Serena swats Roland Garros quarter

PARIS: Champion Serena Williams swatted aside the limp challenge of Elina Svitolina 6-1 6-1 on Wednesday, to reach the quarter-finals of the French Open.The world number one rarely sparkled on a damp, dank centre court at Roland Garros, but always wielded enough firepower to see off the Ukrainian 18th seed in a match that was delayed by two days due to the fickle Parisian weather.Empty green seats outnumbered raincoat-clad fans by around five to one on the Parisian showcourt, and the heavy, slow balls meant there was little artistry to entice greater numbers.Although spluttering from time to time — Williams fired the odd serve alarmingly long; netted the occasional simple groundstroke — the top seed always did enough to neuter her scurrying opponent.The American will play Carla Suarez Navarro or Yulia Putintzeva for a spot in the semis.