Serena Williams beats Maria Sharapova to reach Wimbledon final – as it happened
Serena Williams scored a 17th straight victory over her (un)rival, beating Maria Sharapova 6-2, 6-4, to move within one win of a second Serena Slam
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The final against Muguruza could be tasty. The young Spaniard stunned Serena in the French Open second round last year. A grand slam final will, of course, be a different proposition, but don’t be surprised if Muguruza pushes Williams. Much will come down to how the 21-year-old handles the pressure of her first major final. Perhaps she could ask Sharapova for a few tips, if Sharapova can even remember her 2004 Wimbledon final win as a 17-year-old over Williams. After 17 straight defeats, it must feel like a lifetime ago. Thanks for reading. Bye!
Williams beats Sharapova 6-2, 6-4 to reach the Wimbledon final!
Williams starts as she means to go on, ace, 15-0. But maybe she’s a bit tight because she double faults with a badly-mistimed second serve. How silly am I? Of course she’s not nervous. Ace, 30-15. Ace, 40-15. Unreturned serve, game, set and match Williams. Williams jumps around the court, waving to all four sides, as she celebrates reaching an eighth Wimbledon final, where she can further enhance her greatness. She’ll be going for a second Serena Slam and the third leg of a possible calendar slam, not to mention a 21st grand slam title and a sixth at Wimbledon. She’s a phenomenon. As for Sharapova, the losing run. Goes. On.
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Second set: *Williams 6-2, 5-4 Sharapova (*denotes next server)
Sharapova’s serve jumps into the body of Williams, who nets. Sharapova lets rip with an inside-out forehand to get to 30-0. Oooof, take that. She virtually battered the life out of the ball there. Williams then finishes the ball off for good with a powerful backhand. 30-15. Another point apiece and it’s 40-30. The pair duke it out from the back of the court, before Williams decides she’s had enough and puts away the backhand winner. Deuce, with Williams, potentially, two points from the final. Now she’s only one point away because Sharapova’s serve creaks under the pressure once again and produces a double fault. Advantage Williams, match point. Williams has the chance to win it, but goes for too much on the cross-court forehand! Deuce. A breathtaking point follows, perhaps the best of the match, some frightening hitting from both players and it’s Sharapova who survives to bring up advantage. Williams, seemingly off-balance, comes up with an unorthodox return winner. Deuce. Advantage Sharapova. Game. Sharapova was staring down the barrel there but survived. Though it may only be for one more game.
Second set: Williams 6-2, 5-3 Sharapova* (*denotes next server)
Sharapova has a bit of a spring in her step after her escape act in the previous game. She’s jumping around on the baseline pretending to return before Williams has even served. And when Williams does Sharapova takes the first point. And the second. 0-30. Williams recovers her poise, 30-all, but she had a bit of an agonising wait on the fourth point to see if her looping forehand was going to drop back into court. It did, for a winner. 40-30, game, as Sharapova’s attempted return off a sizzling serve barely makes the net. Sharapova must hold serve to stay in this semi-final.
Second set: *Williams 6-2, 4-3 Sharapova (*denotes next server)
Jim Hart emails: “I’m surprised nobody has mentioned the great Vitas Gerulaitis quote after finally getting one over on Jimmy Connors: ‘And let that be a lesson to you all. Nobody beats Vitas Gerulaitis 17 times in a row’. Unfortunately, for Sharapova, it looks like a 17th straight defeat is looming. She slumps to 15-40, two break points down. But Williams is feeling generous and throws in two forehand errors. Deuce. A rocket of a return, advantage Williams. If she breaks here she’ll be serving for a place in the final. But this time she sprays an errant backhand into the tramlines. Deuce. Advantage Sharapova. Game Sharapova. The Russian allows herself a little fist pump in celebration, having saved those three break points.
Second set: Williams 6-2, 4-2 Sharapova* (*denotes next server)
Apologies, technical errors. But I can tell you that Williams consolidates the break by holding emphatically to love.
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