SUPER MUM SERENA REACHES HER 10TH WIMBLEDON FINAL
Williams will take on Kerber at the All England Club on Saturday after straight-sets victory
Seven-time champion Serena Williams made it through to the Wimbledon final for a 10th time on Thursday where she will take on Germany’s Angelique Kerber.
The 25th seed brushed aside Julia Goerges 6-2, 6-4 to book her place in her 30th grand slam final.
The 36-year-old American, who will be in her first final since giving birth to daughter Olympia last year, can equal Margaret Court’s all-time record of 24 slam titles if she beats Kerber in what will be a repeat of the 2016 final at the All England Club.
Williams put on a superb display of power and athleticism against Germany’s Goerges, needing just an hour and 10 minutes to triumph on Centre Court.
Williams, who gave birth to daughter Olympia just over 10 months ago, produced the most impressive display of her comeback and will now attempt to stage a repeat of 2016, when she defeated Kerber in straight sets.
Williams said: “It’s crazy. I don’t even know how to feel. I didn’t expect to do so well in my fourth tournament back. I just feel when I don’t have anything to lose, I can play so free. It’s definitely not normal for me to be in a Wimbledon final. I’m just enjoying every moment.”
Goerges, the 13th seed, was playing in her first slam semi-final and Williams her 35th, so it would have been no surprise if the German was a little overawed, but far from it.
The 29 year -old came out hitting the ball cleanly and landing plenty of winners but, after four very competitive games, Williams pulled away.
Goerges was the first top-50 player the American had faced during the tournament so there was a sense she had not been properly tested, but Williams was simply on another level. She reeled off the final four games of the opening set and quickly moved in front in the second. Goerges clawed her way back from 2-5 to 4-5, breaking the Williams serve for the only time in the match in the ninth game.
But Goerges was broken again in the final game and, although she hit 20 winners to 16 for Williams, there was no doubt who was the superior player.
The win extended Williams’ unbeaten run at Wimbledon to 20 matches, dating back to a third-round loss against Alize Cornet in 2014.
Earlier on Thursday, Kerber raced into her second Wimbledon final as the German crushed former French Open champion Jelena Ostapenko 6-3, 6-3 in just 67 minutes.
Kerber took the express route to her a fourth grand slam title match with a “blink and you miss it” demolition of Ostapenko on Centre Court.
The 30-year-old hit only 10 winners but that was all it took to get the job done as Ostapenko shot herself in the foot with 36 unforced errors.
“I was just trying to move good and take my chances. I’m so excited,” Kerber said.
“It’s such a great feeling to be back in the final. Playing on Centre Court is always great.”
Referencing her dismal form last year, Kerber added: “2017 is over and I’m really happy about that. We are in 2018!”
It’s crazy. I don’t know how to feeI. I didn’t expect to do so well in just my fourth tournament back SERENA WILLIAMS