And while she has seven Grand Slam singles titles in her career, she’s never won the Australian Open.
Advertisement
It was a masterclass in controlled aggression as Williams, who is chasing a seventh title in Melbourne, attacked every Konta second serve, was thumping groundstroke winners throughout, and seizing the initiative at every opportunity. The World #2 won 6-2, 6-1.
The women’s final “won’t be an easy match”. “Second set was definitely a key to shut it down for him”. But I think she’s taller than me.
“This means so much, especially because she played so well, I had to play defence for so long”, said Williams, who screamed and performed pirouettes after clinching the win. The Williams sisters were seeded No. 1 and No. 2 when they met in the 2003 Australian Open final. Of her 31 winners, 14 were from her powerful forehand side.
“Oh my gosh I’m so excited”, said Williams after closing out the one hour and 48-minute match. It was his first major semi-final at 25 years. “The next match she will play Serena will be a different one”. I’m like, ‘Okay, I’ll be ready in a few days’. She reached the final by beating fellow American Coco Vandeweghe 6-7 (7-3), 6-2, 6-3.
Federer also has the prize of a potential final against his old rival Rafael Nadal, who will play Bulgaria’s Grigor Dimitrov in the other men’s semi-final on Friday.
“I would love to see her across the net from me on Saturday”, Venus said. I’d like to keep it going. I just couldn’t be happier.
That year she was runner-up to her sister Serena Williams – the pair are drawn to meet in this year’s final if they continue to win. There was an air of confidence in her play, while Vandeweghe made some mistakes with her playing leading to some silly unforced errors.
Williams now has a chance to win her first ever Australian Open title.
It’s the next chapter in the Serena versus Venus story and we can not wait to see how it plays out! “So it’s going to be a well-contested match”.
Vandeweghe, 11 years Williams’ junior, will face an opponent she used to idolise as a girl and once asked for an autograph.
Williams also admitted this as well. “But to do it at this stage of a Grand Slam is kind of insane”.
“Winning back-to-back matches in best-of-five sets against quality, great players, that’s been for me the big question mark, if I could do that so early in my comeback”, Federer said. “I’d like to be a champion”.
Advertisement
“The mentality I walk on court with is: I deserve this”.
