Serena Williams defeats Maria Sharapova

Reigning champion Serena Williams ramped up the power to beat fifth seed Maria Sharapova for the 18th match in a row and reach the semi-finals of the Australian Open 6-4, 6-1 on Tuesday.

“It was super intense, she’s an incredibly intense, focused player, she’s won so many grand slams for a reason”, Williams said.

“When you’re playing someone like that… you have to come out with a lot of fire and intensity”, Williams said courtside.

The Czech had beaten Federer in their last two meetings at Grand Slams but was unable to extend that record as he fell to a 7-6, 6-2, 6-4 loss, with Federer now due to meet Djokovic for the 45th time in his career.

Federer reached his 12th Australian Open semifinal, and 39th in a Grand Slam event, with a 7-6 (4), 6-2, 6-4 win over No. 6 Tomas Berdych.

Novak Djokovic rediscovered his groove to ease past Japan’s Kei Nishikori and set up an Australian Open semi-final with Roger Federer.

Nobody doubted Williams’ status as title favourite before she thumped Maria Sharapova 6-4 6-1 on Tuesday, advancing to a semi-final against Agnieszka Radwanska on Thursday.

When the draw came out before the tournament, everyone wondered if No. 5 Maria Sharapova would land in No. 1 Serena Williams’s quarter due to her rankings drop.

“It’s motivating because she’s at a different level”, Sharapova said.

The next game saw the Russian push Serena onto the backfoot, as she pressed for the break, but the American held on after saving two break points. While Williams won an impressive 73 percent of points on her first serve, she also captured 50 percent of return points, breaking Sharapova four times and losing her serve just once – that very first game.

She mucked up three set points, twice thundering a return into the net.

Williams, who won the Australian Open previous year against Sharapova, has been steamrolling through the tournament, having won her last match, against Margarita Gasparvan, in 29 minutes (6-2, 6-1). “I felt like, ‘All right, I didn’t make those shots, but if I had made those shots, I probably would have won that game.’ I just clung on to that and knew I could play better”. “Personally, I didn’t think I’d be playing at this age”.

“Yeah, maybe. The longer the match goes, maybe I have slightly bigger chance”, Djokovic said. “She makes you work, and that’s inspiring”.

“It would mean a lot to me, no doubt about it”, Federer said.

In the first four rounds of matches, Russian star Sharapova has displayed a better service game, something that has been missing since undergoing shoulder surgery in 2008.

“He’s the type of player who makes you better”.

“She played quite explosive”.

“I need to keep setting opportunities”.

“Everything from here on out, every match, is a bonus for me”. I think that’s his biggest strength, that he stays composed, never looks like he’s rushing, seems to have a plan of what he wants to do. Williams beat Radwanska in the 2012 Wimbledon decider. “It’s been a stressful few days, but I’ll try to rest up the next few days to get ready for the next one”.