Serena Williams survived a stiff early chance from Victoria Azarenka to storm back and advance to the Wimbledon women's semifinals, 3-6, 6-2, 6-3. The No. 1 seed struggled against a polished Azarenka, but was able to overpower her beginning midway through the second set.
Williams couldn't convert her only break opportunity in the first set, and gave up a break to Azarenka in the fourth game. Williams came back in the second set, breaking Azarenka (finally, after four previous opportunities in the set) to take a 4-2 lead. She survived a scary moment in the next game, going down 40-15 before winning four straight points to reassert herself.
After winning a second break to take the second set, the match belonged to Serena. She broke Azarenka for a third straight time to go up 2-0, then held her serve to take her seventh straight game. Azarenka became re-energized upon seeing her Wimbledon hopes away, but had no answer for Williams' serve the rest of the match.
With the win, Williams remains the presumed favorite to win the women's draw. She has looked fallible twice now, however -- Tuesday, and during third round escape against Heather Watson -- and faces No. 4 Maria Sharapova in the semifinals. Winning Wimbledon will not be easy.
Wimbledon women's quarterfinals scores
No. 1 Serena Williams def. No. 23 Victoria Azarenka, 3-6, 6-2, 6-3
No. 4 Maria Sharapova def. Coco Vandeweghe, 6-3, 6-7(3), 6-2
No. 20 Garbine Muguruza def. No. 15 Timea Bacsinszky, 7-5, 6-3
No. 13 Agnieszka Radwanksa def. No. 21 Madison Keys, 7-6(3), 3-6, 6-3
Men's fourth round scores
No. 1 Novak Djokovic def. No. 14 Kevin Anderson, 6-7(6), 6-7(6), 6-1, 6-4, 7-5 -- Recap (match continued from Monday)