Serena Williams vs. Simona Halep: Recap, Reaction From 2016 Indian Wells

There is set to be a new winner on the women’s side of the BNP Paribas Open this year.

Serena Williams vs. Simona Halep: Recap, Reaction From 2016 Indian Wells

World No. 1 Serena Williams defeated defending Romanian champion Simona Halep (world No. 5) in the quarterfinals at Indian Wells on Wednesday.

Williams, 34, only needed two sets to beat the 2015 champion, 6-4, 6-3.

Williams had seven aces while Halep, 24, only had one. The American also won 81 percent of her first-service points, and proved to be too much for Halep throughout the two sets.

Williams bowed out in last year’s BNP Paribas Open semifinal against the Romanian due to an injury.

During the quarterfinal match, Williams established a 5-2 lead, but Halep came back to narrow the lead to 5-4. However, Williams closed out the set with a critical break to make it 6-4. Andrew Jerell Jones of SB Nation commented on the first set:

 Williams will next face off against Polish Agnieszka Radwanska, 27, (World No. 2) in the semifinals. Radwanska defeated Czech Petra Kvitova in the quarterfinals in straight sets 6-2, 7-6. According to SteveGTennis.com, Williams holds a dominant 9-0 lead in head-to-head showdowns against Radwanska, and the last six alone were in straight-sets fashion.

After her win at Indian Wells, Williams discussed playing in the BNP Paribas Open for the second year in a row. “This year I’m not as nervous and I’m just excited to return again,” Williams said. “Every time I step on the court and people cheer for me, it’s just a different feeling.” Regarding her upcoming semifinal game against Radwanska, Williams also stated, “This is a good surface for her because it’s a slow surface. I expect there will be a lot of long rallies.”

The WTA also shared the final point of the opening set:

 

MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA – JANUARY 18: Serena Williams of the United States plays a forehand in her first round match against Camila Giorgi of Italy during day one of the 2016 Australian Open at Melbourne Park on January 18, 2016 in Melbourne, Australia. (Photo by Quinn Rooney/Getty Images)