If Africa Top Sports said one of the Williams sisters still continues the race for the title, it is unsurprisingly Serena Williams.

The world N°1 snatched her ticket to the quarter finals against her Russian counterpart Maria Kirilenko. The two tennis icons as revealed by Wtatennis.com are the most revered players at the China Open since they are the tournament’s first winners consecutively Serena in 2004 and Kirilenko in 2005.

Neither player could break early in the match, with Kirilenko becoming the first to draw blood with a break at 4-all, serving for the first set at 5-4 – she even had 40-0 and triple set point. But Williams fought them all off and ended up winning the set on a Kirilenko double fault after 50 minutes of play.

Kirilenko went ahead again in the second set, breaking for 3-2 then consolidating it for 4-2, but the No.1-seeded Williams clawed her way back into it again, closing the match out in straights, 75 75.

This win is Serena’s 70th of 2013.