INDIAN WELLS, CA, USA - No.8 seed Venus Williams scored a straight sets victory over Carla Suarez Navarro to return to the BNP Paribas Open semifinals for the first time since 2001.

Venus needed just over an hour to notch a 6-3, 6-2 victory and earns a matchup against Daria Kasatkina in the next round.

Read more: Venus edges Sevastsova, back into Indian Wells quarterfinals

“I’m definitely happy,” Venus told press afterwards. “You kind of hope for this kind of scoreline, but you never know if you're actually going to get it. I was happy with way I played.

“Playing deep in a big tournament is exciting, fantastic.”

With the win Venus has equalled her best result here, having previously reached the semifinals in 1998, falling to eventual champion Martina Hingis, and in 2001, when she had to withdraw due to tendonitis and handing sister Serena a walkover into the final.

Taking on the No.27 seed Suárez Navarro - who she leads 5-3 in their head-to-head record - Venus needed just one break of serve to seal the opening set. The Spaniard had upset No.4 seed Elina Svitolina in the third round was was looking to defeat two Top 10 players at the same tournament since 2015, but couldn’t find the rhythm to disrupt Venus’ game.

Suárez Navarro couldn’t convert on the three break opportunities she created in the third game of the set, and Venus took advantage to grab the lead a few games later at 4-2, powering ahead to take the opening set.

It was a close contest in the second set as well, despite the lopsided scoreline. The pair started the set by trading breaks, with Venus grabbing the first lead and Suárez Navarro finally breaking straight back. But the Spaniard couldn’t fend off Venus for a second time - the American pounced on Suárez Navarro’s second serve to earn another break at 3-2.

Suárez Navarro had points to even it up again in the next game, but she couldn’t convert on any of her three break chances as Venus raised her level, reeling off the last four games in a row to seal the match after an hour and 13 minutes.