Australian Open 2021: Serena Williams into the quarterfinals after surviving Aryna Sabalenka scare in 4th round

Australian Open 2021: Serena Williams has advanced to the final eight round after a  6-4 2-6 6-4 win against Aryna Sabalenka, at the Rod Laver Arena, on Sunday.

American 10th seed Serena Williams has advanced to the last eight after a close fight against Belarusian 7th seed, 22-year-old Aryna Sabalanka. The 39-year-old has entered the quarterfinals, on Sunday, with a 6-4 2-6 6-4 victory in the fourth round match at the Rod Laver Arena.

Williams has passed one of her biggest tests during this Grand Slam, as Sabalenka was one of the few players on the women’s tour capable of matching her power from behind the baseline.

Serena, who is chasing a record-equalling 24th Grand Slam title, surged into a 4-1 lead in an enthralling third set, before the 22-year-old Belarusian broke back and levelled at 4-4. But Williams held her serve and then broke her Sabalenka’s serve to emerge victorious in Sunday’s rubber.

“I’m happy to get through that one. It wasn’t easy and I knew it wasn’t going to be easy. She was teeing off on every shot,” Williams said in an on-court interview.

“Even the games that I lost were super close, one shot here and one shot there, and I just felt like, ‘Serena you’ve got this, you’ve just got to keep going.’ I lost the second set but the games were so close so I just tried to stay in there,” Williams added.