Williams stoops to conquer Radwanska at Australian Open

Stripped of confidence and rhythm, Radwanska’s tactic to extract the power from the game and play a defensive match was exposed by Williams’ sheer firepower. Williams has defeated Kerber in five of their six career meetings. This is a match Kerber wants to turn into a messy dogfight from the baseline, but Serena punishes weak serves, and Kerber’s serve does not appear to be ready to hold up over two sets.

If Williams wins Saturday’s final against No 7-seeded Angelique Kerber, she’ll equal Steffi Graf’s record of 22 Grand Slam singles title, a record in the Open era, and the second-most in history behind Margaret Court’s 24. Mentally I needed that break after the Open.

Every time the American has made the final at Melbourne Park she has gone on to win the Daphne Akhurst Memorial Cup.

“The top players are going to take note of her run”.

“It’s motivating because she’s at a different level. You can’t underestimate Kerber”, Williams said.

“I definitely block it out”, Williams said.

Britain’s Johanna Konta plays a backhand return during her women’s singles match against China’s Zhang Shuai on day ten of the 2016 Australian Open tennis tournament in Melbourne on January 27, 2016. This was supposed to be the one player who could really give Serena trouble in a final.

“It’s not a stat that’s set in stone”, Williams said of her flawless records in semi-finals and finals at Melbourne Park.

Jamie Murray and Brazil’s Bruno Soares are through to the men’s doubles final at the Australian Open after a 6-3, 6-1 win over the French team of Adrian Mannarino and Lucas Pouille.

“I think just the perseverance throughout it, I had a lot of opportunities even in that set I lost”, Raonic said.

“I don’t think anyone’s style is good when Serena’s playing like that”, Radwanska said.

Doing so to love, the American advanced to her seventh Australian Open final.

“Everyone was nervous for me that I was taking four months off, but this is a big year for me, and I wanted to improve and do better”.

“She took out a really tough opponent in Victoria”, she said of Kerber’s quarter-final ousting of two-time champion Victoria Azarenka.

Kerber has won only one of the six encounters with Williams – that was on the hard courts in the Cincinnati event in 2012.

“I just feel so good”.

The pair face-off on Rod Laver Arena for a place in the final of the year s opening Grand Slam, with either Germany s Angelique Kerber or British surprise package Johanna Konta awaiting whoever wins.

“Unbelievable serve. Everything, she was going for it”.

The Swiss fell behind early in the first and third sets but hit back immediately both times and was dominant for the most part on serve. She had 42 winners compared to Radwanska’s four, eight aces to zero and converted 22 of 25 net points in the match. I think she will have respect.

That was the last break point Konta was to earn and 28-year-old Kerber was soon contemplating the match-up with world number one Williams.

To be fair to Mouratoglou, the Frenchman did add of the crafty Radwanska: “I like her. She’s a super nice person”.