WRAPUP 1-Tennis-Highlights of Wimbledon day 10
ByReuters
Published 12/07/2018 at 16:20 GMT
LONDON, July 12 (Reuters) - Serena Williams will face Germany's Angelique Kerber for an eighth Wimbledon title after the American powered past Julia Goerges 6-2 6-4 in the semi-finals on Thursday.
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Williams, 36, has returned to a Grand Slam final just 10 months after giving birth to her daughter Alexis Olympia.
Germany's 13th seed Goerges was broken in the sixth game of each set as she lacked the firepower to prevent Williams from claiming a 20th consecutive win at the All England Club.
"It's crazy. I don't even know how to feel because I literally didn't think I'd do this well in my fourth tournament back," Williams said.
"I don't have anything to lose and I feel I can play so free. That's what I'm doing."
Williams will be seeking a 24th Grand Slam title on Saturday in what will be a rematch of the 2016 final against Kerber, which the American won.
Earlier in the day, two-time Grand Slam winner Kerber delivered a dominant performance to put away an erratic Jelena Ostapenko 6-3 6-3.
Ostapenko, playing in her first Wimbledon semi-final, fired 30 winners but her 36 unforced errors allowed her opponent to take control of the match.
Kerber raced to an early lead in the second set before wrapping up the victory in 68 minutes, sealing a return to a Grand Slam final for the first time since winning the U.S. Open in 2016.
READ MORE:
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Serena Williams v Julia Goerges - match stats
Kerber reaches final as Ostapenko self-destructs
Angelique Kerber v Jelena Ostapenko
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Warrior Nadal downs Del Potro in thriller to reach semi-finals
Isner beats Raonic to reach first Grand Slam semi-final
Djokovic into Wimbledon semis like a man on a mission
Same old, same old as Nadal wins another five-set nail-biter
Highlights from day 10 of the Wimbledon championships on Thursday (times GMT):
1515 CLINICAL SERENA EASES INTO FINAL
Seven-times champion Serena Williams cruised into her 10th Wimbledon final with a 6-2 6-4 win over Germany's Julia Goerges.
The 36-year-old American struck 16 winners compared to just seven unforced errors to defeat a top-50 opponent for the first time at this year's championships.
In her first Grand Slam final since returning from a maternity leave earlier this year, Williams will face Angelique Kerber on Saturday.
"I literally didn't expect to do this well in my fourth tournament back," Williams said.
"It's not inevitable for me to be playing like this. I had multiple surgeries and nearly didn't make it when I gave birth. I'm enjoying every moment."
1435 SERENA GRABS EARLY ADVANTAGE
Serena Williams broke Germany's Julia Goerges in the sixth game before claiming the opening set 6-2 in their semi-final.
Williams has never dropped a set in her previous three meetings with Goerges. The 36-year-old American holds a 9-1 winning record in Wimbledon semi-finals with her only loss coming against her sister Venus in 2000.
1320 KERBER RACES INTO FINAL
Germany's Angelique Kerber served out the match on her second attempt to beat Latvia's Jelena Ostapenko 6-3 6-3 in 68 minutes.
Twice Grand Slam champion Kerber will return to the Wimbledon final for the second time in three years. The last German woman to win Wimbledon was Steffi Graf in 1996.
"I think it was a really tough match," the 30-year-old Kerber said.
"I was just trying to move good and take my chances. It’s such a great feeling to be back in the final. I’m really excited. It doesn't matter (who I play)."
Kerber will face either seven-times champion Serena Williams or fellow German Julia Goerges in Saturday's final.
1245 KERBER CLAIMS OPENING SET
Angelique Kerber breaks Jelena Ostapenko's serve twice to claim the opening set 6-3 in 34 minutes.
Making her 11th appearance in the main draw at Wimbledon, Kerber is bidding to reach her second final in three years.
Latvia's Ostapenko has been far from her best in her first semi-final at the All England Club, committing 19 unforced errors as she dropped her first set of the championship. (Reporting by Hardik Vyas in Bengaluru Editing by Catherine Evans)
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