His reward? A 45th meeting with world No. 1 Novak Djokovic, who beat a Kei Nishikori in straight sets, on Thursday night.
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The six-time Melbourne Park champion heaped more misery on her long-time rival 6-4, 6-1, with the Russian fifth seed stretching her demoralising winless run against the American great to 12 years.
It was top-seeded Serena Williams over-powering Russian 5th seed Maria Sharapova, downing her in straight-sets, 6-4, 6-1 to move into the final-4 in Melbourne.
Radwanska sealed her place in her second Australian semi-final with a win over the No10 seed, Carla Suarez Navarro, 6-1, 6-3.
This was the 18th time Williams defeated Maria in a row.
Djokovic’s mark is nearly as good – he’s 5-0 in semifinals, and in finals, in the season’s first major. After ending 2015 by winning the WTA Finals, she started 2016 by picking up the title in Shenzhen, China.
Sharapova won more sets against her nemesis in three matches in 2004 (four) than in their 18 meetings since (three).
As incredible as it may be, Williams’ form in Melbourne has been even more impressive than her displays past year.
“Something about her game”, Williams, bidding for a 22nd grand slam title in Melbourne, said to reporters when asked why she has so much success against Sharapova. “You have to come out with a lot of fire and intensity”. Serena has not lost a grand slam final since the 2011 US Open.
Back to the drawing board for Sharapova: Sharapova served a career-high 21 aces in the fourth round against Belinda Bencic but tallied just 3 aces, compounded with 7 double-faults on Tuesday.
“She played quite explosive”, Sharapova said. After a competitive opening round match against Italian Camila Giorgi, Williams has lost just 13 games, and no sets, in her next four matches.
Despite the huge task facing her, Kerber is taking a crumb of comfort from having beaten Williams once before, at Cincinnati in 2012.
Williams had medical treatment between sets, and again in the second during a changeover, but it wasn’t clear what the problem was.
Williams also had to concentrate hard to hold in the ninth game, when a baby screamed loudly in the stands as she faced breakpoints.
“She goes on court and she just wants to kill it”, Radwanska said.
“I think if you’re serving maybe 180 (km/hr) against somebody else compared to Serena, that’s an ace”, Sharapova said. “She makes you work, and that’s inspiring”.
At 34 years, 176 days, Federer is the oldest Aussie Open semifinalist since Colin Dibley in 1979.
“I think she sent me a text message, but I don’t know what she wrote me yet”.
“I don’t think anyone can really play on that kind of level at all”.
The points were short early in the set, but as the match progressed the rallies got longer and longer.
She had her chances in the quarter-final though, with two break points at the end of the first set, but Williams delivered when it mattered most and it was one-way traffic thereafter.
Djokovic only hit 11 groundstroke winners in disposing of Nishikori, who made a total of 54 unforced errors and had his service broken six times. “In important moments I stayed composed – overall it was a very solid performance”.
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“I have to be satisfied, I reached (the) semifinals. I think she sent me a text message, but I don’t know what she wrote yet”.
