Former World No. 1 Serena Williams won her fourth-round match against Aryna Sabalenka today. The match was a close contest, with the American emerging victorious in three sets.

She will face 2-time Grand Slam winner Simona Halep in the quarterfinal of the Australian Open 2021. After winning her fourth-round match today, Simona praised Serena, calling her ‘the best’ and ‘legend’.

The two have met on many occasions in the past, always bringing another dimension to the tennis court. On Tuesday when they meet, it’ll be another epic encounter to add to the collection. 

Simona Halep: “Can only beat Serena Williams if you play your best”

Halep praised Williams and stated, “She’s the best. Well, I don’t have to focus that much because I’ve to play against Serena. It’s always tough to think about that.

“I have the experience as I’ve played so many matches against her. After tomorrow, I’ll just try to enjoy myself on the court and give my best. Because you can only beat Serena if you play your best.”

Simona Halep and Serena Williams have played 11 times. The American superstar leads the tie 9-2. Williams has bested the Romanian on 6 occasions on hard courts while she hasn’t lost even one match on the surface.

The Australian Open is played on hard courts, which will give the American a mental boost to emerge as the victor. 

In the fourth-round match today, Halep beat Swiatek, after coming from a set down to overturn the match in her favor. The Romanian player beat the Polish teenager in three sets, registering her 100th match win at the Majors. 

In the previous season, Simona reached the semi-final of the Australian Open. On the other hand, Williams came as far as the third round in Melbourne.

Halep’s best performance was in 2018 when she was the finalist in Melbourne. Serena won her last Major at the 2017 Australian Open. Who will come out on top this time around?

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