Azarenka moves step closer to Open showdown against Williams

New York (AP) — At 24 years young, Victoria Azarenka can claim something very few of the more experienced players can.

She has a formula for beating Serena Williams.

By topping Daniela Hantuchova 6-2, 6-3 in the quarterfinals Wednesday, second-seeded Azarenka moved a win away from a possible showdown with Williams in the U.S. Open final. She also became the only woman under the age of 30 to make the final four at Flushing Meadows.

“I’m a baby, what can I say?” Azarenka said.

Azarenka is one of only three women to beat top-seeded Williams this year and is the only woman to beat her twice in 2013. The last win came last month in the final of a tuneup tournament in Cincinnati.

Williams won the title here last year with a three-set win over the two-time Australian Open champion from Belarus.

Does Azarenka think about a possible rematch with Williams? “No,” she said.

Ever bother watching her matches on TV?

“Sometimes I watch but I don’t really watch a lot of TV,” Azarenka said. “Plus, she played too quick, all the matches.”

Similar to Williams’ double-bageling of Carla Suarez Navarro the night before, Azarenka’s match against 48th-ranked Hantuchova wasn’t much of a roadblock.

Returning to the U.S. Open quarterfinals for the first time since 2002, Hantuchova broke Azarenka’s first service game in both sets but gave the breaks back right away both times. She picked up another break to pull within 5-3 in the second set but Azarenka broke back right away to close out the match.

Standing in the way of a Williams-Azarenka final are fifth-seeded Li Na, who plays Williams in Friday’s semifinals, and 83rd-ranked Flavia Pennetta, who goes against Azarenka.