Agnieszka Radwanska has won her way through to her second Australian Open semi-final on Tuesday, but will have Serena Williams to contend with after the world No. 1 also breezed through the quarterfinal stage of the tournament.
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Serena hasn’t lost a set and other than that Vinci loss, she’s been unbeatable in Grand Slam play the previous year.
Williams remains unbeaten in nine matches against Radwanska, and is an overwhelming favorite going into the final against the victor of today’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.
“I’m really excited to be in another final, it kind of blows my mind right now”, said Williams, 34.
An ultra-competitive opening set eventually gave way to a landslide as the world No. 1 rolled to a 6-4, 6-1 win over Maria Sharapova to advance to the Australian Open semifinals.
Playing in her first semifinal, Konta fell behind early 3-0 before roaring back to take a 4-3 lead.
“I think longevity is something definitely to look at”, she said. “I really want to enjoy being a professional tennis player and playing on grand slam courts, moments like this”. Thought at times, when I got in the rally I wasn’t moving forward, wasn’t cutting the angles off enough. “Unbelievable serve, everything. She was going for it. I couldn’t do much – nothing at all, actually”.
Asked if Williams’ first round was the best she had faced, Radwanska admitted she was powerless.
Williams converted at the first time of asking, driving a volley into the corner, before squatting on her feet and screaming in celebration as she stands on the brink of a seventh Australian Open triumph. “I like the way she hits the ball”.
“She presents a completely different game, an extremely exciting game”.
“You know, I think at five-all maybe the mentality of her confidence would have changed a little bit”. “She’s an incredibly tough player”.
A Wimbledon finalist in 2012, Radwanska is in a Grand Slam semifinal for the fifth time in her career. “I think in the second week of a Grand Slam you have nothing to lose, it doesn’t matter who you are playing”. “I think that makes me play better”.
The fourth seed finally started finding her range and with some errors leaking into the Williams game, she easily held serve then broke with a forehand error to go level at 3-3.
Williams, who only lost three matches in 56 last season, called the trainer out, apparently feeling unwell, but she soldiered on and took control with an early break in the second set, wrong-footing Sharapova with a blistering backhand.
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Radwanska’s serve was like shooting practice for the American, particularly given her first serve sat at a lowly 50 per cent in the first set, which Williams sealed to love in just 20 minutes.
