German Angelique Kerber moved into Saturday Wimbledon final after she beat Venus Williams on Thursday afternoon.
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The 34-year-old Serena Williams showed dominating form in dispatching her Russian opponent 6-2, 6-0, with the six-time champion advancing to her ninth Wimbledon singles final.
Entering the semifinal, Williams had a chance to set up a final against her younger sister Serena, who beat Elena Vesnina 6-2, 6-0 earlier in the day.
Angelique Kerber has warned Serena Williams she’s more unsafe on grass, ahead of Saturday’s Australian Open final rematch in the Wimbledon decider.
A five-time Wimbledon champion, Venus was in her first Grand Slam semifinal since the 2010 U.S. Open.
“If you’re going to cry and be insane after every loss, I think your nerves will be dead by the end of your career”, she said. “For me, it’s holding the trophy and winning, which would make it a better accomplishment”.
Centre Court was far from full for the first three games, as those who witnessed Serena’s whirlwind win stepped outside to gather their breath.
Few of Williams’s 85 singles wins at the All England Club could have been easier.
“I think I’ve been training my mind for years and years, and I’ve been preparing for these moments for decades”, Serena said.
Williams warmed to her topic, insisting that the dedication to her sport which she developed as a child on the public courts and in the tough neighbourhoods of Los Angeles should not be treated less seriously just because of her sex.
Kerber required slightly longer to beat big sister Venus 6-4 6-4 but the two matches lasted just two hours in total.
She then lost to Kerber in the Australian Open final and was beaten by Garbine Muguruza in the French Open final. At 36, Williams might have missed her last opportunity at a Wimbledon title.
“I just feel more relaxed and more at peace than I may have been in the past”, Williams said.
She dropped only three points on serve in an embarrassingly one-sided 49 minutes – crunching down one 160 kph delivery that topped the women’s speed charts at this year’s tournament. Kerber is 3-0 from the same point of view, and she looks fully prepared for the Wimbledon final.
“I felt like I had no chance today”, she said.
In the second set, Kerber broke Venus in the opening game and held her serve throughout the set to win the match in straight sets. “I’m talking about attitude, I’m talking about the ability to handle the matches, the ability to change the matches around when she’s in trouble, all those things that she’s so good at”.
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“I think we deserve equal prize money”, Serena told the reporter.
