E-Paper
Australian Open: Serena Williams beats Simona Halep, progresses to semis
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.
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.
