TENNIS in DEPTH.

Serena Williams came back from the brink to beat Victoria Azarenka and reach the semi-finals of the Australian Open.

The top seed came from a set and 4-0 down to post a 4-6 7-6 (7/4) 6-2 win on the Rod Laver Arena.

She will now face China’s Li Na, who had earlier ousted her sister Venus.

Renowned for her fighting spirit, Serena had to dig deep once again in Melbourne as Azarenka made a flying start.

Williams had not lost a single service game in the tournament but was broken in four of her opening seven service games as the seventh seed stole away for what looked like a match-winning lead.

Williams’ serve slowly improved, however, and she started to match Azarenka’s heavy hitting to drag herself back into the contest.

With the finish line in sight in that second set for Azarenka, Williams launched her fightback, winning five straight games.

Azarenka was able to force a tie-break and in it led 3-1.

However, Williams duly found her ‘A’ game, a brilliant forehand winner and a nerveless smash seeing her turn the breaker around.

She clinched it when her Belarusian opponent netted a backhand and having levelled the match there was only going to be one winner after that.

From 0-1 in the decider, Williams again rattled off five games in a row which all but sealed victory.

Williams, who famously won the title in Melbourne in 2003 having been match point down in the semi-finals, said afterwards she was “surprised” to have survived.

“I didn’t expect to win when I was down 0-4,” she admitted.

“I was actually thinking ‘if I lose today and I lose in doubles I think I can catch a flight on Friday’. That’s not what a champion is supposed to think, but that’s what I was thinking.”

”I’m just happy to still be here.”

Williams added: “I wasn’t playing my best, especially in the first two sets. I definitely think I played well in the third.

“I was down the whole match from the first point until the end. So I was surprised. I was definitely shocked to win.”

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