Williams said she had “no idea” whether she went on court against Sharapova with a mental edge but added: “There’s something about her game”.
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“When you’re playing someone like that you have to come out with your own fire and intensity”.
Australia Day fireworks were expected on court and off on day nine of the championships but Djokovic extinguished Kei Nishikori’s flame 6-3, 6-2, 6-4 and Williams doused every spark of a threat from Maria Sharapova to win 6-4, 6-1.
Novak Djokovic believes beating Roger Federer is as tough a task as it has ever been as the rivals prepare for another grand slam showdown at the Australian Open.
The win makes Federer the oldest man (34 years, 176 days old) since 1979 to reach the Australian Open semifinals.
Following Radwanska’s straightforward victory, Williams was just as clinical in her 6-4, 6-1 win over No. 5 seed Maria Sharapova.
Williams will next face fourth seed Agnieszka Radwanska in the last four, after she beat Spain’s Carla Suarez-Navarro in straight sets (6-1 6-3) to reach her second Melbourne semi-final in three years.
Sharapova has not beaten Williams, holder of 21 Grand Slam titles, since 2004, meaning it s high time the Russian fifth seed pulled one back in their head to head.
But that approach is what has helped win her 21 major titles, and Williams’ aggressive returns finally helped her convert on her fourth set point, following a heavy ground stroke to the net and putting away a volley.
“It will be a good match”, Williams said.
On a baking hot day in Melbourne, Sharapova made a great start, breaking Williams to 15 before holding with an ace to take a 2-0 lead.
Williams went on a five-game roll until Sharapova held in the second set, and then finished it off in the seventh game after saving break points.
“I think the person who’s winning could definitely feel the pressure because there is a lot of expectations”, she said.
“There is no reason I shouldn t be looking to improve and to getting my game in a better position than any other previous round”. I won against a top-10 player in straight sets.
Williams then found another gear, easily closing out the match 6-1. Hitting power shots at Serena just makes her power shots coming back have more pace.
The Spanish 10th seed was no match for her Polish opponent, who is now on a 13-match unbeaten run following her success at the Shenzhen Open last month. I’ve done everything that I didn’t want to do, you know.
“She is an intense and focused player”. She said she had an upset stomach.
Federer has reached three grand slam finals since he lifted the Wimbledon title in 2012 but title number 18 has so far proved elusive.
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The world number seven beat Djokovic in the US Open semi-finals in 2014 but he never looked like repeating the feat here, losing his serve six times overall in a brisk match lasting two hours and seven minutes. I think these rivalries have allowed me to grow and to evolve and to understand what it takes to be on the level that they are on.
