Serena Williams vs. Maria Sharapova: Score, Highlights from Australian Open 2016
Top seed Serena Williams punched her ticket to the semifinals of the 2016 Australian Open with a 6-4, 6-1 win over fifth seed Maria Sharapova on Tuesday in Melbourne.
The quarterfinal match was a replay of the 2015 Australian Open final, which yielded the same result. Williams has now bested Sharapova in 18 straight meetings dating back to 2004.
The challenger got off to a good start, breaking Williams to take a 1-0 lead in the first set. But it didn't take long for Williams to break back, and then she seized her opportunity for a second break with the score 5-4 to win the first set.
In the second, it was virtually all Williams, who needed just 36 minutes to win. Her serving was particularly on point, as she delivered 13 aces to just three from Sharapova, while Sharapova logged seven double faults compared to just three for Williams.
Williams moved on to face fourth seed Agnieszka Radwanska in the first of two women's semifinals Thursday. Williams is 6-0 in her career in the Australian Open semifinals.
