MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) Serena Williams attacked Maria Sharapova’s strength and it helped extend her complete domination of their rivalry, earning the six-time Australian Open champion a place in the semifinals.
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“She presents a completely different game, an extremely exciting game”, Williams said of the Pole, who is on a 13-match win streak.
“When you’re playing someone who’s so great, you have to come out with a lot of fire and intensity”, she added.
Williams won three majors – the Australian and French Opens and Wimbledon – last year, which took her to within one of Graf’s long-time record of 22.
Now it was Sharapova’s turn to feel the heat as a cruel net cord prevented her from sealing the hold and a lengthy game ensued in which Williams carved out four set points.
Williams made it 18 consecutive victories against fifth seed Sharapova thanks to a 6-4 6-1 quarter-final triumph as the defending Australian Open champion progressed to the semi-finals at Melbourne Park.
“It’s motivating”, Sharapova said of her loss to Williams. She beat Carla Suarez Navarro 6-1, 6-3 in the quarterfinals.
The top seed came under pressure after losing serve in the second game of the third set, only for Nishikori to hand back the break with a long forehand on break point. She didn’t play another match in 2015.
“I just knew after the first set that I wanted to start playing the way I have been, that got me to the quarterfinals, so I was just trying to do that”.
Berdych had won their past two meetings at Grand Slams but the most recent of those was four years ago, and Federer remained a solid favourite having won their past four matches.
On both occasions, Federer lost to Djokovic in four sets, making up two of his five defeats (in eight matches) against the Serb a year ago.
Interestingly though, Mauresmo went on to win two Grand Slam titles the following season and Radwanska will be bidding to match that success, or at least win her first Slam title at the Australian Open. “I’ve done everything… I didn’t think I would have done as well as I have”, the world No1 said.
When it was put to her that there is clearly a big gap between her and Sharapova, Williams said: “There is”.
For the Russian five-time Grand Slam victor, 28, her demoralising jinx against one of the greatest players ever remains intact. “She makes you go back to the drawing board, not just for me, but for many other players”, she said.
“Honestly, I played so many times against both of these guys”.
Sharapova looked sharp early on, opening up a 2-0 advantage to start the match off, but from there, it was all Serena. “But I couldn’t play good tennis today”.
“I tried to weather the storm, hang in there”, said Djokovic, who had been pushed to five sets by Gilles Simon in the fourth round.
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Two-time champion Victoria Azarenka faces seventh seed Angelique Kerber while unseeded Briton Johanna Konta takes on Chinese qualifier Zhang Shuai in the other quarter-finals on Wednesday.
