Serena surges past Radwanska and into 26th Slam final

Williams boasts a ideal six-from-six record in Australian Open deciders, including last year’s title match against Russian Maria Sharapova.

World number one Serena Williams muscled past Maria Sharapova for the 18th straight time on Tuesday to set up an Australian Open semi-final against Agnieszka Radwanska, who has never beaten the dominant American.

“Hopefully not. Unless you know something I don’t know”, she said when asked if this could be her last Australian Open.

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.

“I think I played well in the beginning, especially in the first set”. That was almost a quarter of her 17 throughout an impressively clean match. It happened, and on Tuesday, so did the projected quarterfinals matchup between the two familiar foes-their 21st career meeting, dating back more than a decade to 2004.

Radwanska, 26, was in serious trouble with Williams attacking her vulnerable second serve, and a double fault left her flailing 0-3 behind.

Williams dropped four straight points to be broken in the opening game, with Sharapova holding for a 2-0 lead.

The American took a massive a 5-0 lead before the Russian was able to win a game, with the world no. 1 taking the set and the match 6-4, 6-1.

The world number one, who has not lost to Sharapova in 12 years, now faces fourth seed Agnieszka Radwanska. “I think she heard what I said on the centre court”.

She set her stall out in the very first point as she thundered back Radwanska’s first serve before two more booming returns sealed an early break.

“I had my little chance in second set, especially when it was 4-all”, she said, “But otherwise just too good”.

“But I don’t have so much pressure like she has”.

“She makes you work”. But there were very few matches where I was satisfied. Despite remaining an invincible force, the driven American said she had learned to relax and was enjoying her tennis greatly now that the clock was ticking on her career. “I was just standing there kind of watching her playing”.

Murray’s wife, Kim, is due to have their first baby next month, and Murray has long said he’ll leave the tournament any time if he has to rush back to Britain to be with her. The sudden illness for Kim’s father, Nick Sears, who was in Melbourne as Ana Ivanovic’s coach, had the two-time champion again reconsidering whether to stay or go.

Williams held in an eight-minute ninth game and from the end where the sun was causing the server problems, and she would capitalise on that.

Another ominous fact facing the Pole is that every time defending champion Williams has got past the quarter-finals at Melbourne Park, she has gone on to win the tournament. “It’s motivating because she’s at a different level”.

The signs are not good for Radwanska, who easily disposed of Spanish 10th seed Carla Suarez 6-1, 6-3 win on Rod Laver Arena.

The 34-year-old Federer used a full array of shots, including some vintage backhands, in his 48 winners to avenge losses to Berdych at Wimbledon in 2010 and the 2012 U.S. Open.