Maria Sharapova was pleased with her serving display after advancing to an Australian Open quarter-final showdown with Serena Williams. The Russian was pushed in a 7-5 7-5 win over Belinda Bencic in the fourth round on Sunday, sending down 21 aces in the gruelling clash.
Sharapova has served a tournament-leading 52 aces so far, as well as 17 double faults. The five-time grand slam champion said her display was strong against Bencic, despite putting in just 47 per cent of first serves.
"I thought I served quite well," Sharapova said.
"I found my spots; hit the line many times today. That was important."
Sharapova will have to serve exceptionally well against Williams, who has won 18 of their 20 matches and the past 17 – including last year's final in Melbourne.
The 28-year-old said she was simply targeting improvement ahead of another meeting with Williams.
"It's not like I think about what I can do worse. You're always trying to improve. I got myself into the quarter-final of a grand slam," Sharapova said.
"There is no reason I shouldn't be looking to improve and to getting my game in a better position than any other previous round. It's only going to be tougher, especially against Serena."
Comments
Follow Us
SHARE