DOHA, Qatar -- Venus Williams beat Agnieszka Radwanska on Thursday for the second time this year to advance to the Qatar Open semifinals, where she will meet two-time champion Victoria Azarenka.
Williams, who beat Radwanska to reach the Australian Open quarterfinals last month, won 6-4, 1-6, 6-3. It was the third time in four days that Williams had gone the distance for a three-set win.
Azarenka, the 2012 and 2013 champ who received a wild-card entry, beat third-seeded Caroline Wozniacki 6-3, 6-1.
Williams started her quarterfinal with a break, wobbled during the second set, and was quick to recover in the third after the fourth-seeded Radwanska mounted a late challenge.
Williams sealed her first semifinal in Doha with a forehand winner down the line.
"I just tried to stay focused because she wasn't going to let up," Williams said after the 2-hour, 16-minute match.
Williams has won all four of her previous matches against Azarenka, but was expecting to endure another long day.
"Every match (this week) has been three sets, so it's been really challenging," Williams said. "No one gives you a point, you have to fight, fight, fight for each point, and I guess it'll be more of that tomorrow."
Meanwhile, Azarenka fired 26 winners against Wozniacki in a match of former No. 1s.