Connect with us

Sports

Serena knocked out of Australian Open as Pliskova advances to semis

Published

on

Serena Williams

Tournament favourite, Serena Williams has been knocked out of the Australian Open after she was defeated in the quarterfinals Karolina Pliskova.

The 37-year-old American missed four match points as the Czech seventh seed won the final six games to win a dramatic last-eight encounter to reach the semifinal.

Serena, who was going for a record-equalling 24th Grand Slam singles title, led 5-1 in the decider but lost 6-4 4-6 7-5 in Melbourne.

Read ALso: ‘It was fun while it lasted’ – Usain Bolt retires from playing football

“I think she just played lights out on match points,” Williams, a seven-time Australian Open champion, said.

“She was hitting lines and went crazy. She played unbelievable on match points.

“It was nothing to do with my ankle. Obviously I made some mistakes but she played really well.”

Former world number one Pliskova will meet Japan’s fourth seed Naomi Osaka in the last four on Thursday with eighth seed Petra Kvitova taking on unseeded American Danielle Collins in the other semi-final.

“Naomi Osaka is dangerous but there is nobody more dangerous than Serena,” Pliskova said.

 

RipplesNigeria… without borders, without fears

Click here to join the Ripples Nigeria WhatsApp group for latest updates.

Join the conversation

Opinions

Support Ripples Nigeria, hold up solutions journalism

Balanced, fearless journalism driven by data comes at huge financial costs.

As a media platform, we hold leadership accountable and will not trade the right to press freedom and free speech for a piece of cake.

If you like what we do, and are ready to uphold solutions journalism, kindly donate to the Ripples Nigeria cause.

Your support would help to ensure that citizens and institutions continue to have free access to credible and reliable information for societal development.

Donate Now