Australian Open to have first-time women champion

Two-time defending champion Victoria Azarenka followed Serena Williams and Maria Sharapova out of the Australian Open Wednesday in another big shock that ensures the Grand Slam tournament will have a new women’s champion.

The Belarusian was bundled out in the quarter-finals by Poland’s Agnieszka Radwansa 6-1, 5-7, 6-0, meaning the top three women’s seeds have all failed spectacularly at the season-opening major.

World number one Williams crashed in the third round and third seed Sharapova slumped in the fourth, in a tournament of upsets that also saw defending men’s champion Novak Djokovic Tuesday.

The cool and collected Radwanska was inspired, running down every ball and getting the crowd at Rod Laver Arena on their feet with her blistering groundstrokes.

Her convincing win set up a clash against 20th seed Dominika Cibulkovaseed, who thrashed Romanian 11th Simona Halep 6-3, 6-0 to storm into only her second Grand Slam semi-final.