Serena Williams and Maria Sharapova will meet in a repeat of last year's final after each won in impressive style to get to the final week of the Australian Open.
Maria Sharapova bt. Belinda Bencic 7-5 7-5 - Deja vu for Maria Sharapova as she made the quarter-finals, where she will face Serena Williams in a repeat of last year's final. After forcing her way past Lauren Davis of the United States on Friday with her booming court work, she took it up to the Swiss wonder teen Belinda Bencic with some of the most frightening serving of the tournament so far.
Sharapova's thunderbolts saw her net a whopping 21 aces for the match and made the 18 year old work just to get in a return. Bencic tried hard throughout both sets and did well to counter the force of the Russian at times, but the world number five is now through to a heavyweight knockout bout with Serena Williams in the quarters.
Nishikori bundles out Tsonga
Kei Nishikori 6-4 6-2 6-4 bt. Jo Wilfried-Tsonga 6-4 6-2 6-4 - Jo Wilfried Tsonga was forced to chase the game due to his own lack of concentration in the first set and he kept paying for it as the match went. Nishikori's confident array of shots were too much for the Frenchman, forcing him all over the court and into uncomfortable positions.
The world number seven is now through the quarter final and is becoming a crowd favourite at Melbourne Park, due to his enthralling ability to force opponents into making mistakes and capitalising on their errors.
Serena Williams bt. Magarita Gasparyan 6-2 6-1 - 57 minutes is all it took for the 22 time Grand Slam winner. Gasparyan laboured just to get a point in, whereas Williams barely worked up a sweat to force her opponent into submission.
Three straight sets victories on the trot against some of the tour outsiders shows not only how impressive an athlete Williams is, but how she's saving her best efforts in this tournament for last.
Novak Djokovic put in a shockingly error-strewn display, but came through his fourth round clash in the Australian Open at Melbourne Park.
Djokovic beat Gilles Simon 6-3 6-7(1) 6-4 4-6 6-3, but made over 100 unforced errors in a four and a half hour display that was worryingly shaky for the defending champion.
Up next for Djokovic is Kei Nishikori, the Japanese star who beat the Serb in the US Open semi-finals two years ago.
-
Follow Joy Sports on Twitter: @Joy997FM. Our hashtag is #JoySports
Latest Stories
-
Kwaku Asare welcomes Mahama’s reduction in Ministries but advocates legislative process to cement it
10 seconds -
I’m concerned about failure to implement AWW report – Prof Abotsi
18 minutes -
US returns $50m in alleged stolen funds to Nigeria
28 minutes -
Mahama restructures Ministries, reduced from 30 to 23 – See full list
34 minutes -
2 siblings die after being locked in water drum by 6-year-old sister
55 minutes -
Mahama shouldn’t have openly directed Parliament to elect Speaker – Prof. Kwaku Asare
1 hour -
Daily Insight for CEOs: The power of delegation – Empowering leaders within your organization
1 hour -
Livestream: Newsfile discusses inaugurations, prisoner pardon and failed CJ petition
2 hours -
Revisiting the forensic audit EC will increase credibility of future elections – Omane Boamah
4 hours -
Africa Food Systems Parliamentary Network urges governments to increase investment in agriculture
11 hours -
AU and partners urge youth to get involved in efforts to transform continent’s food systems
12 hours -
Fire kills 3-year-old at Asawase-Dagomba Line in Ashanti Region
12 hours -
Paskal A.B. Rois: How Mahama inspires me
12 hours -
Complete abandoned projects in Akatsi North District – Chiefs to Mahama
12 hours -
Painter and sculptor B. Acheampong turning his passion for art into profitable venture
13 hours