The three-time champion clearly has no intention of expending unnecessary energy in the first week of the tournament. Williams had lost just five games in the previous two rounds at the All England Club — with her victory over Anna Chakvetadze in the second round taking just 49 minutes.
She had won the opening set in both her opening two matches without dropping a game and once again she set out to shatter her opponent’s resolve.
An ace with the first serve of the match and a break of the Cibulkova serve in the following game emphasized Williams’ desire to go for the jugular straight away.
Williams looked impregnable on serve and, with the 21-year-old Cibulkova looking overawed by the occasion, it was no surprise that Williams took the first set in just 18 minutes.
Cibulkova gradually found a little more confidence in the second set and began to at least make Williams break sweat.
The Slovakian fended off match-point as she held serve for 5-5, but Williams was never likely to be held up for long and she broke in the 12th game to seal her path into the second week of the tournament.
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