World number one Serena Williams continued her decade-long domination over Maria Sharapova with a clinical 6-4 6-3 win yesterday to reach her ninth Sony Open final.

The rematch of last year’s final produced the same result as Williams, a six-time winner on the Miami hardcourts, ran her winning streak against Sharapova to 15 matches, a stunning run that stretches back to 2004.

Sharapova and Williams, who have both achieved a career grand slam and held the number one ranking, were expected to develop into one of the great rivalries in women’s tennis.

But it has not quite worked out that way with Williams winning 16-of-18 meetings between the two.

In Sharapova’s 16 losses, the Russian has only managed to take two sets off the 17-times grand slam winner.

She can add a seventh Miami trophy to her collection tomorrow against the winner of the other semi-final between Chinese world number two Li Na and Slovakian Dominika Cibulkova.

Federer out

A tireless Kei Nishikori shocked 17-time grand slam winner Roger Federer 3-6 7-5 6-4 on Wednesday to claim his second top-five scalp in two days and reach the semi-finals of the Sony Open.

After knocking off fourth seeded Spaniard David Ferrer in a three-hour marathon on Tuesday, the 21st ranked Japanese was forced to go the distance again, surviving a two-hour battle with Federer.

Nishikori has been one of Federer’s few bogeymen, having now had the better of the Swiss maestro in two of their three career meetings.

The victory set up a semi-final meeting against world number two Novak Djokovic, who ended Andy Murray’s reign as Miami champion by easing past the Briton 7-5 6-3.

Murray, playing his first event since splitting with coach Ivan Lendl last week, had looked increasingly comfortable and confident on his own but Djokovic kept the Scotsman under almost constant pressure in blustery conditions.

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