Comeback queens’ duel

Kerber smashes through ... to a showdown with Serena Kerber v Williams Tonight, 11pm

ANGELIQUE Kerber is not the least bit surprised Serena Williams once again stands between her and a coveted Wimbledon crown.

Kerber and Williams will clash in a sequel to their 2016 championship decider after both former world No.1s completed stirring comebacks to the grand slam final stage with one-sided semi-final wins.

As Kerber strives to banish the memories of a forgettable 2017 season with a third major to go with her 2016 Australian and US Open triumphs, Williams is eyeing her 24th grand slam singles title less than a year after having her first child.

“She’s a fighter. She’s a champion. That’s why she is there where she is now,” the German said after taming misfiring Latvian 12th seed Jelena Ostapenko 6-3 6-3.

“She’s always going out there to win the matches. It doesn’t matter who she is playing. She’s playing like she played the years before where she won the big matches.

“Now for sure she had a lot of big confidence, especially after the matches she won here already. She knows the feeling of going out on this stage where you are in the finals, especially here.

“She’s won here I don’t know how many times.” Seven, in fact. But Kerber’s victory, for the loss of only six games — just like Williams’ 6-2 6-4 semifinal success over Julia Goerges — was commanding, and took two minutes less.

Kerber struck just 10 winners to Ostapenko’s 30, but that was more than enough as the 2017 French champion made 36 unforced errors playing her high-risk hit-or-miss tennis on the sport’s biggest stage.

Almost a decade older than Ostapenko, the 30-year-old’s experience and patient waiting game paid rich dividends as Kerber only offered up seven mistakes from her end.

Her only setback came when she was unable to serve the match out at 5-1 in the second set as Ostapenko made one last stand.

“It’s such a great feeling to be back in the final and to play on the centre court is always a great feeling, a great experience and I’m really excited,” Kerber said.

“I’m really proud to be back in a grand slam final. It is the match I was working towards as a young kid.

“2017 is over and I’m glad about that.”