Angelique Kerber upset the odds to beat Victoria Azarenka for the first time in her career and reach the Australian Open semi-finals.
Kerber had lost all of her last six meetings with Azarenka but the seventh seed turned the tide to win a pulsating match 6-3, 7-5 on Rod Laver Arena. The world No6 will now play Britain’s Johanna Konta in the last four.
Kerber had never before gone past the fourth round in Melbourne but a stirring display against Azarenka, who many had tipped to win the title, now puts her one victory away from the final.
“I can’t actually describe it in words,” Kerber said. “I was 0-6 [against Azarenka] before I came on court and I was just saying to myself, ‘just play like you play in practice, just go for it and believe you can beat her’. I’m so happy I beat her for the first time.”
The German raced into a 4-0 lead in the first set and while Azarenka brought it back to 4-3, she regained her composure to serve out when the Belarusian hit a backhand long.
The match was quickly flipped on its head in the second, however, when Azarenka stormed 5-2 clear but Kerber came back, saving five set points on her way to levelling at 5-5.
The contest had looked destined for a decider but Kerber now had the momentum and she won the next two games in a row to seal victory in one hour and 45 minutes.
“I was more aggressive than when it was 2-5,” Kerber said. “I was just saying to myself: ‘Forget the score, go for it and play the best you can play today’. I was not thinking about the score.
“At match point I had a little bit more in my mind but it’s just an amazing feeling to be in the semi-finals.”
