World number one Serena Williams muscled past Maria Sharapova for an 18th straight time on Tuesday to set up an Australian Open semi-final against Agnieszka Radwanska, who has never beaten the dominant American.
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It followed world no. 1 Williams’ powerful display in a 6-0 6-4 win over fourth seed Agnieszka Radwanska.
Finally, however, the world number four registered at the start of the next set, to a great cheer from the crowd, and then she held again to keep pace at 3-2. She’ll next meet the victor of Thursday’s later match between No. 7-seeded Angelique Kerber and No. 47-ranked Johanna Konta, the first British woman since 1983 to reach a major semifinal.
But the repeat of last year’s final proved yet another mismatch as defending champion Williams won 6-4 6-1, despite suffering from food poisoning. Doesn’t matter who I’m playing, I just try to go out there and play the best I can. “In important moments I stayed composed – overall it was a very solid performance”.
“I was one off a year ago, too”, Williams said.
Sharapova, the 2008 champion here, said: “It’s motivating because she’s at a different level”.
“I needed time off just to take a minute and just chill and reheal, get ready”, she said after the 64-minute battering of the Pole. Plus, when I play her, I know automatically I have to step up my game.
“When I play better, when I’m forced to play better, I don’t know, I do well”.
Inconsistency with his returns and a niggling leg problem saw Nishikori lose his serve six times overall and Djokovic wrapped up the victory in two hours and seven minutes.
The statistics echoed Williams’ athleticism on-court; Radwanska did not hit a single ace during the match, with all of Williams’ eight coming in the second set.
Kerber will play Serena Williams in the final on Saturday. Williams missed out on a 22nd title at the US Open past year after winning all three other Grand Slams in 20015 – the Australian and French Opens and Wimbledon. “So I don’t think anyone can really play on that kind of level at all – not me anyway”.
“It was super intense”, said Williams. She didn’t win her first match here over Camila Giorgi 6-4, 7-5, so much as she survived it. Since then, it’s been all one-way traffic.
The first set against Radwanska was done and dusted in 20 minutes, with Williams breaking her opponent’s serve three times and holding her own easily to win it 6-0 in 20 minutes. “I’ve been playing all week aggressive but I didn’t start out that way”.
The first set resulted in No. 4 seed’s first bagel since Belinda Bencic inflicted one during the final at Eastbourne last June.
“But the bottom line is that Maria just doesn’t have anything in her game to hurt Serena”.
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Kerber ousted pre-tournament favorite and former No. 1 Victoria Azarenka in the quarterfinals, while Konta began her tournament with a stunning win over Serena’s sister, No. 8 seed Venus Williams, in the first round.
