New York: World number one Serena Williams ignored a six 1/2-hour rain delay and the arrest of a German man who has stalked her around the world to rout Czech teen Daja Bedanova and reach the US Open quarter-finals here before the skies opened up again to halt the other matches.

The reigning Wimbledon and French Open champion needed only 41 minutes to rip the 20th seed 6-1, 6-1, firing eight aces past Bedanova and ending it with a backhand winner, the last of 35 she pounded compared to only five unforced errors.

Williams was a tabloid cover girl here on Sunday after the arrest of Albrecht Stromeyer, who stalked her and was arrested at events in Italy, Germany, France, Britain and the United States over the past 15 months.

Stromeyer, 34, faces a stalking charge that could bring one year in prison and $ 1,000 fine. A restraining order was also imposed upon Stromeyer barring him from the US Open and any type of contact with the 20-year-old he says he loves. Bail was set at $ 3,000.

Next for Williams is either Belgian eighth seeded Justine Henin or 11th-seeded Slovakian Daniela Hantuchova, who led 6-1, 1-2 and 40-30 when play was halted one point later than she would have liked.

Hantuchova sprained her right thumb as she tripped and fell lunging for a forehand in drizzle moments before play was suspended.

When play was halted for a second time, Britain's Greg Rusedski led 13-time Grand Slam winner Pete Sampras 5-4, third seed Tommy Haas of Germany led Sweden's Thomas Enqvist 6-4, Brazil's Gustavo Kuerten led Chile's Nicolas Massu 6-1 and British fifth seed Tim Henman had yet to start against Argentina's Juan Ignacio Chela.

Agencies