Australian Open: Naomi Osaka defeats Serena Williams to reach final

Naomi Osaka beat Serena Williams on Thursday in the Australian Open semifinals, 6-3, 6-4.

Osaka, 23, is the tournament's No. 3 seed, and will now have a chance to win her fourth major championship. She will face either Karolina Muchova or Jennifer Brady in Saturday's final. Had Williams been victorious, she would have made it to her ninth Australian Open final, with the possibility of winning her 24th Grand Slam.

After the match, Osaka said she grew up watching Williams play, and it was "a dream" to face off against her. "I think the biggest thing that I've learned over the years is ... you're playing against another competitor," she added. "That itself is the funniest part because tennis is a game."

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