Serena Williams has advanced to the finals of the 2014 Sony Open after defeating Maria Sharapova for the 15th consecutive time, according to a report by The Guardian. Sharapova initiated the match powerfully, of course, with the aim to be victorious over Williams, but ultimately failed.
Their quarterfinal match was held in Miami where Williams initially trailed 4-1. However, she started gaining momentum and won five straight games to win 6-4 in the first set. Both players were tied 3-3 during the second set, but Williams eventually created a gap to win 6-3.
Sharapova started strong but Williams displayed her excellent groundstrokes, which proved to be more than what the Russian champion could handle. Sharapova had three straight backhand errors, giving Williams the momentum to sweep the first set. In the second set, Williams earned 11 consecutive points. In one game she had two service winners and two aces.
Williams said, as reported by The Alpena News, "It wasn't easy. Obviously Maria plays really well, and she's done really well here, so I just decided I had to do a little better, stay focused and make more shots."
Sharapova said that she's always excited to face Williams because the latter brings a higher level of play on the court. She learns a lot from each match and determines her strengths and weaknesses after, regardless of the results. The last time that Sharapova beat Williams was in 2004. Still, Sharapova remains a top 10 player.
Serena Williams is currently set on getting the Key Biscayne title for a record seven times. Williams said that when she's playing at her best, it would be difficult for opponents to beat her.
Williams also said that she loved how the match turned out and that Miami is her home. She finally thanked fans for their support.
The Hindu reported that whoever emerges as winner from the quarterfinal match between Dominika Cibulkova and current Australian Open champion Li Na will face Williams in the final.
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