Intriguing semifinal on cards
Melbourne: World No.1 Simona Halep set up an intriguing women’s semifinal with Angelique Kerber at the Australian Open as both blasted their respective opponents off the court with emphatic wins here Wednesday. Halep reeled off nine games in a row in her 6-3, 6-2 demolition of sixth-seeded Karolina Pliskova of the Czech Republic. Equally impressive was Kerber as she made short work of Madison Keys 6-1, 6-2.
Making a mockery of the 21st seeding she landed after a miserable 2017, Kerber outplayed Keys in almost every facet of the 51-minute match. “I was just playing my game, I was not thinking a lot about winners or errors, I was staying in the moment and trying to play every single point,” a beaming Kerber said on Rod Laver Arena.
Keys started the match with three unforced errors and a netted backhand to lose her first service game and barely 15 minutes were on the clock before the German had another break in the bank and a 4-0 lead. It seemed that some sort of stagefright had affected the American, who before the quarterfinals, had not lost a single set.
The second set followed the pattern of the first and even though the American broke Kerber for a 3-1 lead, a 21st unforced error from her racquet gave Kerber the break straight back, however, and the 30-year-old sealed her place in the last four with a third of the set when the American netted a backhand.
Halep recovered from a slow start before racing away to victory against Pliskova. The 26-year-old Romanian, still seeking a first Grand Slam title trailed 0-3, but battened down the hatches to reel off the next nine games on her way to a first Melbourne semifinal.
Halep made only 10 unforced errors in the 71-minute contest on Rod Laver Arena and sealed victory with a deep return which Pliskova could only slap into the net.
“I think this was a great match. The best this tournament. I started slow but then I got used to the rhythm. I got used to everything. I played very well,” said Halep. “She (Pliskova) has a big serve, but I read her serve many times today. I just was very strong on the return.”
Return announced
New York: Serena Williams, who has not played a competitive match since last year’s Australian Open, will return to the court next month at a Fed Cup tie, the US Tennis Association announced here Tuesday. The defending Fed Cup champion Americans will play host to the Netherlands in a first round tie February 10-11 at North Carolina.
