MELBOURNE, Australia — For the second time in two consecutive hardcourt Grand Slam events, Serena Williams’s Sisyphean pursuit of Margaret Court’s record of 24 major singles titles ended in the semifinals at the hands of a former world No. 1.
On Thursday, it was Naomi Osaka extinguishing Williams’s blaze through the Australian Open, handing her a 6-3, 6-4 defeat.
The loss came five months after Williams took the first set but was toppled at the United States Open by Victoria Azarenka. Despite moving as well on the court as she has in years, Williams, 39, could not keep pace with Osaka, 23, a three-time Grand Slam champion who has a streak of 20 match victories.