Women world number one Serena Williams battled back from a set down in a tense match against Spain’s Garbine Muguruza to win 2-6, 6-3, 6-2; staying on track for a 19th Grand Slam title and her sixth in Melbourne.
“I didn’t start out so well and she [Muguruza] did everything she needed to do in the first set,” said Serena, who can lose her top ranking if she fails to win the tournament and Maria Sharapova does so.
She will now face last year’s finalist Dominika Cibulkova, the 11th seeded Slovak who ended Azarenka’s comeback from injury in three tight sets.
Novak Djokovic swept into the Australian Open last eight yesterday as the Williams sisters displayed fighting qualities to stay alive, but the tournament ended for two-time champion Victoria Azarenka.
“It’s a positive feeling. I haven’t dropped a set and I’m in the quarter-finals,” said Djokovic. “There are a few things I think I can do better.”
The Serbian top seed cruised against unseeded Gilles Muller from Luxembourg, dictating terms in a testing 6-4, 7-5, 7-5 work-out to reach his eighth consecutive quarter-final at Melbourne Park.
He will now play big-serving Canadian eighth seed Milos Raonic as he bids for a fifth Australian crown and an eighth Grand Slam title.
Raonic snuffed out the challenge of Spanish 12th seed Feliciano Lopez in five tough sets.
