MELBOURNE, 16 February, 2021 (TON): In the Australian Open, Serena Williams has beat second seed Simona Halep with her outstanding performance and now is all set to compete in the semi-final against Naomi Osaka.

"I think this is the best match I played this tournament," said Williams, who moved well and hit 24 winners.

The 39-year-old American, bidding for a record-equaling 24th Grand Slam title, won 6-3 6-3 against the Romanian.

Earlier on Tuesday, Osaka cruised past Hsieh Su-wei in just 66 minutes to reach the last four.

The Japanese third seed, who won the second of her three Grand Slam titles at Melbourne Park in 2019, beat the Taiwanese 6-2 6-2.

On Thursday for a place in Saturday's final, Osaka will face Williams a seven-time champion in Melbourne.

Moreover, it will be the first meeting between the pair since their infamous 2018 US Open final.

It is seen that Williams is all fit, focused, and looks like a champion for her glorious win till this stage in the Australian Open tournament, however, Osaka is seen as a player who looks fitter and more focused than she has in recent years.