Australian Open: Angelique Kerber Stuns Victoria Azarenka, Advances To Semifinals

In their final tune-up for this year’s first Grand Slam event, Kerber, a four-time tournament victor in 2015, lost to Azarenka in straight sets in a WTA final in Brisbane, Australia, to run her record of futility to six.

Angelique Kerber won five consecutive games in the second set and saved five set points to beat two-time champion Victoria Azarenka, 6-3, 7-5, in the Australian Open quarterfinals Wednesday.

Kerber said she was telling herself, “just believe that you can beat her… just forget the score, just play and go for it and try to play the best you can play”. Azarenka served for the set two games later and had two more set points but some ruthless cross court backhands from Kerber saw her break again to make it 5-all. Kerber finished with 31 winners to Azarenka’s 18 in a slugfest that lasted 1 hour, 45 minutes.

With that going on in the background, Konta went on court and beat Chinese qualifier Zhang Shuai 6-4, 6-1 to become the first British woman since 1983 to reach the semifinals of a Grand Slam.

Despite Kerber’s advantage, the match felt like it might go three sets anyway.

How it happened: Kerber, a lefty, came out firing, sprinting to a 4-0 lead before Azarenka, victor here in 2012 and 2013, found her footing and broke back for 3-4. When she heard the Broncos had beaten the New England Patriots in the AFC title game, she shouted.

“She definitely didn’t make it easy for me today”, said Konta. Azarenka was clearly a little shell-shocked, offering up two meek double faults, and as Kerber again threatened her on serve, the first set looked all but over.

Konta’s aggressive approach against Azarenka was summed up by the fact she hit five return winners, as Zhang managed just one.

It’s been all Azarenka on the scoreboard for these two thus far, but the No. 14 seed does not for one second underestimate the danger of facing a perpetually engaged fighter like Kerber.

“Bad luck Madison. She was injured and I m very lucky today”, said Zhang.

“I have improved so much from previous year”.

By seeds – Azarenka is the No. 14 here – it’s no upset, but many had picked Azarenka, with her aggressive baseline play and penchant for big-match scenarios, as the favorite to come through the bottom half of the draw, which had lost No. 2 Simona Halep and No. 3 Garbiñe Muguruza in the first week.

Azarenka twice served for the second set.

“I was thinking about it right now”.

From her performance against Kerber, lots of it!

“Goodness gracious”, said Konta, who will next face Zhang. “You can’t miss it”, said Azarenka, when asked when she became interested in football.

“It was just a tough, emotional few days at a hard time”, Murray told reporters, adding that he considered withdrawing from the tournament.

World number one Serena Williams and fifth-seeded rival Maria Sharapova play each other in a headline last-eight clash on Tuesday, while fourth seed Agnieszka Radwanska faces 10th seed Carla Suarez. “It’s just awesome; it was an incredible playing here on the center court”. But the Scotsman moved out to a 4-1 lead in the third set, during which there was a brief break when the roof on Rod Laver Arena was closed due to an approaching thunderstorm.