Victoria Azarenka was at her ruthless best on Wednesday night, thrashing Elise Mertens 6-1 6-0 to book her spot in the semi-finals of the US Open.
Azarenka, the former world No. 1 from Belarus, has not reached the final four of a Grand Slam since 2013 when she reached the final of the US Open. That season she reached the semi-finals of three majors, only falling short at Wimbledon.
She won the second of her two Grand Slam titles – both of which have come at the Australian Open – at the start of that season but she has her sights well and truly set on a third.
She struck the ball fiercely from the off against Mertens, never letting the Belgian 16th seed breathe in a one-sided encounter that lasted only 73 minutes.
‘That was pretty good,’ said Azarenka after the match. ‘I saw the ball really well today. I really executed my plan that I wanted to do.
‘I tried to use my speed, my power with the ball, I tried to use some variation to get her off balance. I’m very happy with my movement today, there was a lot of pressure on her to make a winner.
Unbeaten in 10 matches, she now faces the toughest test of all: a clash with Serena Williams.
‘Can it get any better? For me it can’t,’ added Azarenka. ‘I’m so excited about this.
‘It’s an amazing opportunity to play against a champion. Someone I respect a lot. Someone who is my friend… I hope it will be fun, I know it’ll be fun for me.’
Williams is chasing a 24th Grand Slam title in New York and boasts an 18-4 head-to-head record against Azarenka.
Two of those Williams wins came in the back-to-back finals of the US Open in 2012 and 2013. Both went the distance.
Williams has been forced into deciders in her last three rounds. Asked what she had learned heading into a tie with Azarenka, she replied: ‘I just gotta be a little bit better, really, and just expect people to go lights out and just be ready for lights out.’
It will be a second consecutive battle of the mothers for Williams.
She fought back from a set and a break down against Tsvetana Pironkova in a dramatic three-setter earlier on Wednesday.
While Azarenka was on song, it was a miserable night for Mertens.
Competing in her second US Open quarter-final, she didn’t get going and failed to hold serve throughout the night.
Naomi Osaka and Jennifer Brady will contest the other semi-final on Thursday night.
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