Serena survives scare to make 11th semis

SERENA WILLIAMS survived a major scare before sealing her 11th Wimbledon semifinal appearance as the seven-time champion hit back to beat Italy’s Camila Giorgi 3-6, 6-3, 6-4 yesterday.

Williams was in danger of a stunning quarterfinal exit after world No. 52 Giorgi became the first player in this year’s tournament to take a set off the former world No. 1.

But Serena bludgeoned her way out of trouble over the final two sets to stay on course for an eighth All England Club triumph.

It was Serena’s 100th career main draw victory on grass.

The 36-year-old will play German 13th seed Julia Goerges tomorrow for a place in Saturday’s final boasting a 3-0 career record.

“I knew after the first set, ‘all right, let’s go three sets’. I’ll just keep fighting,” Williams said.

“I’m ok, I feel good, I feel like I did better today, I had to. This is only my fourth tournament back so I don’t feel pressure, I don’t feel I have to win this.

“I still have a long way to go to be where I was.”

Serena is the first woman to reach a Grand Slam semi-final without facing a top 40 ranked opponent since 2013 and just the fourth since 2005.

Her path to the title has been wide open from early in the tournament as Garbine Muguruza, Maria Sharapova, Simona Halep, Petra Kvitova, Venus Williams, Caroline Wozniacki and Sloane Stephens have all been eliminated.

The carnage at the top leaves 11th seed Angelique Kerber – beaten by Serena in the 2016 Wimbledon final – as the highest ranked player left.

Kerber takes on Latvia’s Jelena Ostapenko in the other semifinal.

Having shaken off the rust following her lengthy lay-off after the birth of her daughter Olympia in September, Williams is on the verge of a 10th Wimbledon final appearance.

If Serena lifts the Venus Rosewater Dish this weekend, she will join an select group of women who have won Grand Slam titles after becoming mothers.

She would also draw level with record holder Margaret Court on 24 Grand Slam crowns.

Williams won Wimbledon on her last two visits in 2015 and 2016 before missing last year’s event due to her pregnancy. – AFP