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LONDON. — Six-time champion Serena Williams breezed into her ninth Wimbledon tennis final by demolishing unseeded Russian Elena Vesnina in just 48 minutes yesterday.
The 34-year-old American, who is bidding for an Open Era record-equalling 22nd Grand Slam title, cantered to a 6-2, 6-0 win over her 50th-ranked opponent.
Angelique Kerber later on booked a Wimbledon final showdown with defending champion Serena Williams as the German ended Venus Williams’ bid for a fairytale title with a 6-4, 6-4 victory yesterday.
Serena’s demolition of Vesnina in the day’s first semi-final had set up the prospect of a first all-Williams Wimbledon final since 2009.
But Kerber had no intention of being a footnote in Wimbledon history and she saw off five-time champion Venus in 71 minutes on Centre Court to reach her first All England Club title match.
Kerber stunned Serena to win her maiden Grand Slam crown in the Australian Open final in January and the 28-year-old again stands in the way of the world number one’s bid to win a record-equalling 22nd major.
Serena, playing in her 32nd Grand Slam semi-final, blasted last-four debutant Vesnina off the sun-kissed Centre Court in front of Prince William’s wife Kate watching from up in the Royal Box.
The American fired 11 aces, 28 winners and committed just seven unforced errors, breaking serve five times to reach her 28th Grand Slam final.
Vesnina won just three points off the Williams serve in the first set and none in the second.
“I’m very happy. I was really focused today. We’ve had tough matches before and I knew she could bring it to me on this surface,” said Williams, who has now defeated the Russian five times in five meetings. Despite the painfully one-sided semi-final Serena, into her third Grand Slam final of the year, insisted it had been a tough workout.
“It’s never easy out there, every point you have to fight for,” she said.
“I can’t believe I’m in the final this year. I’m 0-2 this year so I’m determined to win one . . . but Kerber would be another good match.”
Serena triumphed in 2002, 2003 and 2009 while Venus came out on top in 2008.
Yesterday’s contest saw Serena race to a 4-0 lead in the first set before 29-year-old Vesnina got on the board.
But the set was over in 28 minutes courtesy of Serena’s seventh ace.
The second set was wrapped up in just 20 minutes with breaks in the first, third and fifth games. Tomorrow’s final will give Serena a chance to win a first major of the season after losing to Kerber in the final in Melbourne and Garbine Muguruza in Paris. — AFP.
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