Venus Williams beats Agnieszka Radwanska at Australian Open

http://www.theguardian.com/sport/2015/jan/26/venus-williams-agnieszka-radwanska-australian-open

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Venus Williams will face a player she inspired to take up tennis after reaching her first grand slam quarter-final since 2010 at the Australian Open.

Williams defeated the sixth seed Agnieszka Radwanska 6-3, 2-6, 6-1 to set up a meeting with the American teenager Madison Keys, who beat her compatriot Madison Brengle in straight sets.

Keys, 19, has made no secret of her admiration for the Williams sisters, although it is something the siblings might not like being reminded of too often. “Apparently she started playing because she watched Serena and I,” Venus said. “She was watching me in diapers.”

Venus’ previous quarter-final appearance in a grand slam came in the US Open in 2010, the year before she was diagnosed as suffering from Sjogren’s syndrome, a debilitating autoimmune disease.

Keys was five years old when Venus won the first of her seven grand-slam singles titles at Wimbledon in 2000 and is relishing the prospect of facing one of her childhood heroes.

“I’m just really excited,” she said. “I think it’s a huge opportunity for me. I haven’t been in this situation before. I’m going to make the most of it. I want to be at the end of the tournament holding the trophy up. That’s my goal in the long run.

“I think Venus has helped the sport, especially the women’s side with equal prize money. She was a huge part of that. Just watching her is inspirational. She’s had her health battles but she loves tennis. She’s still out here and she’s doing it remarkably well. I hope I can be someone similar to that.”

Keys could have to face both Williams sisters if she wants to win the title, with Serena taking on Dominika Cibulkova in the other quarter-final in the top half of the draw.

Top seed Serena had some help from her fans to thank for overcoming another slow start – and a coughing fit – to defeat Spain’s Garbiñe Muguruza in three sets and gain a measure of revenge for her defeat at the hands of the 24th seed in the second round of last year’s French Open. Muguruza won 6-2, 6-2 at Roland Garros and threatened to do the same here as she won four games in a row from 2-2 in the opening set.

Williams, who had to save three set points against Vera Zvonareva in round two and then came from a set down to defeat Elina Svitolina, won the second set 6-3 to level the match and then crucially held serve at the start of the decider. The world No1 then had to save six break points in an epic game lasting 13 minutes and promptly broke a disheartened opponent on her way to taking the set by a flattering 6-2 scoreline.

Williams admitted the shouted advice of one spectator to “use spin” helped her turn the match around, adding: “She [Muguruza] played so well and she did everything she needed to do in the first set.

“I just decided to do my best and stay focused and stay relaxed. She hits the ball really big and hard but someone in the crowd was like ‘use spin’. I was like ‘OK’ and it really helped me.”

Williams struggled with a cough and said she had been “a little sick the past couple of days”. She added: “I’ve been fighting it with vitamin C and all kinds of stuff. I definitely feel better than yesterday.”