Australian Open: Serena rolls into final with dominant win vs. Radwanska

The world No. 47 is likely to settle inside the world’s top 30 players, making her a genuine prospect to be seeded at her home slam, Wimbledon.

Angelique Kerber feels vindicated that she now belongs at the upper echelons of the women’s game after four years of consistency helped her into her first grand slam final at the Australian Open on Thursday.

Konta’s steady nerves have been the foundation to her remarkable rise in the last six months but they seemed to desert her early on as she blazed a series of straightforward shots long and struggled for her usual rhythm.

Kerber now faces the mighty Serena Williams, who has looked in the form of her life for the past year and was imperious in crushing Agenieska Radwanksa in the other semi-final.

Radwanksa’s admission after the match was telling.

And philosophical Konta, who is set to climb up to world No 28, said: “I don’t think I missed an opportunity”.

“Actually I am a tri-citizen”, she said.

Andy Murray and Milos Raonic are set to meet in a men’s semifinal for the right to play five-time champion Novak Djokovic in an Australian Open men’s final. I like playing indoors, as I grew up on it in Scotland.

Despite all her success, it is a loss that is inspiring Williams in this tournament.

Like the fictional Central Intelligence Agency assassin of the Bourne Identity films, Konta killed the hopes of seven-times grand slam champion Venus Williams and 2015 Melbourne Park semi-finalist Ekaterina Makarova on the way to becoming the first British woman to reach the last four of a major in 33 years.

“That’s how I view it. She played a really, really good match”.

The Briton held serve then hauled herself back into the match in a stellar fightback as she reeled off her third straight game in a row, capitalising as Kerber’s focus lapsed. Serena is unbeaten in her six Australian Open finals, but Kerber is relishing the match. “But I think against Roger, these first two sets have been probably the best two sets I’ve played against him overall throughout my career”.

The tie was considered an unlikely match-up with Konta competing in in the main draw of the tournament for the first time, while Shuai had earned stunning wins over Romania’s Simona Halep and America’s Madison Keys having come through the qualifying tournament.

She crushed long-time rival Maria Sharapova in the quarter-finals and dished out the same treatment to Radwanska, halting her 13-match win streak in emphatic fashion. She taught me to believe in myself.

“Johanna played unbelievable and had some great wins”, Murray, now into his sixth Melbourne semi-final, said.

The second set was closer, with Radwanska holding serve three times and breaking Serena’s powerful serve once. “I really learnt – not necessarily learnt but reinforced the good old saying of being comfortable being uncomfortable”, Konta told a press conference. “Everything was feeling very slow on court”, she said, after losing to Britain’s Johanna Konta 6-4, 7-1 on Rod Laver Arena.

“She goes on court and she just wants to kill it. Going like full power for everything”, Radwanska said.