Williams beats Sharapova; Federer advances to semis
by Associated Press
MELBOURNEJan 27, 2016 - 12:00 am GMT+3
by Associated Press
Jan 27, 2016 12:00 am
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. Top-ranked Williams beat Sharapova 6-4, 6-1 in the quarterfinals yesterday, her 18th consecutive victory and 19th in their 21 career meetings back to 2004.
"It was super intense," Williams said of the replay of last year's final. "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." 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. Sharapova 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. Roger Federer reached his 12th Australian Open semifinal, and his 39th at a Grand Slam tournament, when he beat No. 6 Tomas Berdych 7-6 (4), 6-2, 6-4. The four-time Australian champion used a full array of shots, including some vintage backhands, in his 48 winners, to avenge two losses to Berdych at Wimbledon in 2010 and the 2012 U.S. Open. He's now the oldest man since 1979 (Colin Dibley) to reach the Australian Open semis, where he'll play either five-time champion Novak Djokovic or No. 7 Kei Nishikori.
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