By Tennis Now | Thursday, March 15, 2018
No. 8-seeded Venus Williams overwhelmed Carla Suarez Navarro, 6-3, 6-2, storming into the Indian Wells semifinals for the first time since 2001.
Photo credit: Dan Huerlimann/Beelde Images
Venus Williams once stayed away from Indian Wells for 15 years.
Tonight, the 37-year-old Williams played like a woman planning to stick around the BNP Paribas Open for a while.
Watch: Kasatkina's Superb Sliding Pass
Prowling the baseline, Williams overwhelmed Carla Suarez Navarro, 6-3, 6-2, storming into the Indian Wells semifinals for the first time since 2001.
"I mean, definitely happy," Williams told the media afterward. "You kind of hope for this kind of scoreline, but you never know if you're actually going to get it. I was happy with the play."
Williams whipped five aces, denied six of seven break points and broke serve four times defeating Suarez Navarro for the fourth consecutive time and sixth time in nine meetings.
The seven-time Grand Slam champion will face red-hot Russian Daria Kasatkina for a spot in the final.
Kasatkina dished out an opening-set bagel in a mere 21 minutes as part of a brilliant 6-0, 6-2 quarterfinal demolition of former world No. 1 Angelique Kerber that spanned just 58 minutes.
Williams and Kasatkina have collaborated on a couple of classic encounters in two prior meetings.
Kasatkina toppled Williams in their first meeting, 6-7 (4), 6-3, 6-3 in the 2016 Auckland round of 16. Six months later, Williams beat back a stiff Kasatkina challenge, 7-5, 4-6, 10-8 at the 2016 Wimbledon.
Former No. 1 Williams is 17 years older and six inches taller than the 5'7" Russian. The semifinal clash will be a contrast of styles pitting Williams' power-based baseline aggression against Kasatkina's clever all-court attack that features shifting spins and speeds.
Venus was vague about her plans for the semifinals.
"Just try to play well. I don't have any special plan," Williams said. "Really just try to play well."
In a Vogue Magazine interview last month, 23-time Grand Slam champion Serena Williams called Kasatkina one of her favorite players to watch.