Australian Open 2015: Day 10 Results, Highlights and Scores Recap from Melbourne
The Novak Djokovic express train continues to roll on after he proceeded to the semi-finals of the Australian Open with a convincing win over Canadian eighth seed Milos Raonic.
The great Serb closed out the final two sets 6-4, 6-2 after claiming an exciting first-set tiebreaker. He now makes his way into his 25th Grand Slam semi-final, per The Guardian.
He will be joined in the final four by defending champion Stan Wawrinka, who dispatched Kei Nishikori, also in straight sets. The victory avenged Wawrinka's defeat to the Japanese player in the U.S. Open, where Nishikori dumped his opponent out in the last eight.
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It was a mixed night for the Williams sisters, as Venus crashed out, denying the opportunity for an all-sisters semi-final with Serena. Unseeded 19-year-old Madison Keys beat the Grand Slam veteran over three sets during a gruelling two-hour battle.
Serena strolled through her match against 11th seed Dominika Cibulkova, conceding just four games in her regulation win. The victory gives Serena her fifth semi-finals appearance in the Aussie Open in 14 attempts, per BBC Sport.
Here is the full rundown of singles results for Day 10:
| Stan Wawrinka (4) | 6-3, 6-4, 7-6 | Kei Nishikori (5) |
| Novak Djokovic (1) | 7-6, 6-4, 6-2 | Milos Raonic (8) |
| Madison Keys | 6-3, 4-6, 6-4 | Venus Williams (18) |
| Serena Williams (1) | 6-2, 6-2 | Dominika Cibulkova (11) |
Can Anyone Stop Novak?
It seems that every time Djokovic steps onto court at a major event, there will only be one outcome. The World No. 1 powered past Milos Raonic in exceptional style, winning 7-6, 6-4, 6-2.
The Canadian simply could not live with his opponent as the match progressed, with the Serb looking as imperious as ever.
Statistically, Raonic traded punches with his foe admirably, but Djokovic's 89 percent win ratio on his first serve was key to the result, per AusOpen.com.
Raonic lost the first set on a close 7-5 tiebreaker, but from there, he lost momentum.
Djokovic is now bidding to be only the second man to win the Aussie Open five times, per ATPWorldTour.com, to tie with Roy Emerson.
He will now face Swiss machine Wawrinka, who swept aside Nishikori. The Aussie Open reigning champion hit an impressive 20 aces during the contest and 46 winners in his match, proving he will run Djokovic all the way in their upcoming battle.
Wawrinka gave some insight into his thinking ahead of the Djokovic showdown, as tweeted by the Australian Open:
Serena Supreme As Her Sister Is Defeated
The fortunes of the two most famous sisters in tennis continue to be polar opposites, as Venus failed to beat an unseeded opponent to set up a mouth-watering clash with her dominant sibling, Serena.
Venus had rolled back the years in her last match, shocking sixth seed Agnieszka Radwanska to progress to the quarter-finals.
It was the first time she had reached the last eight of a Grand Slam since 2010, per BBC Sport, and she looked in tremendous shape in the last set against Radwanska, destroying her 6-1.
The 34-year-old has a condition called Sjogren's syndrome—which can cause fatigue—and she fell at the feet of unseeded Keys, who was just five years old when Venus won her first slam, per BBC.
Keys showed tremendous resilience against her decorated opponent, but it is surely going to be a tougher affair when she meets Serena. The youngster was treated for injury during the match and commented about her difficulties, as quoted by BBC Sport.
"It was definitely kind of a flashback to Wimbledon for me," she said. "I have had some problems with that part of my leg, so it was kind of an overwhelming moment. It was kind of scary but luckily I was able to catch it before I did any real damage to it."
Serena is in great form, but the No. 1 seed is suffering despite breezing her way through to the last four.
The legendary player has a minor illness but has played down the effects, per BBC Sport: "I've been sick the past few days. It's just getting worse and worse. But hopefully it will start getting better. I heard it's a virus going around with a lot of the players. I think I caught it."
Keys is unlikely to beat her next Williams opponent but has shown what a talent she is by dispatching Venus.
It feels like both Serena and Djokovic are champions in waiting, and it is hard to believe anyone will be able to stop them.
Djokovic looks cool and calm at present, but he knows he will face a tough challenge in his semi and potential final.
Williams seems to have no equal on court, and even if she is under the weather, it will not stop her from reigning supreme once again.
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