Serena v Wozniacki, Sharapova v Ivanovic in Cincy Semifinals
World No. 1 Serena Williams continued her ever-improving form on Friday at the Western & Southern Open in Cincinnati, advancing into the semifinals with a convincing 6-1, 6-3 win over No. 8 seed and former No. 1 Jelena Jankovic.
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“I felt pretty good,” Williams said. “I felt better. I was just getting consistent. My unforced errors are lower than they’ve been this year, so it’s definitely continuing to go in the right direction. I don’t think she played her best today but she definitely fought well.”
In the semifinals she will meet No. 12 seed Caroline Wozniacki, who outlasted No. 4 seed Agnieszka Radwanska 6-4, 7-6(5).
“I kind of know her favorite spots,” Wozniacki said of her familiarity with Radwanska’s game. “I know obviously that we’re going to have long rallies out there. So I just kept grinding and going for it as well. And in the end she tried to be more aggressive and go more for the lines, so it was important for me to keep my head and keep cool out there.”
The two friends hugged at the net afterwards, and now Wozniacki will face another friend in Serena Williams.
“We’ve always been close, so that doesn’t really matter,” Wozniacki said of Serena. “We’re both fighters and once we’re on the court we both want to win. She beat me last week 7-5 in the third, which I would like to get my revenge for, but it’s going to be tough.”
The other semifinal will see Maria Sharapova face Ana Ivanovic in a battle of former No. 1 players.
The No. 5-seeded Sharapova came from a set down to defeat No. 2 seed Simona Halep 3-6, 6-4, 6-4.
The No. 9-seeded Ivanovic rolled past unseeded Elina Svitolina of the Ukraine 6-2, 6-3.
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