Sport
Australian Open 2015: Serena Williams to play Maria Sharapova in finals
World No. 1., Serena Williams defeated Madison Keys 7-6(5) 6-2 in 84 minutes to advance to the Australian Open final with Maria Sharapova.
Williams dominated the second set of the all-American semifinal, breaking Keys’ serve twice. Keys saved seven match points on serve in the penultimate game before Williams closed with an ace on her ninth match point.
Sharapova beat fellow Russian Ekaterina Makarova 6-3, 6-2 earlier Thursday.
Williams, an 18-time major winner, is back in the final here for the first time since winning her fifth Australian Open title in 2010.
The win ensured Williams will retain the top ranking, regardless of the outcome against No. 2 Sharapova. The American has a 16-2 record against Sharapova, including the last 15.
Copyright 2015 The Associated Press