You don’t need to spend words on his achievements – he is a great champion and someone I have a lot of respect for.
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And yet by playing below her best in a quarter-final against Sharapova, Williams delivered a timely reminder of her talent ahead of Saturday’s decider. I mean, I never thought I was going to go out and lose in the first round, but at the same time I never thought before, I’m going to make it to the final, or anything.
Williams, a six-time victor at Melbourne Park, stepped up when she needed to as the two power-hitters went head to head from the baseline.
Williams said she wasn’t aware that she had won the Australian Open all six previous times she won her quarterfinal match, “but that’s good”.
The 2016 Australian Open quarterfinals will kick off on Tuesday, featuring big names like Novak Djokovic, Roger Federer, Serena Williams and Maria Sharapova.
The 34-year-old then made a fast start to the opening-set tie-break and was in control from then on, breaking twice in the second set and making the decisive move at 4-4 in the third.
Serena has not had any of those tense, early round matches that lasted three sets – the ones that plagued her on a regular basis past year. “The person who is losing X amount in a row could think ‘I don’t have anything to lose'”.
Both players struggled with their ball toss at one end, repeatedly practicing their toss to work out the best position to serve into the sun.
Sharapova came into the tournament light on match practice after injuring her left forearm and said getting that treated would be her main priority on her return home.
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.
The two are friends off court and the American said if Radwanska won, she would wish her well. Fed is playing well, and so is Berdych.
The ninth day of the Australian Open gets underway tonight as the first round of quarterfinals in the men’s and women’s singles draw will be played. The 17-time major victor is 34years, 176 days old.
“It’s not No. 1 vs. 25”. When they last met at a Grand Slam – the second round of the 2012 U.S. Open – Radwanska won in three sets. That’s a long time. Maybe. Could it be this time – the quarterfinals of the Australian Open?
Notoriously cagey about injuries, Williams said it had been nothing more than a bit of treatment for food poisoning. “If I don’t have that chance then I don’t have the opportunity to try something different”.
After beating Britain’s Johanna Konta 7-5 6-2, Kerber was asked on court if Graf might give her some tips on how to beat Williams.
In the other quarter, Milos Raonic persevered with his serve-and-volley game plan and withstood a strong comeback from 2014 champion Stan Wawrinka, advancing to the quarterfinals 6-4, 6-3, 5-7, 4-6, 6-3.
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The top-ranked and defending champion Djokovic is bidding to win his sixth Australian Open, and to continue a run that earned him three of the four Grand Slam trophies in 2015.
