AUSSIE OPEN DAY 8 | Womens: Serena survives a scare

Elena Dementieva, made the quarterfinals for the first time in 11 years at Melbourne Park with a 6-2, 6-2 win over Slovakia’s Dominika Cibulkova.Elena was all over Cibulkova with her blashing forehands and cross hands.

Williams was the biggest beneficiary of the wave of retirements. She lost the first set to 13th-seeded Victoria Azarenka of Belarus and was so frustrated with her first serve that she cursed it, earning a warning for a verbal obscenity. The 19-year-old Azarenka, who woke up sick, had to quit in the second set.

Williams, seeking a 10th Grand Slam singles title, next plays 2004 U.S. Open champion Kuznetsova, who advanced when Zheng Jie of China retired at 4-1 in the first set. They are the only major winners still in the women’s draw.

No. 22 Zheng, hoping for victory on Chinese New Year, injured her left wrist when she tumbled after the third game. She had treatment immediately but retired two games later and will go for X-rays Tuesday.

Carla Suarez Navarro, the 20-year-old Spaniard who had an upset win over seven-time Grand Slam winner Venus Williams in the second round, beat No. 21 Anabel Medina Garrigues 6-3, 6-2.

She next plays Olympic gold medalist Elena Dementieva, who made the quarterfinals for the first time in 11 years at Melbourne Park with a 6-2, 6-2 win over Slovakia’s Dominika Cibulkova.

The fourth-seeded Dementieva, who reached the finals at the French and U.S. Opens in 2004 but has not been to a Grand Slam championship match since, extended her winning streak to 14 matches. She won two titles in tuneup events.