Azarenka Battles as Williams Cruises into Madrid Semis

By Erik Gudris

Photo Credit: Pierre-Philippe Marcou/AFP/GettyImages

(May 11th, 2012) While some of the ATP's elite players continued to complain about the court conditions at the Mutua Madrid Open, the final eight women left accepted the new blue surface and got down to business as they each hoped to reach tomorrow's semifinals.

The first quarterfinal of the morning proved to be the match of the day as top seed Victoria Azarenka found herself down a set and a break to No. 8 seed Li Na before Azarenka rallied to take the second set. Azarenka jumped out to a 4-0 lead in the final set but survived a last minute charge from the reigning French Open champion to win 3-6, 6-3, 6-3.

Azarenka will now face a familiar foe in the semifinals in No. 4 seed Agnieszka Radwanska who stopped the run of American Varvara Lepchenko from qualifying all the way to the quarterfinals. Despite Lepchenko breaking Radwanska as she served for both the first set and later for the match at 6-4, 5-3, Lepchenko was unable to take advantage as Radwanska broke Lepchenko's serve in the final game to claim a 6-4, 6-4 win.

Azarenka has beaten Radwanska in all five meetings between the two women this year with their last match being in Stuttgart a few weeks ago.

Despite featuring two of the biggest stars the WTA has ever produced, the rivalry between Maria Sharapova and Serena Williams continues to remain a lopsided one in favor of Williams who won the last six meetings between the pair before they met again in today's quarterfinal.

Unlike yesterday when she came out flat against Caroline Wozniacki, Williams was on a mission as she crushed return winners, especially on her forehand side, while also sending down a total of 11 aces for the match. Rarely is Sharapova a courtside participant in her matches, but she was one today as Williams cruised to a 6-1, 6-3 victory.

"Playing Maria you have to be really ready because she does everything really well," Williams said. "I felt relaxed out there, and when I play relaxed I play better."

Facing Williams next will be a surprise semifinalist in Lucie Hradecka who upset No. 5 seed Sam Stosur in a close match that ended with Hradecka firing off 19 aces to win in two close tiebreak sets 7-6, 7-6. It marks the first time Hradecka has ever reached the semifinals of a Premier event.

Williams won the only meeting that she and Hradecka had last year in Cincinnati 6-3, 7-6.