• Toray Pan Pacific Open

Venus breaks record serve en route to semi-finals

ESPN staff
September 26, 2013
Highlights: Williams bt Bouchard


Venus Williams booked her place in the semi-finals of the Toray Pan Pacific Open after edging out Eugenie Bouchard in a final set - and broke her own world record serve along the way.

Williams' previous best showing at the event in Tokyo was a run to the quarter-finals in 2004, and having matched that feat this year she went one better, playing some of her best tennis after seeing off the challenge of Canadian Bouchard 6-3 6-7(4) 6-3 in just over three hours.

The seven-time grand slam champion also fired down the fastest serve in the women's game, breaking her previous record of 129mph set five years ago with one that clocked 129.9mph.

"Wow, she played so well, she's going to be a great player - she already is a great player," Williams, who has put out world No. 2 Victoria Azarenka and 13th seed Simona Halep this week, said.

"I was just competing out there today, just fighting until the end. It was disappointing to lose the second set, but to win the third set is the goal, so I'm happy I did that."

Williams' semi-final opponent will be either former Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova or two-time major winner Svetlana Kuznetsova after both came through their third-round encounters against Madison Keys and Sorana Cirstea respectively.

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