Serena Williams attacked Maria Sharapova's strength and it helped extend her complete domination of their rivalry, earning the six-time Australian Open champion a place in the semifinals.
Top-ranked Williams beat Sharapova 6-4, 6-1 in the quarterfinals on Tuesday, her 18th consecutive victory and 19th in 21 career meetings back to 2004.
"It was super intense," Williams said of the replay of last year's final. Sharapova is "an incredibly intense, focused player who was No. 1 and has won so many Grand Slams for a reason.
"You have to come out with a lot of fire and intensity."
Each of the six previous times Williams has won a quarter-final at Melbourne Park, she has won the title at the season-opening Grand Slam tournament.
Up next for her is fourth-seeded Agnieszka Radwanska, who beat No. 10 Carla Suarez Navarro 6-1, 6-3 to reach a Grand Slam semifinal for the fifth time. She has never won a major.
Sharapova has won five majors, including the 2008 Australian title, and has been in three other finals at Melbourne Park.
In her fourth-round win against No. 12 Belinda Bencic she had a career-high 21 aces. Against Williams, she had three, and seven double-faults.
Sharapova broke to open the match and held for a 2-0 lead.
Both players struggled with their ball toss at one end, repeatedly practicing their toss to work out the best position to serve into the sun.
Williams also had to concentrate hard to hold in the ninth game, when a baby screamed loudly for most of the game.
Williams had medical treatment between sets, and again in the second during a changeover, but it wasn't clear what the problem was. She didn't comment on it in her on-court interview.
Pospisil, Sock rolling along
Canadian Vasek Pospisil and American partner Jack Sock recovered to win their men's doubles quarter-finals match 5-7, 6-1, 6-2 over Pablo Cuevas and Marcel Granollers.
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