ANTWERP (Belgium), Feb 14: Top seed and defending champion Venus Williams beat Slovenian Tina Pisnik 6-1 6-4 in the quarterfinals of the WTA Antwerp Diamond Games on Friday.

The world number two, who sometimes needs a while to get going in a match, seemed to take Pisnik off-guard and romped through the first set.

Pisnik, who turns 22 next week, only began to fight back in the sixth game and raised her hands in the air with delight after saving a set point.

In the second set, Pisnik upped her game a notch to send the American scurrying around the court. She came to the net, whipped balls down the line and floated backhands so improbably low over the net that her racket repeatedly hit the ground.

Results: (quarterfinal): 4-Daniela Hantuchova (Slovakia) beat Nathalie Dechy (France) 7-6 (7-4) 7-6 (8-6) 1-Venus Williams (U.S.) beat Tina Pisnik (Slovenia) 6-1 6-4.—Reuters