Qatar Open: Venus, Azarenka In Semi Final Showdown

•Azarenka (r) and Venus exchange pleasantries after a recent match, Both players clash in the semi final of Qatar Open today

•Azarenka (r) and Venus exchange pleasantries after a recent match. Both players clash in the semi final of Qatar Open today.

Victoria Azarenka will try and get her first win over Venus Williams when they meet in the semi-final of the Qatar Open in WTA Doha today.

Venus beat Agnieszka Radwanska for the second time this year to line up two-time champion Azarenka in the Qatar Open semifinals on Thursday.

Venus, who beat Radwanska to reach the Australian Open quarterfinals last month, won 6-4, 1-6, 6-3 in Doha, the third time in four days she’s gone the distance.

Azarenka, the 2012 and 2013 champ who received a wild-card entry, beat third-seeded Caroline Wozniacki 6-3, 6-1 in another repeat result from the Australian Open.

•Azarenka (r) and Venus exchange pleasantries after a recent match. Both players clash in the semi final of Qatar Open today.
•Azarenka (r) and Venus exchange pleasantries after a recent match. Both players clash in the semi final of Qatar Open today.

Venus started her quarterfinal with a break, wobbled during the second set, and was quick to recoup in the decider, in which fourth-seeded Radwanska mounted a late challenge. Venus sealed her first semifinal in Doha with a forehand winner down the line.

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“I just tried to stay focused because she wasn’t going to let up,” Venus said after the 2-hour, 16-minute match.

Venus has won all four of her previous matches against Azarenka, but was expecting to endure another long day.

“Every match (this week) has been three sets, so it’s been really challenging,” Venus said. “No one gives you a point, you have to fight, fight, fight for each point, and I guess it’ll be more of that tomorrow (today).”

Meanwhile, Azarenka fired 26 winners against Wozniacki in a match of former No 1s.

In the day’s other two matches Lucie Safarova of the Czech Republic beat No 6 seed Andrea Petkovic of Germany 6-2 6-1 to set up a semifinal meeting with No 9 seed Carla Suarez Navarro of Spain who got rid of Petra Kvitova of the Czech Republic 3-6 6-0 6-3.

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