Serena Williams upsets World no1. Halep in three sets at Australian Open

Serena Williams on Monday defeated Romanian tennis star and current world no 1 Simona Halep 6-1, 4-6, 6-4 to cruise into the quarter-final of the Australian Open.

Williams clinched the first set in the blink of an eye. It was a spectacular set from the 16th seed and she took just 20 minutes to make the world No1 look very ordinary indeed.

However, she failed to continue her dominance in the second set. Halep clinched the second set while lost the third.

Talking about her performance against Halep, Williams said, "It was an intense match and there were some incredible points. But I love playing tennis. It’s really cool to be back out playing on this court. I really needed to elevate my game. She’s the number one player in the world. I’m such a fighter. I just never give up. It’s definitely something that’s innate. It’s a miracle I’m here and I get to do something I enjoy. This is my job and it’s a super pleasure. That keeps me motivated and keep fighting for every point."  

By virtue of this win, Williams will next face Karolina Pliskova in the quarter-finals. The seventh seed Pliskova defeated Williams in the US Open in 2016 - but Williams turned the tables on the Czech at Flushing Meadows last year. 

The American will start as the heavy favourite, though Pliskova will have a chance with her big serve.