Persistent Pole Agnieszka Radwanska topped two-time champion Victoria Azarenka with a dominating 6—1, 5—7, 6—0 victory into the semi-finals on Wednesday which ended an 18-match tournament win streak.

It was the first appearance in the final four at Melbourne Park for fifth-seed Radwanska, who has stalled in the quarter-finals at three of the last four editions.

Second-seed Azarenka could not string two solid shots together in two hours of frustration. The Belarus player committed nearly 50 unforced errors while Radwanska limited hers to a mere 15 as she broke the favourite six times.

Radwanske will next take on Slovak Dominika Cibulkova, who defeated Simona Halep 6—3, 6—0.

Radwanska put herself on the verge of more personal history: if she wins the title on Saturday, she would advance to second in the rankings behind Serena Williams, according to WTA calculations.

“I’ve been in so many quarter-finals that I just had to try and get to a final,” said Radwanska, a 2012 Wimbledon finalist. “I’m so happy I made it.

“I’ve lost to her so many times, she’s very consistent and I had to play my best tennis. I was aggressive and went for every shot that I could. My game as working well today,” said the winner, still 4—12 in the series.

Azarenka admitted she was out-played. “I had too many easy mistakes in the important moments. She was playing amazing and getting to every ball.

“I just didn’t have the focus to finishing the points, my game was not there today and she took advantage.” Cibulkova, who beat Maria Sharapova in the fourth round, becoming the first Slovak woman since Daniela Hantuchova in 2008 to get this far in Melbourne.

“I walked on the court with the confidence that I can do it today,” Cibulkova the winner. “I was so focusing what I have to do, to do the right things.”

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