Williams sisters through in Paris
 |  Serena Williams won the first eight games against Silvija Talaja. |
| | WOMEN'S RESULTS | 4-Venus Williams (U.S.) beat 30-Mary Pierce (France) 6-3 6-1; 23-Fabiola Zuluaga (Colombia) beat Katarina Srebotnik (Slovenia) 5-7 6-2 6-3; 11-Svetlana Kuznetsova (Russia) beat Myriam Casanova (Switzerland) 3-6 6-3 6-4; 2-Serena Williams (U.S.) beat Silvija Talaja (Croatia) 6-0 6-4; Shinobu Asagoe (Japan) beat Gisela Dulko (Argentina) 7-5 4-6 6-4; 7-Jennifer Capriati (U.S.) beat 25-Elena Bovina (Russia) 6-2 3-6 6-4; 6-Anastasia Myskina (Russia) beat Denisa Chladkova (Czech Republic) 6-3 7-6 (7-3); 17-Francesca Schiavone (Italy) beat Virginia Ruano Pascual (Spain) 6-2 6-3
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PARIS, France -- Serena Williams stormed into the fourth round at the French Open with a quickfire 6-0 6-4 win over Silvija Talaja of Croatia.
Sister Venus Williams also made impressive progress, beating former champion Mary Pierce of France 6-3 6-1.
Second seed Serena, the 2002 champion, made 32 unforced errors and served nine double faults but she was still far too strong for her Croatian opponent, winning the first eight games.
Talaja fought back to 4-4 in the second set, and saved three match points in the 10th game before throwing away the match with her sixth double fault.
Williams admitted that the ease with which she had taken the first set, in just 20 minutes, had caused her to lose concentration.
"I hate it when I think too far ahead because it never works for me," said Williams.
"I really have to just stay in the moment, just stay playing that point at that time.
"Sometimes it's difficult, when you're up 6-0 2-0. I really should have been up 3-0, I kind of think I lost a little focus. I'm thinking about other things. Next thing I know, it's 4-4 and that's not a good position to be in.
"I don't normally hit nine doubles in a tournament, let alone a match. So it was weird. Maybe I got a little too tight. I just needed to relax."
Williams next faces Shinobu Asagoe for a place in the quarterfinals after the Japanese player, playing with her left thigh heavily bandaged, survived a two hour 39 minute marathon to beat Gisela Dulko of Argentina 7-5 4-6 6-4.
Fourth seed Venus Williams followed her younger sister into the last 16 with an assured performance against 2000 winner Pierce.
She now plays Colombia's Fabiola Zuluaga, the 23rd seed, who knocked out Slovenia's Katarina Srebotnik 5-7 6-2 6-3.
Venus said that she has now put all fears over her recent ankle injury behind her.
"The ankle is a lot better now and I don't have to worry about twisting it again. If it happens, it happens, but I don't worry about it anymore."
Capriati advances
Jennifer Capriati reached the fourth round for the eighth time in her career with a 6-2 3-6 6-4 win over Elena Bovina.
But the match was far from comfortable for the American seventh seed, chasing a second Roland Garros title, who served seven double faults and was broken six times.
But Capriati got the decisive break against the Russian 25th seed while leading 5-4 in the final set, advancing to meet Francesca Schiavone in the last 16.
The 17th-seeded Italian beat Virginia Ruano Pascual of Spain 6-2 6-3.
Capriati said she was finally putting the back injury that kept her out of the Australian Open in January behind her.
"I can get better, I am moving great and I am not even 100 percent yet," said the 28-year-old.
"I really think I am getting stronger as each match goes by. You worry about not being 100 percent when you come back from injury and you need to be match fit and positive.
"I am pretty close to how I was in 2001. I have more power in my shots and I'm more flexible than I was back then."
Russian sixth seed Anastasia Myskina also powered through, crushing Czech Denisa Chladkova 6-3 7-6.
Myskina next faces 11th seeded compatriot Svetlana Kuznetsova, a 3-6 6-3 6-4 winner over Switzerland's Myriam Casanova.
