Australian Open 2015: Twitter Reacts to Day 11 Bracket Results, Scores, Winners
Serena Williams and Maria Sharapova, the top two seeds in the women's draw at the 2015 Australian Open, both advanced to the final with wins on Day 11. Andy Murray moved into the championship match on the men's side, but will have to wait a day to learn his opponent.
While the tournament hasn't lacked entertainment value or its fair share of upsets, none of the players left standing come as a shock. That will continue to hold true after Day 12, when either top seed Novak Djokovic or reigning champion Stan Wawrinka will punch their ticket to face off with Murray.
The business end of a Grand Slam event is always intriguing because the mental and physical hurdles are both very much in play. So let's examine how the action played out on Thursday at Melbourne Park along with some reaction to the results.
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Day 11 Singles Results
| Women | - | - | - |
| Semifinal | (1) Serena Williams | Madison Keys | 7-6, 6-2 |
| Semifinal | (2) Maria Sharapova | (10) Ekaterina Makarova | 6-3, 6-2 |
| Men | - | - | - |
| Semifinal | (6) Andy Murray | (7) Tomas Berdych | 6-7, 6-0, 6-3, 7-5 |
Day 11 Recap and Reaction
Sharapova opened play with her fourth consecutive comprehensive victory. This time she knocked out Ekaterina Makarova, who was coming off a highly impressive display to upset No. 3 seed Simona Halep. The five-time major champion hasn't lost more than three games in a set since Round 2.
She was once again able to control the match using her power from the baseline. She tallied 23 winners and created nine break chances, converting four. It was exactly the type of complete performance she needed to build some confidence heading into the final.
ESPN Tennis noted it also added to her recent hot streak against fellow Russians:
"The World No.2 has now won 22 of her last 23 matches against Russians, dating back to start of 2011 season. #ESPNTennis #Sharapova
— ESPNTennis (@ESPNTennis) January 29, 2015"
Tennis coach Martyn Etheridge pointed out some things she must do in the final against Williams, who's beaten her an astonishing 15 straight times:
"#Sharapova must attack #Serena shoulders with consistent height on ball & must stretch her BH out wide..must stay clear of FH! Tough as 1D!
— Martyn Etheridge (@MartynEtheridge) January 29, 2015"
The second women's semifinal was far more competitive despite also ending in straight sets. Madison Keys showed her run to the penultimate round was no fluke as she matched power with the top seed for the entire first set.
It's rare to see a player who can hit with the same pace as Williams consistently. It points toward a strong 2015 ahead for Keys and an even brighter future. But the top player in the world was able to play the big tiebreaker points better to take control.
The 19-year-old rising star's level of play dropped off slightly early in the second set and it got away from her in the blink of an eye. She never stopped fighting, however, saving eight match points before getting eliminated.
Williams gave high praise to her opponent afterward, as the tournament noted:
Murray dropped the first set to Tomas Berdych before storming back to win the next three. Perhaps more interesting than the tennis itself was the verbal warfare between the players. The mind games were just as prominent as the groundstrokes.
Ben Rothenberg of the New York Times passed along one example:
Losing the opening set seemed to served as a wake-up call for Murray. He proceeded to bagel Berdych in the second and was in command from there. After converting just one of four break opportunities in the first, he went five of six over the final three sets.
Most importantly, he's starting to perform like the player who was a constant threat at majors before injuries became an issue. Carole Bouchard of The Yellow Ball Corner sees plenty of encouraging signs heading into the final:
Murray will play the winner of Djokovic and Wawrinka for the championship. The Serbian sensation has won four of the past seven Aussie titles and holds a 16-3 edge in prior meetings. Wawrinka did beat him in this tournament one year ago before going on to win his first Grand Slam event, though.
As for the women's final, Sharapova should put up a fight given her strong form despite the extended losing streak against Williams. That said, the American is a step above everybody else when at her best, and she's inched closer to that level throughout the season's first major.
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