Serena Williams served up a glamour Australian Open quarter-final against arch-rival Maria Sharapova as she looks to extend her iron grip over the Russian star.
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In the late-night match, No. 3 seed Roger Federer beat No. 15 seed David Goffin 6-2, 6-1, 6-4 to reach the Australian quarterfinals for an unprecedented 12th time.
The world number one is on court later Sunday against Russian Margarita Gasparyan with a victory pitting her against Sharapova, whom she beat in last year’s final.
Obviously 24 is close, but, yet its so far away, Williams said, adding that it was an honor to play in front of Court and she wasnt consciously trying to overtake her. Honestly, I just focus on each game at a time.
After so many losses, Sharapova insists that she will approach the match in a positive mindset, while trying once again to find ways to improve.
Djokovic is smarting after his five-set struggle against Gilles Simon, in which he dished out 100 unforced errors, and he will be keen to assert himself against an opponent who has won two of their last four matches.
There is no reason I shouldn’t be looking to improve and to getting my game in a better position than any other previous rounds.
“It’s only going to be tougher, especially against Serena”, said Sharapova.
Runner-up to Williams a year ago, Sharapova booked a rematch against the American with a hard-fought 7-5, 7-5 win over Swiss young gun Belinda Bencic in the early match on Rod Laver Arena yesterday.
“I know a lot of players wanted me to win this match”, the 31-year-old Frenchman said. We are both doing the best we can. She will take on Carla Suárez Navarro, who recovered from a rough first set to defeat Daria Gavrilova 0-6, 6-3, 6-2.
Agnieszka Radwanska advanced to the second quarterfinal in the women’s bracket after defeating Anna-Lena Friedsam 6-7(6), 6-1, 7-5.
“I just remember hitting an inside out forehand, and, yeah, when I was down match point”.
“I have been playing this whole week aggressive”, she said. Every tournament she plays in, it seems, holds another chance for Williams to make history. But Williams refused to back down on a steaming hot day in Melbourne. “You know, she always brings in something new and something special”.
“It was super intense”, Williams said of the replay of last year’s final.
She is looking for her 22nd major title. But Sharapova-the last teen to win a Grand Slam title, aged 19 at the 2006 US Open-has also been in good touch in Melbourne, where she won in 2008, and ultimately her experience proved decisive. “But not just yet”. I got myself into the quarterfinal of a Grand Slam. Tennis fans can watch the quarterfinals on ESPN2 and through live streaming below, and via WatchESPN and Australian Open Live. The lively Nishikori pounded the off-key Tsonga with five service breaks in their third Grand Slam meeting.
Djokovic, who committed an unprecedented century of unforced errors, only escaped after more than 4½ hours of battle. “I remember, obviously, winning and that was really great”. That being said he has only dropped on set on his way to this point and Djokovic is two sets worse off.
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“And I feel like if I can just continue to play well, then it could be good”. She can’t just serve a high percentage. Williams has a 164-65 record against Top 10 opponents in her career, according to the women’s tour (that’s a 72% clip). “But I didn’t start like that so I made a decision to play the way that got me to the quarter-finals”.
