CHINA’S Zhang Shuai became the first women’s qualifier since 1990 to reach the Australian Open quarterfinals after beating a hobbling Madison Keys 3-6, 6-3, 6-3 Monday.

    The 15th-seeded Keys had comfortably won the opening set but was broken by the Chinese in the third game of the second and immediately took a medical time out for treatment to what appeared to be a left leg injury.

    American Keys then found it difficult to move around the court and the 27-year-old Zhang used that to her advantage to make the American chase the ball and send it to a decider.

    Keys, a semifinalist last year, looked on the verge of retiring several times in the deciding set but battled on grimly despite pain. The 133rd-ranked Zhang struggled to control her nerves in the decider, but eventually held it together to set up a quarterfinal against unseeded Briton Johanna Konta.

    The last qualifier to reach the Australian Open quarterfinals was Mexico’s Angelica Gavaldon in 1990.

    “I was very lucky today,” a smiling Zhang said. The Tianjin native said she heard spectators saying “quarterfinals, quarterfinals” during the match and “it makes me very nervous!”

    Zhang had never won a Grand Slam match before this year’s Australian Open, entering with a 0-14 record at the majors.

    Meanwhile, world number one Serena Williams muscled past Maria Sharapova for an 18th straight time yesterday to set up a semifinal against Agnieszka Radwanska, who has never beaten the dominant American.

    The six-time Melbourne Park champion heaped more misery on her long-time rival 6-4, 6-1, with the Russian fifth seed stretching her demoralizing unbeaten run against the American great to 12 years.

    With Sharapova again swatted aside, the 34-year-old Williams, gunning to match Steffi Graf’s Open-era Grand Slam record of 22 titles, now has the composed Pole in her sights.

    The signs are not good for Radwanska, who easily disposed of Spanish 10th seed Carla Suarez 6-1, 6-3 win on Rod Laver Arena.

    While her record against Williams is not yet on the scale of Sharapova, it is still dismal.

    She has played her eight times since 2008 and lost the lot, taking just one set along the way.

    Another ominous fact facing the Pole is that every time defending champion Williams has got past the quarterfinals at Melbourne Park, she has gone on to win the tournament.

    Ahead of the Williams-Sharapova showdown, Radwanska, also a semifinalist last year, said she did not mind who she faced in the last four clash today.

    “I have nothing to lose and it does not matter who I play. Hopefully I can play my best tennis or I’ll be in trouble,” said the popular 26-year-old, who is on a 13-match win streak.

    The Pole added that the experience she gained from making the Wimbledon final in 2012 and three other major semis would be crucial.

    “Experience is very important in tennis. I’m happy to have that and I’ll be ready for the semi,” she said.

    Earlier Monday, Andy Murray put personal distractions aside to beat Bernard Tomic and advance to the quarterfinals. Two nights ago his father-in-law was rushed to the hospital from a nearby court while Andy Murray was playing.

    An agitated Murray yelled and berated himself, and had trouble at times before winning 6-4, 6-4, 7-6 (4) against the last Australian in the draw. “I was more emotional than normal,” he said. “I was talking to myself after every single point almost from the first point through till the last, which was obviously not ideal.”

    Murray’s wife, Kim, is due to have their first baby next month, and Murray has said he’ll leave the tournament any time if he has to rush back to Britain to be with her. The sudden illness of Kim’s father, Nigel Sears, in Melbourne had the two-time champion again reconsidering whether to stay or go.

    “It’s been a stressful few days, but I’ll try to rest up the next few days to get ready for the next one,” Murray said.(SD-Agencies)