Serena Williams advances in French Open; sets up dream match with Maria Sharapova

American tennis legend Serena Williams defeated 11th seed Julia Görges from Germany 6-3 6-4 in the round of 32 at the French Open on Saturday.

Although the German served 11 aces against Serena's 3, Williams won 86% in her first serve against 67% of Görges. She also won 3 break points in the fairly comfortable win.

With this Serena will meet Maria Sharapova, who is making a comeback to the French Open after three years.

Sharapova and Serena have met 21 times, with the American leading the head-to-head record 19-2 after 18 consecutive wins dating back to 2004.

"I think there is a lot of things in her game that she's done much better than I have... Numbers don't lie," admitted Sharapova ahead of the prospect of facing her American nemisis.

Williams, the champion in 2002, 2013 and 2015 and playing her first Slam since giving birth to her daughter in September, last played a major at the Australian Open in 2017 while two months pregnant.

She has dominated the headlines in Paris as much for her play -- she came back from a set and break down to beat Ashleigh Barty in the second round -- as for her striking all-black catsuit.

The 36-year-old Williams, now ranked at 451 in the world, boasts a 2-0 career lead over Georges.

Meanwhile Rafeal Nadal continued his bid for an 11th French Open title by brushing aside Gasquet to claim a 16th consecutive win over his childhood friend.

The world number one's record at Roland Garros now stands at 82 wins and just two losses.

The 16-time Grand Slam champion eased to a 6-3, 6-2, 6-2 victory on Chatrier.

The 31-year-old also took his run of consecutive completed sets at the French Open to 34, just seven shy of the record held by Bjorn Borg between 1979 and 1981.

Nadal, who lost only two points in the first five games, will next play Germany's world number 70 Maximilian Marterer, who beat Estonian lucky loser Jurgen Zopp.

Former champion Garbine Muguruza reached the last 16 for the fifth successive year with a comfortable 6-0, 6-2 win over Australia's Sam Stosur.

With Inputs from Reuters