Azarenka into Brisbane semis

Brisbane - Top-ranked Victoria Azarenka wasted no time in a 6-1, 6-0 win over Kazakh qualifier Ksenia Pervak on Thursday, setting up a possible semi-final showdown with Serena Williams at the Brisbane International.

Azarenka, the reigning Australian Open champion, needed only 68 minutes to win her quarter-final, breaking Pervak's serve seven times.

Pervak had opened the tournament with an upset win over former No 1 Caroline Wozniacki, but didn't have anything left to trouble Azarenka after coming off back-to-back matches decided in third-set tiebreakers.

No 3-ranked Williams was playing fellow American Sloane Stephens in a night quarter-final. Williams has won 33 of her last 34 matches, including titles at Wimbledon, the Olympics and US Open. She has an 11-1 record against Azarenka, including five wins in all of the matches they played in 2012.