Indian Wells: Top seed Azarenka storms into semis

INDIAN WELLS: Victoria Azarenka extended her season long win streak to 21 matches as she raced into the Indian Wells semi-finals Wednesday with a 6-0, 6-2 dismantling of Agnieszka Radwanska.

If she wins her next match and reaches 22 straight match victories, you would have to go back to Martina Hingis in 1997 to find someone with a longer win streak to start the WTA season. Hingis had 37 consecutive wins.

World No. 1 Azarenka advanced to the semi-finals where she will face either China's Li Na or Angelique Kerber of Germany.

The 22-year-old from Belarus is chasing her first Indian Wells title after already having captured the Australian Open title this year and the world number one ranking along with it.

If she makes it to the final in the California desert she could face second seed Maria Sharapova who plays her quarter-final match on Thursday. Azarenka thrashed Sharapova in the final of the Aussie Open, one of three titles for her this year.

Azarenka was on the top of her game Wednesday as she clinched the match on her first match point when Radwanska hammered a forehand into the net.

Azarenka finished with one ace, two double faults and a 72 percent winning total on her first-serve points. She won every game of the first set in just 25 minutes.

Azarenka (21-0) and Radwanska (20-4) are the two winningest players on the WTA Tour so far this year.

But the fifth seeded Radwanska served poorly, winning just seven of 21 points on her second serve.

Radwanska, of Poland, had her serve broken six times and lost the first 11 games of the match. She broke Azarenka in the 12th game of the second set to avoid the double bagel. (AFP)