Serena Beats Sharapova Again

For the 18th straight time, Williams upended her Russian opponent in piling on a win streak that dates back more than a decade – 4,088 days to be exact.

Williams likely has the best serve the women’s game has ever seen and it rescued her on both occasions.

While she just missed out on a calendar-year Grand Slam in 2015, Williams again has the chance to equal Steffi Graf’s Open-Era record of 22 Grand Slam titles.

Second seed and four-time finalist Murray defeated the home hope 6-4, 6-4, 7-6(4) in two hours and 30 minutes for a place in his seventh straight quarter-final at Melbourne Park.

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.

Prior to the commencement of the second set, Williams called the trainer and the doctor after feeling a little under the weather, but decided against taking a medical time out in order to begin the second set.

Sharapova said her lopsided record against Williams is, not surprisingly, a source of frustration. The 34-year-old victor of 21 Grand Slams has already cemented her status as one of the all-time greats, if not the greatest.

Three out of Sharapova’s last five major tournaments have now been ended at the hands of the world number one, who goes through in Melbourne to face Poland’s Agnieszka Radwanska in the semi-finals. Williams has beaten Radwanska in all eight of their previous contests, only dropping one set, which came in Radwanska’s only previous trip to a Grand Slam final, at Wimbledon in 2012.

“He always makes you play your best”.

“I didn’t start out playing that way”. The American got ahead 5-4 and closed out the set on her fourth set-point opportunity.

“There is something about her game”.

But Russian fifth seed Sharapova endured problems with her serve and it proved costly as she failed to capitalise on a slow start from Williams, who seemed to be struggling in the heat. I know very well how good he plays, especially in the later stages of a major event.

From there, Williams protected her own serve – even as a baby wailed in the stands in the ninth game as she faced breakpoints – and took high-risk options with her service returns to unsettle Sharapova.

World number one Serena Williams Tuesday said she was enjoying her tennis immensely and plans to keep playing into the 2017 season, proud of her longevity as others have fallen by the wayside.

The 21-grand slam champion struck her 12 ace for 5-0 before Sharapova stopped the bleeding.

“It’s part of the reason why I guess I’m still playing”, Federer said.

Serving to stay in the set, Sharapova saved three set points before faltering on the fourth as Williams edged ahead with a clean volley victor.

Maria Sharapova admits it is “back to the drawing board” after she lost to Serena Williams for the 18th time in a row at the Australian Open.

It helped. Djokovic wasn’t at his best Tuesday, but he made 73 fewer unforced errors, and got tougher as the match went on, while Nishikori became less confident and consistent.