Angelique Kerber celebrates after winning her quarterfinal against Victoria Azarenka at the Australian Open in Melbourne on Wednesday. ReutersMelbourne: Angelique Kerber advanced to her first Australian Open semifinal with a 6-3, 7-5 win over Victoria Azarenka in a see-sawing quarterfinal on Wednesday.
Twice champion Azarenka had lost just 11 games in her previous four matches at the tournament, but found herself 4-0 down in the first set, which German Kerber went on to take in 48 minutes.
Azarenka mounted a comeback in the second set and had a chance to serve it out at 5-2, but seventh seed Kerber saved three set points, then saved two more in the 10th game to level the set at 5-5.
Kerber kept up the pressure and clinched the match in one hour, 45 minutes. She next faces unseeded Johanna Konta. The Briton outplayed Chinese qualifier Zhang Shuai 6-4, 6-1 in the quarterfinals.
(With inputs from Agencies)
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