Story highlights
Williams beats Agnieszka Radwanska
No. 1 will face Angelique Kerber
Kerber defeated Johanna Konta
In the dog-eat-dog world of competitive tennis, “sympathy” doesn’t feature in the dictionary.
The shelf-life of players is limited and it’s all about doing as well as you can – results wise and financially – in that limited time, even if one is relentlessly crushing a friend.
So it wasn’t a surprise to hear Serena Williams’ coach, Patrick Mouratoglou, speak matter-of-factly about his pupil’s first-set display in the Australian Open semifinals Thursday – a dominant performance that left Agnieszka Radwanska utterly helpless in one of the biggest stadiums in the world, Rod Laver Arena.
Radwanska barely won a point as fans at Melbourne Park, not to mention millions around the world on television, looked on.
“I’m not here to have sympathy,” Mouratoglou told reporters after the defending champion’s 6-0 6-4 victory. “My job is to win. If I start to have sympathy, I cannot do my job.”
Williams’ mom, Oracene Price, a calming figure who takes things in her stride and never seems to get stressed watching her daughters play pivotal matches, was less blunt.
“Oh you always (have sympathy),” she told CNN. “Sometimes you kind of have to separate competition from the friendship.”
To be fair to Mouratoglou, the Frenchman did add of the crafty Radwanska, who won the 2015 WTA Finals title in world No. 1 Serena’s absence: “I like her. She’s a super nice person.”
Williams untouchable
Williams is the better player, though, and indeed she’s better than the overwhelming majority of players who’ve ever played the game. Arguably she is the greatest women’s player of all time.
The numbers prove it: The 34-year-old vies for a record-equaling 22nd grand slam title Saturday when she tangles with Angelique Kerber. The seventh-seeded German ended the unexpected run of Britain’s Johanna Konta 7-5 6-2.
A continuation of Williams’ first-set form won’t give Kerber – or anyone else – much chance, according to Radwanska’s coach.
“When she plays like she did in the first set, I think she is unbeatable,” Tomasz Wiktorowski told CNN. “In women’s tennis there is not even one player who can get closer than 6-1 6-2.”
Kerber is attempting to make the transition from counter-punching to aggression and it seems to be working. She toppled the surging Victoria Azarenka on Wednesday and has ousted Williams once, in Cincinnati in 2012. But the latter has since won four straight without dropping a set.
“She took out a really tough opponent in Victoria,” Williams told reporters. “You can’t underestimate Kerber. She’s beaten me before, too, and pretty good.
“I know that she brings a lot to the game.”
If Kerber does the almost impossible – Williams holds an 8-0 record in her last eight grand slam finals – Germany will have its first grand slam winner since Steffi Graf in 1999.
“I must play my best tennis to have a chance,” Kerber said after making a first grand slam final. “I saw the match today against Aga. She was playing unbelievably good.”
Otherwise Williams joins Graf for the Open Era lead in grand slams.
Misery for Radwanska
Radwanska sunk to 0-9 against Williams in a rematch of the 2012 Wimbledon final.
The opener was a blur.
Williams struck 14 winners and made a mere four unforced errors in 20 minutes.
Radwanska got to her first game point in the first game of the second.
“She started unbelievable, with such power and speed,” the Pole told reporters. “I was just standing there kind of watching her playing.”
A fan favorite due to her varied game, the fourth seed rebounded from a break deficit and led 4-3 in the second. Fatally, after holding a 40-15 lead on serve at 4-4, she was broken.
“I accept the score but at least it should be five games in the second set,” said Wiktorowski.
Konta falls
Wednesday was a great day for British tennis. With Konta and Andy Murray reaching the semifinals, it marked the first time since 1977 two British players found themselves at that stage at a major.
Konta was unable to go any further, though she made things competitive.
A blowout wasn’t out of the question when Kerber grabbed a 3-0 lead, but the 47th-ranked Konta – who joked this week that she was “Jason Bourne” of the Bourne movie series due to her British, Australian and Hungarian passports – stormed back for 4-3.
Once, however, Kerber broke for 6-5 the match decidedly swung in her favor.
Now she confronts Williams.
After coming within two matches of becoming the first player since Graf in 1988 to achieve the calendar-year grand slam in September, Williams decided not to play again in 2015. She needed time, she said, to recover mentally and physically.
Based on her play in Melbourne, it was the right move.
Then “when you come back to the game you are more excited and it’s less stress,” said Mouratoglou. “Because when you are on tour at the end of the year you get tired mentally.
“She is fresh mentally. Plus she’s also excited to add new things to her tennis. I think she enjoys a lot her tennis.
“At the moment it’s a lot of fun for her.”
Williams said she hasn’t thought about getting to 22 grand slam titles, pointing out that when she thought of 18 and tying legends Chris Evert and Martina Navratilova, it stressed her out.
But when Mouratoglou was asked how important getting to 22 was, the reply was quick.
“Twenty-three is more important. Tying is one thing, beating it is better.”
