And so the Australian Open comes down to this: Serena Williams versus Angelique Kerber.
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The semi-final was nearly a non-contest between the players who’ll be No 1 and No 3 in the next women’s rankings.
For the first time in her career, Williams reached the final of the Australian Open without losing a set.
The signs were ominous from the beginning for 17-time Grand Slam champion and No. 3-ranked Federer.
Radwanka after the first set onslaught looked bemused and frustrated, before lifting in the second to hold serve on a few occasions and taking the lead on two occasions.
“She (Kerber) took out a really tough opponent in Victoria (Azarenka)”.
Djokovic seemed a class above his long-term rival while compiling two sets in just 54 minutes, but a determined Federer hauled back the third set before the world No 1 ended his resistance in a thrilling fourth. A whipped forehand victor and untimely double fault etched 3-0 onto the scoreboard. She is one win away from equaling Steffi Graf’s record of 22 grand slam titles.
“I was going out there today with a lot of confidence and trying to believe really in myself and just going for my shots, trying to play good tennis”. Agnieszka won the title in Shenzhen to begin this year and has dropped just one set in this tournament so far against Anna-Lena Friedsam in the fourth round.
After coming within two matches of becoming the first player since Graf in 1988 to achieve the calendar-year grand slam in September, Williams decided not to play again in 2015. “Sometimes I’m on the last flight back out to the US”.
“She’s been playing really well towards the end of the year, and already this year she’s been very consistent”.
The No. 2-seeded Murray, who has lost four finals at Melbourne Park, will play Canada’s Milos Raonic in a semifinal Friday. “Well, definitely not me”.
“Mentally I needed a break after the Open, physically I just feel so good”. Have I played at my best my whole career?
She will now face the victor of the other semi-final, between German 7th seed Angelique Kerber and unseeded British ace Johanna Konta, the latter of whom she has never played before.
She has reached the finals of the singles at the Australian Open on 6 occasions in the past, and won every single time. Kerber went on to serve for the match in the eighth game to finish things off strongly.
“I was extra busy on my new collection that I’m starting”, said Williams, a some-times fashion designer, who is wearing one of own designs – a neon-yellow crop-top with pleated skirt – on the court in Melbourne. “I m happy to have that and I ll be ready for the semi”, she said.
SERENA WILLIAMS ADMITTED she did not expect to make it all the way through to the Australian Open final after limited preparations heading into the tournament. Kerber broke Konta’s serve in the 11th game, and held in the next to take the set in 49 minutes.
You can’t underestimate Kerber. I had my little chance in second set, especially when it was 4-all.
Before arriving at Melbourne Park, Konta had won only four of her previous nine matches at grand slam level.
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“It just kind of blows my mind right now”.
