The 23-time Grand Slam winner Serena Williams took on the 2-time Grand Slam winner Simona Halep in the quarterfinal of the Australian Open today.
The American superstar triumphed over her opponent in 81 minutes, winning the match 6-3, 6-3 in straight sets. Williams is now 2 matches away from claiming her 24th Major title.
After winning her match today, Serena Williams became the second-oldest player to reach a semifinal of a Grand Slam event, only trailing behind the great Billie Jean King.
Williams achieved this feat today, at 39 years and 143 days old, whereas Billie Jean King reached the semifinal at Wimbledon at 39 years and 208 days old.
Serena Williams achieves another milestone at the Australian Open 2021
However, this makes Serena the oldest amongst the active players on Tour to achieve this milestone. After winning her match today, the 39-year-old earned yet another landmark, she managed to reach a semifinal of a Grand Slam event for 22 years in a row. From the year 1999-2021, the American superstar has been a constant force in the game.
Reflecting on her performance at the Australian Open 2021 so far, Serena has played a consistent tournament. Besides her fourth-round match against Aryna Sabalenka, Williams won all her matches in straight sets.
In the semifinal, the American legend will be up against another great force in the women’s game, Naomi Osaka. They have played each other on four occasions, with each of them winning two matches. All their matches have been played on hard courts.
The most recent one was at the exhibition event ‘A Day at the Drive’ in Adelaide where Serena overcame the Japanese starlet. The last time Serena won a Major was at the Australian Open 2017, whereas Osaka won her first Australian Open title in 2019.