World no 1 Serena Williams faced a challenge but ultimately was too much for her favourite victim Maria Sharapova as she edged the Russian 6-4 6-1 in the quarterfinal of the Australian Open Tuesday morning.
It was William’s 18th consecutive victory over Sharapova.
Williams, seeking to tie Steffi Graf on 22 Grand Slam wins, has yet to drop a set at Melbourne and had only dropped eight total games in her previous three matches. But Sharapova in the first set proved a worthy opponent for Williams, even breaking her first service game.
However, the 34-year-old American fired nine aces in the first set to take the opener 6-4 despite Sharapova fighting off three set points.
The second set was a different story, however, with Williams cruising thanks to a strong return of service as well as brutal winners to close the match.
The victory takes Williams to 19-2 all-time against Sharapova, including 7-1 in Grand Slam tournaments and 4-0 at the Australian Open. Sharapova’s last win against Williams came in the 2004 WTA Championships.
Up next for Williams in the semifinal is No. 4 seed Agnieszka Radwanska, a 6-1, 6-3 winner over Carla Suarez Navarro.
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