Key Biscayne, FL – Five-time champion Serena Williams secured a semifinal berth at the $4.195 million Sony Open tennis event on Tuesday.
The world No. 1 superstar got past fifth-seeded Australian Open runner-up Li Na of China 6-3, 7-6 (7-5) in 1 hour, 50 minutes on the hardcourts at Crandon Park. The American is now 7-1 lifetime against the former French Open champion Li.
Williams rallied in the second set from a 2-5 deficit and is now 59-7 lifetime at this event. She's tied with the legendary Steffi Graf for the most wins in Key Biscayne.
The reigning Wimbledon and U.S. Open titlist Williams improved to 16-2 in 2013.
The mighty Williams has appeared in seven Sony Open finals, including three straight titles from 2002-04 and back-to-back championships in 2007 and 2008.
The 31-year-old Williams will meet Agnieszka Radwanska in the round of four, as the Pole defeated 30th-seeded Kirsten Flipkens 4-6, 6-4, 6-2 in 2 hours, 1 minute.
The fourth-seeded 2012 Wimbledon runner-up Radwanska is the reigning Miami champ, having beaten recent Indian Wells winner and four-time Sony Open runner-up Maria Sharapova in last year's finale here.
The 24-year-old Radwanska improved to 23-4 in 2013.
Two other quarterfinals on Wednesday will pit the third-seeded former world No. 1 Sharapova against eighth-seeded Sara Errani and 15th-seeded Italian Roberta Vinci versus 22nd-seeded former No. 1 Jelena Jankovic. Sharapova beat Errani in last year's French Open final. Jankovic was a Miami runner-up back in 2008.
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