Melbourne (AFP) Serena Williams is close to setting the most important record in a Grand Slam tournament. The long-time tennis number one moved to the semi-finals of the Australian Open for the ninth time with a score of 6: 3 and 6: 3 over Simona Halep of Romania.

Williams still has a chance to win her 24th title in one of the four most important tournaments. The 39-year-old last won the Grand Slam in Melbourne in 2017 and has since chased the controversial Australian Margaret Court record for his anti-gay and lesbian statements.

“That was the best game she had played in this tournament so far.” After beating Halep, who reached the previous final, Serena Williams said, “I knew I had to improve.” It was only at the start of the second set that the seven-time Australian winner went through a small stage of weakness, then She dominated the world number two with her tennis strength.

In the semifinals on February 18th, Serena Williams will meet Naomi Osaka. The Melbourne winner of the year 2019 won in a ratio of 6: 2, 6: 2 over Hsieh Su Wei from Taiwan. In just 66 minutes, the 23-year-old Japanese won her match against 12-year-old Hsieh Su Wei from Taiwan 6: 2, 6: 2. Williams of Osaka, who lost in the 2018 US Open final, said: “She’s a tough player. An inspiration off the field. ”

In the quarter-finals the day before, world number one Ashley Barty of Australia and the Czech Republic Karolina Moshova as well as Americans Jessica Bigula and Jennifer Brady, coached by German Michael Gieserer, faced each other.

“I usually never look at my home plate, but everyone talked to me about it.” “I had no choice but to see who my next competitor would be,” said third-placed Osaka after her 19th straight win. Hsieh Su-Wei still manages to look forward to setting a record: at 35 years old, she is the oldest female and male tennis professional, who celebrated her Grand Slam quarter-finals debut at this age.

Aslan Karazio has also achieved something unique so far. As the first player in professional tennis history, the Russian reached the semi-finals on his debut at Grand Slam. The 27-year-old qualified Russia beat ailing Bulgarian Gregor Dimitrov 2: 6, 6: 4, 6: 1, 6: 2. Thus, the number 114 in the world rankings will face Alexander Zverev of Hamburg or defending champion Novak Djokovic from Serbia on A place in the final on Thursday. “I have received about 200 messages on WhatsApp, and there will be more,” said Carazio, who lived and trained in Israel, Haley in Westphalia and Barcelona.

Only after the qualifiers held in Doha due to the coronavirus pandemic and stringent entry requirements to Australia did he get a place in the main square. Now he is the lowest ranked player in the world ranking in the semifinals in Melbourne since Patrick McEnroe in 1991 and in the semifinals of a Grand Slam tournament since Goran Ivanesevic in 2001 at Wimbledon.

Dimitrov had a backache after a blockade in training and was barely able to move across the field towards the end of the match. The world number 21 said, “Before the match, I couldn’t wear my socks.” After the match, which lasted 2:32 hours.

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