Williams Sisters Eye Quarterfinal Showdown at U.S. Open

NEW YORK - Venus and Serena Williams moved to within one victory each of a quarterfinal collision at the U.S. Open on Sunday, setting up the prospect of the sisters' first meeting at Flushing Meadows since 2005.

Venus, the two-time Open champion fresh off her fifth Wimbledon title, needed just over an hour to reach the fourth round. Serena, who won the last of her two titles here in 2002, was nearly as efficient in the night session.

The sisters have met 16 times as professionals — the series tied at eight — but their Grand Slam meetings have dwindled as injuries and uneven form kept them in opposite corners of the draw.

"It's come fast," Venus said of the prospective quarterfinal. "But that's the draw. We both just want to keep playing well."

The women's field has been further thinned by the early exit of top seed Ana Ivanovic, the French Open champion, who fell to a qualifier ranked 188th in one of the biggest upsets in the tournament's history.

On the men's side, Roger Federer — chasing a fifth consecutive Open title and his first Grand Slam of a season in which Rafael Nadal took his Wimbledon crown and his No. 1 ranking — advanced in straight sets.

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