ESPN.com reported on Jan 23, 2013, that American teenage tennis player Sloane Stephens defeated her idol Serena Williams to reach the semi-finals of the Australian Open.
In the biggest victory of her life, the 19-year-old Stephens defeated Williams 3-6, 7-5, 6-4 in the quarter-finals of the Australian Open on Wednesday. Watch the highlights video here.
Stephens told the media after the match, "I was stretching, and I was like, 'I'm in the semis of a Grand Slam.' I was like, 'Whoa. It wasn't as hard as I thought.' But it's pretty cool, to be in the semis of a Grand Slam is definitely I say a good accomplishment. A lot of hard work."
This was Serena's first loss after 20 consecutive wins.
Stephens plays defending champion Victoria Azarenka in the semi-finals of the Australian Open.
ESPN quoted Sloane as saying, "When I got up, I was like, 'Look, Dude, like, you can do this.' Like, 'Go out and play and do your best.
"I was like, 'Hmm, this is not the way you want it to happen. But you just fight and just get every ball back, run every ball down, and just get a lot of balls in play, I think you'll be OK..
"From then on I got aggressive, started coming to the net more, and just got a lot more comfortable."
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