Serena Williams within 1 win of 7th Australian Open title

While her record against Williams is not yet on the scale of Sharapova, it is still dismal. “Sometimes I’m on the last flight back out to the US”.

On Tuesday’s evidence, it looks like only illness or injury can prevent the 34-year-old from repeating the feat and adding a 22nd major title to her collection.

Williams twice had treatment for the after-effects of food poisoning before securing an 18th successive win over the five-times grand slam champion. “It’s exciting to put a German a Grand Slam final again”.

The writing was on the wall for Radwanska – Williams had never lost a semi-final at Melbourne Park on her way to six titles, and had beaten the Pole in each of their previous eight meetings stretching back to 2008. I won against a top-10 player in straight sets. In her opener here two weeks ago, she was down match point against Misaki Doi. Radwanska’s fastest serve in the first game topped out at 140kph.

They’re 22-all in career head-to-heads, with Djokovic catching up since usurping Federer in the rankings.

Kerber has one win in six matches against Williams – in 2012. She makes a career out of forcing errors and unless Williams is playing poorly, that is not going to happen.

The first set resulted in No. 4 seed’s first bagel since Belinda Bencic inflicted one during the final at Eastbourne last June.

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. The two players were tied at 22 wins each. But it shouldn’t be a foregone conclusion – Radwanska has been equally impressive on her way to this stage, and the world No4 has dropped just one set herself (against Anna-Lena Freidsam in the last 16). They’ll play the seventh-seeded team of Andrea Hlavackova and Lucie Hradecka of the Czech Republic. The mixed doubles final is scheduled for Sunday.

The dominant world number one surged into her 26th major final by dismantling Polish fourth seed Agnieszka Radwanska 6-0, 6-4 at the Australian Open, with her first set near flawless.

Within a minute of the match starting she had a break point as she hit clean winners and attacked the net.

The world No 1 took time out of the game after failing to complete a calendar Grand Slam in NY with a knee injury which also hindered her at the Hopman Cup earlier this month.

Williams hasn’t played a left-hander so far this tournament and said that, combined with Kerber’s win over two-time champion Victoria Azarenka in the quarterfinals, were making her wary.

The second set was closer, with Radwanska holding serve three times and breaking Serena’s powerful serve once.

Williams awaits the victor of the second semifinal between Angelique Kerber and Johanna Konta. After four minutes, Federer was two games down.

Williams needed just 20 minutes to claim the first set with the roof closed due to rain – an opener in which she conceded a mere eight points. Arguably she is the greatest women’s player of all time.

Serena Williams celebrates after defeating Agnieszka Radwanska of Poland in their semifinal match at the Australian Open in Melbourne, Australia, on Thursday.

Ripping return winners, Williams quickly broke Radwanska to start the match.

Even Williams’ first serves were hit with venom, with a few serves in particular cracking the 200 kilometres per hour barrier.

Andy Murray will play a men’s singles semifinal on Friday against Milos Raonic.