adminLONDON – Serena Williams feasted on familiar prey as she reached an eighth Wimbledon final with a superb 6-2, 6-4 victory over Maria Sharapova yesterday, her 17th win in a row over the Russian.
The five-time champion is now one match away from reinforcing her stranglehold on the women’s game by holding all four grand slam titles at the same time, a feat she will achieve for the second occasion if she beats 20th-seeded Spaniard Garbine Muguruza in tomorrow’s final.
Sharapova could not deal with the ferocity of the Williams return, while her own serve crumbled as the American increased the pressure.
The Russian is one of the game’s most powerful hitters but looked overawed at times in the face of Williams’ sledgehammer game. The world No 1 launched an attacking barrage, breaking twice in the first set and once in the second, bringing up match point with an ace and thundering down another huge serve to clinch a one-sided victory.
Garbine Muguruza became the first Spanish woman to reach the final since 1996 as Agnieszka Radwanska was left to rue a botched Hawkeye challenge in the final game of her 6-2, 3-6, 6-3 Centre Court defeat.
After an enthralling duel full of momentum shifts the 21-year-old Muguruza was serving for the match at 5-3 when at deuce she hit a deep drive that Poland’s Radwanska scrambled back before stopping to challenge after hearing shouts of “out” from her coaching team in the stands.
The video replay showed Muguruza’s shot had actually landed on the outer portion of the dusty baseline and even though the Spaniard hit her next shot out, the point was hers because Radwanska had put her fate in the hands of Hawkeye.
Radwanska stared towards her box and a point later Muguruza swung away a volley to end a gripping contest.
It was a bizarre end to a match which had looked like being a quickfire win for Muguruza in her first grand slam semifinal.
“It was a 50-50 decision but it wasn’t a very good decision to challenge,” Radwanska, beaten by Serena Williams in the 2012 final, told reporters.
Muguruza was just delighted to finish the job, saying: “I heard some people were saying ‘out, out’ but I was just praying the ball was on the line.”
Asked how she felt after reaching her first major final the 20th seeded Spaniard added: “I don’t have words to explain it. I worked all my life to achieve this moment.”
Muguruza showed no early nerves, powered through the first set and was streaking away towards the final at 3-1 in the second.
But wily 13th seed Radwanska, playing her third Wimbledon semifinal, dug her heels in and the momentum shifted her way with a run of six successive games. – Reuters.
Online Reporter