEW YORK – Take note, tennis fans: Serena Williams looks poised for another big run at a Grand Slam.

So does her No. 1 fan.

Williams posted her easiest victory yet at this U.S. Open, showing no ill effects from a lingering thumb injury and beating 10th-seeded Marion Bartoli 6-3, 6-4 Sunday to reach the quarterfinals.

“I’m definitely better than I was in my first match,” she said.

A few hours later, she rooted from a private box as older sister Venus kept the pressure on No. 5 Ana Ivanovic and beat the Serbian teen 6-4, 6-2.

Through four rounds, the Williams sisters – both two-time U.S. Open champs – have won every set. One more victory each and they’ll hold a family reunion in the semifinals.

“That would be awesome because it would mean there would be Williams in the final and an American in the final,” Venus said.

Seeded 12th, she frustrated Ivanovic and let the 19-year-old beat herself.

Ivanovic won only two points at the net and missed several more. After putting a shot into the mesh, she kicked the ball over the net and later slammed her racket.

Next up, the Wimbledon champion will play No. 3 Jelena Jankovic.

Serena gets No. 1 Justine Henin.

Rafael Nadal also won in straight sets. The second-seeded Spaniard defeated Jo-Wilfried Tsonga of France 7-6 (3), 6-2, 6-1 to make the fourth round.

In other men’s matches, No. 15 David Ferrer of Spain staved off one match point against No. 24 David Nalbandian of Argentina and beat the 2002 Wimbledon runner-up 6-3, 3-6, 4-6, 7-6 (5), 7-5, and No. 20 Juan Ignacio Chela of Argentina beat No. 12 Ivan Ljubicic of Croatia, 6-4, 6-7 (5), 2-6, 6-3, 6-3.

Much stronger and faster than Bartoli, No. 8 Serena Williams fittingly finished with back-to-back aces.

Bartoli had a breakthrough at Wimbledon, finishing as runner-up to Venus Williams, but the Frenchwoman has struggled to duplicate that success.

Physically overmatched, her best shot was to try to wear out Serena Williams with steady, deliberate returns. Using a two-handed grip from both sides, Bartoli is known for her unusual training methods – her father likes to hit multicolored, multisized balls at her in practice to sharpen her focus.

Williams, however, hit the same kind of ball at Bartoli all match. As in, really hard.

She held a 32-10 edge in winners and her fastest serve was 124 mph to Bartoli’s 106. Williams also stayed in control, putting 81 percent of her first serves in play.