Serena feels no pressure
London – Serena Williams (above) may be on the verge of making history at Wimbledon, but the stressfree former champion insists she doesn’t feel under any pressure
Williams reached her 35th Grand Slam semifinal with a gritty 3-6, 6-3, 6-4 quarterfinal win over Camila Giorgi.
The American star faces German 13th seed Julia Goerges today hoping to book a 10th final appearance at the All England Club.
Williams, a seven-time Wimbledon winner, was outwardly full of fire as she shrieked her way to victory against the unseeded Italian.
But beneath the surface, the 36-year-old insisted she is feeling unusually calm as she enters the business end of the tournament.
“It’s weird. Sometimes I feel, ‘Man, I’m in trouble’. Sometimes I feel I can fight. For whatever reason, I was so calm,” Williams said of her emotions as she battled back against Giorgi.
“It was just the way I felt. I never felt it was out of my hands. It’s weird. I can’t describe it.
“I just felt calm. I’m hoping I can channel that all the time, but one day at a time.
“I’m hoping this is like a new thing. Honestly, I highly doubt it!”
Serena hasn’t won a Grand Slam since the birth of daughter Olympia in September and her last trophy came at the 2017 Australian Open.
Having shaken off the rust following her lengthy lay-off after the complications with Olympia’s birth, Serena is on the verge of a 30th Grand Slam final berth.
She is aiming to win a 24th major title, which would move her level with record holder Margaret Court on the all-time list of women’s singles champions.
Angelique Kerber, the German 11th seed, faces former French Open champion Jelena Ostapenko in the other semifinal.
Ostapenko struggled with the pressure of defending her maiden Grand Slam title, losing in the first round of the French Open.
But that lifted a weight off her shoulders at the All England Club, where she has become the first Latvian to make a Wimbledon semifinal. – AFP
It’s weird. Sometimes I feel, ‘Man, I’m in trouble’. Sometimes I feel I can fight. For whatever reason, I was so calm. Serena Williams