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Former world no. 1 Serena Williams reached the semi-finals of the ASB Classic in Auckland on Friday. The top-seeded American defeated Germany's Laura Siegemund 6-4, 6-3 in an hour and 28 minutes in their quarter-final clash. Williams hit 26 winners and six aces in the match and it was this aggressiveness that helped her carve out a way when she trailed by a break in the second set.
In her post-match media interaction, Williams shared, "It was good for me to just fight, you know. She has a really good game, and she stepped up and hit a lot of good winners, so it wasn’t really easy. I just had to step up and play a little better, and hopefully get through it." The 38-year-old will take on either third seed Amanda Anisimova or Eugenie Bouchard in the top half of the draw, in the semi-finals.
The two are set to play their last-eight match later. Playing in the season opener, the 23-time Grand Slam champion has come off the blocks strongly here, in Auckland, making it to the semi-finals of both the singles and doubles draw, with her friend Caroline Wozniacki.
Speaking of whom, the fifth-seeded Dane defeated German fourth seed, Julia Georges, in their quarter-final. Wozniacki won 6-1, 6-4 in an hour and 15 minutes. The former world no. 1 will take on the United States' Jessica Pegula in the semis.
Pegula who played France's Alize Cornet in the quarter-final, reached the penultimate round thanks to Cornet's mid-match retirement while down 6-0, 3-2.