Zhang, who staged one of the best upsets at the 2016 Australian Open after defeating world No. 2 Simona Halep in their opener, bowed out of the first Grand Slam event of the year after losing to Britain’s Johanna Konta 6-4 6-1 at Rod Laver Arena.
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MELBOURNE – An inspired world No 1 Serena Williams demolished Polish fourth seed Agnieszka Radwanska on Thursday to surge into her 26th Grand Slam final, and zero in on a seventh Australian Open title. She was two wins away from a calendar-year Grand Slam in 2015 when she lost to Roberta Vinci in the U.S. Open semifinals.
German Kerber is now into her first ever Grand Slam final – she was the only player in the Top 10 to have never made it to the last stage. “I was just standing there kind of watching her playing”, Radwanska said after the match.
The German said she had “one leg on the plane home” when match point down against Japan’s Misaki Doi in the opening round, but the world No. 6 was too strong here and deservedly goes through to her first major final. She came into the tournament ranked 47, but the victories she picked up along the way will propel her into the top 30.
Williams hasn’t played a left-hander so far this tournament and said that, combined with Kerber’s win over two-time champion Victoria Azarenka in the quarterfinals, were making her wary.
“I’m really excited to be in the final – it just kind of blows my mind right now”.
“She was just telling me that I’m on a good way”, Kerber said. It’s just incredible. I’m really looking forward to this challenge.
Seventh seed Angelique Kerber tamed British hope Johanna Konta to reach the Australian Open final on Thursday. “I still have to win two matches against potentially two extremely tough opponents”, she said.
Konta and Kerber weren’t the names anyone expected to see reaching the last four from the bottom half of the draw, but no one could say that they hadn’t earned the right to be there, with both players achieving big wins en route. “I think from then on out I’ve been really focused that she’s someone that I really, you know, and everyone, has to take very serious”.
After a bad start, which saw her need to save a match point in the second set tiebreak of her first round match, Kerber has been impressive. “I think so. The Germans must be together”.
Williams said she hasn’t thought about getting to 22 grand slam titles, pointing out that when she thought of 18 and tying legends Chris Evert and Martina Navratilova, it stressed her out.
Although her level dipped in the second set, Williams got the decisive break in the ninth game to go up 5-4 and then closed out the match in a brisk 64 minutes.
Despite her disappointment at seeing her run end, Konta will be delighted with her tennis in the last fortnight.
Williams cleaned up the first set in just 20 minutes before Radwanska elicited the largest cheer of the match at that time when she held serve in the first game of the second set. “It was good for me mentally as well because I was able to recover and do well again”.
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“But I’ve been definitely trying to put in a lot of work and trying to get there”.
