{"id":69442,"date":"2016-01-26T01:11:46","date_gmt":"2016-01-26T06:11:46","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/canadianinquirer.net\/v1\/?p=69442"},"modified":"2016-01-26T01:11:46","modified_gmt":"2016-01-26T06:11:46","slug":"serena-williams-beats-sharapova-reaches-aussie-open-semis","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/canadianinquirer.net\/v1\/2016\/01\/26\/serena-williams-beats-sharapova-reaches-aussie-open-semis\/","title":{"rendered":"Serena Williams beats Sharapova, reaches Aussie Open semis"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"Serena<\/a>
Serena Williams (Photo taken from Serena Williams’ official Facebook fan page)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

MELBOURNE, Australia – Serena Williams attacked Maria Sharapova’s strength and it helped extend her complete domination of their rivalry, earning the six-time Australian Open champion a place in the semifinals.<\/p>\n

Top-ranked Williams beat Sharapova 6-4, 6-1 in the quarterfinals on Tuesday, her 18th consecutive victory and 19th in their 21 career meetings back to 2004.<\/p>\n

“It was super intense,” Williams said of the replay of last year’s final.\u00a0“She’s an incredibly intense, focused player who was No. 1 and has won so many Grand Slams for a reason. You have to come out with a lot of fire and intensity.”<\/p>\n

Each of the six previous times Williams has won a quarterfinal at Melbourne Park, she has won the title at the season-opening Grand Slam tournament.<\/p>\n

Up next for her is fourth-seeded Agnieszka Radwanska, who beat No. 10 Carla Suarez Navarro 6-1, 6-3 to reach a Grand Slam semifinal for the fifth time.<\/p>\n

Sharapova has won five majors, including the 2008 Australian title, and has been in three other finals at Melbourne Park.<\/p>\n

In her fourth-round win against No. 12 Belinda Bencic she had a career-high 21 aces. Against Williams, she had three, and seven double-faults. Williams had 13 aces, three double-faults, hit 31 winners to 11, and broke Sharapova’s serve four times.<\/p>\n

“She played quite explosive,” Sharapova said. “She was really explosive off the return. Yeah.”<\/p>\n

Sharapova broke to open the match and held for a 2-0 lead. But Williams held in the third game and broke to quickly level at 2-2.<\/p>\n

Early in the set, points were short. As it progressed, the rallies got longer, the shrieks and grunts got louder and the emotions were fully on display.<\/p>\n

Both players struggled with their ball toss at one end, repeatedly practicing their toss to work out the best position to serve into the sun.<\/p>\n

Williams also had to concentrate hard to hold in the ninth game, when a baby screamed loudly in the stands as she faced breakpoints.<\/p>\n

She was able to protect her own serve, and go on the attack against Sharapova’s. It cost her in the eighth game when she had three break-point chances, taking the high-risk rather than the high-percentage option with her return.<\/p>\n

But that approach is what has helped win her 21 major titles, and Williams’ aggressive returns finally helped her convert on her fourth set point, following a heavy ground stroke to the net and putting away a volley.<\/p>\n

She went on a five-game roll until Sharapova held in the second set, and then finished it off in the seventh game after saving break points.<\/p>\n

Williams had medical treatment between sets, and again in the second during a changeover, but it wasn’t clear what the problem was. She didn’t comment on it in her on-court interview.<\/p>\n

Sharapova noted Williams started the opening set with four big serves, so she didn’t think it hampered the 34-year-old American’s game.<\/p>\n

She hasn’t beaten Williams since back-to-back victories in 2004, when she led their rivalry 2-1. Despite more than 11 years in between, Sharapova isn’t giving up hope of breaking that drought.<\/p>\n

“It’s motivating because she’s at a different level,” Sharapova said. “She makes you go back to the drawing board, not just for me, but for many other players. She makes you work. That’s inspiring.”<\/p>\n

In men’s doubles action, Canadian Vasek Pospisil and American partner Jack Sock fell in three sets to Spain’s Marcel Granollers and Uruguay’s Pablo Cuevas in quarter-final action.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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