Williams brings up 700 wins by beating Lisicki

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Serena Williams became the eighth player to reach 700 WTA Tour match wins with victory over Sabine Lisicki at the Miami Open on Wednesday.

Williams - a seven-time champion in Miami - joins Martina Navratilova, Chris Evert, Steffi Graf, Virginia Wade, Arantxa Sanchez-Vicario, Lindsay Davenport and Conchita Martinez in achieving the milestone after her battling quarter-final win.

The world number one recovered from a second-set wobble to earn her passage into the last four, downing Lisicki 7-6 (7-4) 1-6 6-3.

Lisicki looked to be in the ascendancy in the opener as she hurried Williams into mistakes, but her groundstrokes were found wanting and eventually the 19-time major winner took advantage.

Williams saved a set point and broke serve to take it to a tie-break, which she won with ease.

Both players made a shaky start to the second set as neither could hold their serve, but Lisicki then took total control and leveled the match in emphatic style.

Williams, though, got in front early in the decider to take a 3-0 lead, and Lisicki was unable to force her way back into contention.

The defending champion, chasing a third Miami title in succession and eighth overall, will face third seed Simona Halep in the last four, after the Romanian defeated Sloane Stephens 6-1 7-5.

Halep was in cruise control for much of the contest, and leapt to a one-set and 3-0 lead before her American opponent came to life.

Stephens reeled off four straight games to get the set back on serve, but Halep steadied - breaking serve in the 11th game to seal a straight-sets victory.

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