Defending champion Serena Williams staged a remarkable fightback to keep her Australian Open title defence alive by beating Victoria Azarenka in three sets to make the semi-finals on Wednesday.
Defending champion Serena Williams staged a remarkable fightback to keep her Australian Open title defence alive by beating Victoria Azarenka in three sets to make the semi-finals on Wednesday.
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Down a set and 4-0, Williams looked headed for defeat, but somehow found a way off the canvas to notch a memorable win over the seventh seed, 4-6, 7-6 (7/4), 6-2.
Williams could scarcely believe the result herself and admitted she thought the match was gone.
"I am surprised and I am just happy to still be here," she said. "I didn't expect to win when I was down 0-4.
"I was like 'well at least I am still in the doubles'.
"I was thinking if I lost today and lost doubles I could get a flight home on Friday."
It was the third year in a row that Williams had ended the Belarussian's Australian Open and the second time in succession she has done it after being a set down.
Azarenka was forced to retire due to illness when she was a set up on the American in the fourth round last year.
For a set and a half Azarenka seemed destined to atone, as the four-times Australian Open winner made a string of unforced errors and battled to control her serve, which had been impregnable through the early rounds.
With her left knee and right thigh bandaged, Williams found herself run all around the court by Azarenka, as had been the case 12 months ago before the Belarussian fell ill.
At 4-0 in the second set, and having not won a point on the Azarenka serve in the set till then, Williams cut a dejected figure and seemed only moments from elimination.
However, she started to swing freely and all of a sudden her game returned to its dominant best.
Where she could not buy a first serve previously, her percentage in the mid-30s, Williams send down a string of unplayable first serves that saw her ultimately tally 17 aces.
Azarenka was still playing well, but had no answer to the power surge, Williams hitting 57 winners to her 22.
Williams rattled off five successive games to lead the second set 5-4 and although Azarenka was able to hang on to force a tie-break in the second set, the American's confidence was growing and she duly levelled the match.
The trend continued in the third set, a frustrated Azarenka unable to put the shackles on Williams and was broken, on the scoreboard and in spirit, in the third game.
From there, it was a procession and Azarenka looked shattered by the time Williams finally ended her misery.
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