Serena beats Azarenka, sets up Sharapova clash

But with rackets in their hands, this has been a one-way street: Williams has won 17 of their 19 career meetings, including the past 16 in a row.

KEVIN LAMARQUE/REUTERS In 2004, a 17-year-old Maria Sharapova beats Serena Williams in the women’s final match at Wimbledon.

Fans and celebrities alike watching at home took to Twitter to vent their frustration.

It took 2 hours, 46 minutes for Sharapova to subue Vandweghe, who had never previously progressed past the third round at a major but made the most of her appearance on the biggest stage in the game.

Defending champion Novak Djokovic, seven-times title holder Roger Federer and home hope Andy Murray all kept to their side of the bargain with straight sets wins at the London tournament.

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The younger Williams showed why she is ranked No. 1, playing strongly through the first eight points, and taking control in the main areas of winners, serves and returns. While Williams has forged affectionate relationships with Victoria Azarenka and Caroline Wozniacki, there has been no obvious thaw in the quick, formal handshakes at the net between Williams and Sharapova.

Sharapova served for the match at 5-4 in the second set but couldn’t close it out.

“Every time the announcer says, ‘Make sure you hydrate yourself, ‘ I think he means with water, not with alcohol”, Azarenka said, before then turning the incident into a positive.

Russian Sharapova sealed her 20th grand slam semi-final appearance with a hard-fought 6-3 6-7 (3/7) 6-2 victory on Centre Court, and will next face Serena Williams, a player she has not defeated since 2004.

To begin the fifth game of the third set against Victoria Azarenka on Tuesday evening, Serena Williams ripped an ace down the centre line.

“If you don’t say something, I will”, Vandeweghe said during the changeover.

However “well” Sharapova performed in that Australian Open showpiece, Williams took the title 6-3 7-6 (7/5). But this will be her first trip back to the semifinals since 2011, when she lost in the final to Petra Kvitova. I didn’t know he liked tennis.

In a match spanning two days, with the world number one losing the first two sets to the 14th-seeded giant before clawing back to level in fading light on Monday, Djokovic walked away a mightily relieved man.

“We’ve got to look a little bit past that and see, Oh, my God, Serena played 24 aces”.

Top seed Djokovic survived some anxious moments and roared his frustration in the direction of a startled ball girl before edging his way to a 6-7(6) 6-7(6) 6-1 6-4 7-5 – only the fourth time in his a career he has recovered from a two-set deficit.

Sharapova has also always been derided for her grunting and shrieking.

When the pair meet in the semi-final on Day 10, it is therefore no surprise that Williams is the favourite – all the more so given her hunger to complete the calendar Grand Slam by adding the Wimbledon title to her U.S, Australian and French Open crowns.

The other women’s semifinal will be played Thursday between 2012 finalist Agnieszka Radwanska of Poland and Spain’s Garbine Muguruza.

Muguruza seized the chance to become the first Spanish woman to reach the last four since Arantxa Sanchez-Vicario in 1997, beating Swiss Timea Bacsinszky 7-5 6-3. “I just feel this is another opportunity for me to lose”, she said.

The 13th-seeded Pole, who lost in the 2012 final, beat Madison Keys of the United States 7-6 (3), 3-6, 6-3 Tuesday in the quarterfinals.