Serena Holds Off Ivanovic In Cincinnati Final Rematch

Serena Williams wasn’t at her best Friday, but she managed to elevate her game when she needed to most to advance to the semifinals of the Western & Southern Open in Cincinnati. Ivanovic, on the other hand did not let the break affect her game plan and came back soaring to take the first set 6-3.

The world number one made quick work of Karin Knapp, 6-0 6-2, and took the first nine games in a row as she steamrolled her way through to the quarter-finals.

Ivanovic then broke early in the third and led 2-0, but – again – Williams roared back, eventually breaking thrice in succession to deny the former number one.

Bencic had won eight matches in a row, winning the Rogers Open last week and sailing through the two matches prior to this third-round clash.

“I just decided that if I wanted to stay out here and keep playing I had to pick my game up a level”, said Williams who now has a 9-1 career record against Ivanovic.

Eugenie Bouchard, Caroline Wozniacki, Sabine Lisicki, Ana Ivanovic, Serena Williams, Simona Halep, Angelique Kerber and Flavia Pennetta were her high-profile scalps. “I kind of like that actually”.

The 18-year-old was already trailing 6-2 to Lucie Safarova before retiring with a wrist injury, while Victoria Azarenka also withdrew after being unable to carry on during the second set of her match against Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova.

Halep and Jankovic last squared off in the BNP Paribas Open final in March when Halep prevailed in a three-set battle.