MELBOURNE, Australia — Serena Williams moved within one victory of a 10th Grand Slam title and fourth in Australia with a dominating 6-3, 6-4 victory today over Elena Dementieva.
With the roof closed at Rod Laver Arena to protect the players and fans from outside temperatures topping 111 degrees, Williams played her best match of the tournament.
“I haven’t moved like that for a while, so I was a little shocked,” said Williams, who has a sequence of winning the Australian Open every alternate year since 2003.
The 27-year-old American was only a game from a quarterfinal exit Wednesday when Svetlana Kuznetsova was serving for the match. But the reigning U.S. Open champion found her rhythm quickly against Dementieva, who has not gone past the semifinals at a Grand Slam since 2004.
After beating Russians in two successive matches, she’ll face another one in the final — No. 3 Dinara Safina, who eliminated No. 7 Vera Zvonareva 6-3, 7-6 (4) in the second semifinal.
Twice previously, Williams has had to save match points in her semifinal en route to the Australian title.
Dementieva didn’t take her that far this time, giving Williams too many free points with eight double faults.
The Russian had been on a 15-match winning streak and had two titles to open the season, including wins over No. 2 Williams and Safina at the Sydney International.
“I had a good run . . . (but) I feel like today I was not quick enough,” Dementieva said. “I was not maybe aggressive enough against her. She dictated points.
“But I have no regrets. I had just a great time here.”
Serving for the match at 5-4, Williams started with an ace and hit another serve that Dementieva sent long.
At 30-15, Williams followed with another ace. Dementieva squealed and bent over in frustration. Another powerful serve on match point set up an easy overhead and it was over in 98 minutes.
Roger Federer, seeking a 14th Grand Slam singles title to match Pete Sampras’ career record, was playing American Andy Roddick in the night semifinal. No. 2 Federer is 15-2 against the seventh-seeded Roddick, who beat defending champion Novak Djokovic in the quarterfinals.
Top-ranked Rafael Nadal set up an all-Spanish final against Fernando Verdasco when he beat No. 6 Gilles Simon 6-2, 7-5, 7-5 on Wednesday night.
Verdasco ousted 2008 runner-up Jo-Wilfried Tsonga 7-6 (2), 3-6, 6-3, 6-2.
“I think it’s incredible for us,” Nadal said. “One will be in the finals, so we have to be happy with that.”
No Spanish man has won the Australian title.
Wednesday marked the start of what weather forecasters were predicting would be a once-in-a-century heat wave for the city.
Nadal, a Majorca native, was relieved he’d been given a night match.
“Believe me, I never feel the same like today when I was warming up outside,” he said. “The conditions were very hot. I couldn’t walk.”
At a glance
A look today at Melbourne Park:
Women’s semifinals today: No. 2 Serena Williams def. No. 4 Elena Dementieva 6-3, 6-4; No. 3 Dinara Safina def. No. 7 Vera Zvonareva 6-3, 7-6 (4).
Men’s semifinals: Today — No. 2 Roger Federer vs. No. 7 Andy Roddick. Friday — No. 1 Rafael Nadal vs. No. 14 Fernando Verdasco.
Stat of the day: 2 — Number of break points converted by Jo-Wilfried Tsonga out of 13 opportunities, versus 4-of-4 by his opponent Verdasco
Quote of the day: “I was thinking, ‘OK, if you lose, you’re going to fly coach all the way back to Florida, how uncomfortable would that be?’ That motivated me to do a little better.” — Williams, on finding incentive during her quarterfinal match Wednesday
On TV today: 1 p.m., 1:30 a.m., ESPN2
The Associated Press
