Serena Williams reaches 2016 Australian Open semis

The six-time Melbourne Park champion’s 6-4, 6-1 win heaped more misery on her long-time rival, with the Russian stretching her demoralising winless run against the American great to 12 years.

Despite losing her flawless start to the 2016 season having won at Shenzhen before the Australian Open, Radwanska said she could still take positives out of the tournament, given she felt nobody could have stayed with Williams on Thursday.

Sharapova had fired 21 aces in her fourth round match but managed just seven against Williams.

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.

Defending champion Novak Djokovic won for the 37th time in 38 matches at the Australian Open, beating Kei Nishikori 6-3, 6-2, 6-4 to set up a semifinal against Roger Federer.

The fourth seed, who often falls short of her best on big occasions, is one of the game’s shrewdest strategists and had too much court nous for Carla Suárez Navarro in the other quarter-final, winning 6-1, 6-3.

Murray’s wife, Kim, is due to have their first baby next month and he promised he’d fly back to Britain at any time if she went into labor – even if it meant missing a chance at a drought-breaking fifth Australian final.

On Day 9 at the Australian Open, Serena Williams and Agnieszka Radwanska won through to set up a semifinal clash, their first match since 2013. “I was just standing there kind of watching her playing”.

Two matches still remain before that ambition becomes a reality, however.

“It’s obviously always frustrating”, Sharapova said.

Williams will step up her bid for an open-era record-equalling 22nd grand slam title tomorrow when she faces Agnieszka Radwanska for a place in Saturday’s decider. Doesn’t matter who I’m playing, I just try to go out there and play the best I can.

In the other quarter of the draw, Milos Raonic persevered with his serve-and-volley game plan and withstood a strong comeback from 2014 champion Stan Wawrinka for a 6-4, 6-3, 5-7, 4-6, 6-3 win.

You really do have to feel for a lot of the top tennis players who have been around for the past few years, as they have barely been given a sniff of winning the big tournaments, thanks to the dominance of the world number one Serena Williams. “But definitely when you play someone like Serena you’re trying more. I think since the beginning of (this) tournament she plays very well”.

An error-strewn service game from Williams saw her broken immediately and raised the prospect of a thrilling contest, however back-to-back double faults from Sharapova allowed her opponent to level shortly afterwards.

“I started playing aggressive again in the second set and it worked out. I didn’t think I would have done as well as I have”, she told reporters. The 17-time Grand Slam victor is 34 years, 176 days old.

Sharapova served a career-best 21 aces against Belinda Bencic in the previous round but failed to penetrate Williams, who broke twice in each set.

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.

“You know, if she’s playing her game, it’s a different level… That makes me confident and encourages me for the next one”.

“When you serve 190 (km/h) wide, I don’t know who’s going to take that”. The Russian stood firm on the baseline by taking balls early and keeping her opponent on her heels.