Serena Williams has returned to the Australian Open semifinals for the first time since she won the tournament in 2017.
Williams claimed the last five games and beat No. 2 seed Simona Halep 6-3, 6-3 in the quarterfinals despite 33 unforced errors. She set up a showdown with Naomi Osaka for a spot in the final.
Williams is seeking a record-tying 24th major singles championship.
She was terrific in the first set against Halep but had a bit of a wobble early in the second and trailed 3-1.
Williams turned things back around and let out a big smile when her forehand winner ended the victory.
Earlier, Three-time Grand Slam champion Naomi Osaka has advanced to a potential semifinal showdown against Serena Williams at the Australian Open by overpowering Hsieh Su-wei 6-2, 6-2.
Osaka will meet the winner of Tuesday night's quarterfinal match between Williams and No. 2-seeded Simona Halep. Williams is three wins away from a record-tying 24th major title.
Against Hsieh, Osaka hit seven aces, lost only two points on her first serve and was never broken.
Osaka has won 19 consecutive matches, a streak that includes a U.S. Open title in September. The streak also includes Osaka’s fourth-round win last week, when she saved two match points and swept the final four games to overtake Garbiñe Muguruza.
{{/usCountry}}Osaka has won 19 consecutive matches, a streak that includes a U.S. Open title in September. The streak also includes Osaka’s fourth-round win last week, when she saved two match points and swept the final four games to overtake Garbiñe Muguruza.
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