She has won 39 of her last 40 Grand Slam matches across six major tournaments.
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“I was one off a year ago, too”, Williams said.
“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”.
Meanwhile, Kerber is set to face tennis queen Serena Williams in the finals and vows to do her very best.
Asked by a courtside interviewer if she would be seeking Graf’s advice ahead of her showdown with the American world number one, she laughed: “Steffi, write me please!”.
“I was able to practise with her for a few days just before Indian Wells past year”.
Making the semis was still a good result for Radwanska, who had done so just three other times in her career – at Wimbledon in 2013 and 2015, and here in Melbourne in 2014.
Kerber has lost her last four meetings with Williams, all in straight sets, but she did beat the American 6-4 6-4 at Cincinnati in 2012.
Jamie Murray and Brazil’s Bruno Soares are through to the men’s doubles final after a 6-3, 6-1 win over the French team of Adrian Mannarino and Lucas Pouille.
It has been an impressive response from a player who arrived with doubts surrounding her fitness and focus after her shock semi-final exit at last year’s US Open. Williams is top rated as she gets ready to go to the Australian Open semifinals.
Serena Williams of the United States celebrates during the semifinal of women’s singles against Poland’s Agnieszka Radwanska at the Australian Open Tennis Championships in Melbourne, Australia, Jan. 28, 2016.
But Kerber, who survived a match point in her opener against Masaki Doi, set the tone by breaking Azarenka in the opening game. “I definitely block it out”, Williams said after her 6-0, 6-4 victory over Radwanska.
“Serena is really showing her great tennis on all the Grand Slams. If I don’t win on Saturday, I’ll still be one off”, Williams said.
With the roof closed on Rod Laver Arena because of rain showers in the area, Williams broke Radwanska’s service to open the match and was rarely troubled in the 21-minute first set.
Radwanksa continued to fight and showed some of the skills that had seen her reach the final four, and broke back to restore parity in the second set. “But I didn’t think I’d be doing so much, so fast; so thank you so much for all of your support”, Williams added, addressing the crowd and her fanbase, known as “Rena’s Army”.
Williams seems as surprised as anyone by how well she’s playing.
Radwańska (World No.4) managed to recover some of her dignity in the second set, taking four games.
Williams awaits the victor of the second semifinal between Angelique Kerber and Johanna Konta. “I think so. The Germans must be together”. She barely got a backhand return to a Williams serve then stood, with slumping shoulders, and watched as the 34-year-old put the overhead smash away.
“But otherwise I didn’t really think that I was playing bad”.
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Sensing victory, she made no mistakes to serve for the match and become the first left-hander to make the final since Seles in 1996.
