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Serena survives Sabalenka onslaught in Australian Open thriller
MELBOURNE, Feb 14, 2021 (BSS/AFP) – Serena Williams outlasted big-hitting
Aryna Sabalenka on Sunday in a three-set thriller to make Australian Open
quarter-finals, keeping her chase for a record-equalling 24th Grand Slam
title on track.
The American withstood a barrage from the seventh seed to prevail 6-4, 2-6,
6-4 in two hours and nine minutes and set up a mouth-watering clash with
either world number two Simona Halep or French Open champion Iga Swiatek.
“I am happy to get through, I knew it was going to be tough,” said
Williams, who hit 30 winners.
“I lost the second set but the games were close. I just tried to stay in
there.”
Williams, 39, had never before played the Belarusian, who has collected
more trophies than anyone else since last year French Open but never reached
the quarter-finals of a Slam.
Sabalenka, who has spoken about modelling her big-hitting game on Williams,
showed off her power with blistering serves and groundstrokes in the high-
octane contest.
A composed Williams, watched by older sister Venus in the stands, counter-
attacked superbly in the early stages and broke Sabalenka’s serve in the 10th
game to win the opening set.
Sabalenka, who was born four months after Williams made her Grand Slam
debut in 1998, was unperturbed and stepped up her assault to dominate
Williams’s usually reliable serve.
A boisterous Sabalenka provided the histrionics in an empty Rod Laver Arena
with fans barred until at least Thursday due to Melbourne’s snap, five-day
lockdown.
The 22-year-old admonished herself before drawing level by pouncing on
Williams’s faltering first serve, which she landed just 36 percent of the
time in the second set.
Williams regrouped and raced to a commanding 4-1 lead in the third set as a
frustrated Sabalenka slammed her racquet to the ground as the match began to
slip away.
Sabalenka won three straight games to get back on terms but Williams’s
experience saw her through as she maintained her unbeaten run since emerging
from 14-day quarantine in Australia.
The seven-time Australian Open champion has been battling shoulder and
Achilles niggles but moved around sharply apart from an awkward tumble in the
second set.
She has lost four Grand Slam finals while chasing Margaret Court’s all-time
record of 24 Grand Slam singles titles since her last major victory at
Melbourne Park in 2017 when pregnant.
BSS/AFP/MSY/1122 hrs