Here you will find exclusive clips and footage from Australian Open tournaments as well as player interviews featuring the likes of Novak Djokovic, Serena Williams, Roger Federer, Maria Sharapova, Andy Murray, Rafael Nadal and Martina Hingis.
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“She’s an incredibly intense, focused player who was No. 1 and has won so many Grand Slams for a reason”.
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.
Regardless of who she plays, her opponent will be a first-time Grand Slam finalist, as No. 7 seed Angelique Kerber and unseeded Johanna Konta, the world No. 47, were set to play in Thursday’s second semifinal.
She arrived in Melbourne as the defending and six-time Australian champion and leading the opposition in the rankings by a country mile.
From there she’d serve out the match, three aces and a forehand volley victor from mid court.
Mirza found herself on the opposite side of the net from Hingis, her partner on Friday in the women’s doubles final.
“I was just standing there kind of watching her playing”, said Radwanska, calling the first set the best anyone had ever played against her.
The world number five, however, had her chances here, most notably with two break points at the end of the first set, but Williams delivered when it mattered most and it was one-way traffic thereafter.
“I think I played well overall”, he said.
It is 12 years since Williams last lost to the Russian, and the world number one moves on to face fourth seed Agnieszka Radwanska in the last four.
The 26-year-old Radwanska lost the first set in just 20 minutes on Rod Laver Arena before she got some momentum back in the second set but was unable to stop Williams’ march to her seventh final at Melbourne Park.
“If she’s playing her game, it’s different level”.
Sharapova hasn’t given up hope of breaking a drought against Williams that goes back to 2004.
She did, of course, remain wary of her opponent-“she always brings in something new and something special”-and the starry nature of the protagonists, the highest paid and most admired women in tennis, ensured that their match was packed out. I don’t see myself playing anything before Indian Wells (in March)”.
“Mentally I needed that break after the U.S. Open”, Williams said on court after the win.
“I just can’t believe something like that happened a few days ago”.
Video Don’t miss the best weekend of tennis this summer! Fatally, after holding a 40-15 lead on serve at 4-4, she was broken.
How do you practise for matches against Williams? I feel great. I didn’t think I would do so well so fast.
Sharapova said that she is unlikely to play for Russian Federation in the Fed Cup opening round against Netherlands on February 6-7, after crashing out of the Australian Open Tuesday.
A Williams double-fault gifted Sharapova one of two break points but both were saved with booming serves as the top seed held to lead 5-4.
Out came the doctor between sets, yet Williams didn’t stutter. “But I just went back to my game plan and started to play aggressive again”.
“It’s really special to reach my first Grand Slam final”.
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There was also a 10-shot rally in the last game of the match with Williams serving at 6-4, 5-1.
