Second-seeded Victoria Azarenka moved a win away from a possible showdown in the U.S. Open finals with Serena Williams, beating Daniela Hantuchova 6-2, 6-3 on Wednesday in the quarterfinals.
And at 24 years young, Victoria Azarenka can claim something very few of the more experienced players can - a formula for beating Williams.
By topping Hantuchova, Azarenka is not only closer to a possible final against Williams. she is also the only woman under the age of 30 to make the final four at Flushing Meadows this year.
“I’m a baby, what can I sayIJ” Azarenka said.
Azarenka is one of only three women to beat top-seeded Williams this year and is the only woman to beat her twice in 2013. The last win came last month in the final of a tuneup tournament in Cincinnati.
Williams won the title here last year with a three-set win over the two-time Australian Open champion from Belarus.
Does Azarenka think about a possible rematch with WilliamsIJ “No,” she said.
Similar to Williams’ dominance of Carla Suarez Navarro the night before, Azarenka’s match against 48th-ranked Hantuchova wasn’t much of a roadblock.
Returning to the U.S. Open quarterfinals for the first time since 2002, Hantuchova broke Azarenka’s first service game in both sets but gave the breaks back right away both times. She picked up another break to pull within 5-3 in the second set but Azarenka broke back right away to close out the match.
Standing in the way of a Williams-Azarenka final are fifth-seeded li Na, who plays Williams in Friday’s semifinals, and 83rd-ranked Flavia Pennetta, who goes against Azarenka.