Serena Williams has moved to within one win of clinching her third Grand Slam title of the year thanks to a straight-sets victory over Maria Sharapova in the Wimbledon semi-finals.
Twenty-time Grand Slam champion Williams has now won 17 straight matches against Sharapova, whose wait for a second SW19 title goes on after her victory as a 17-year-old in 2004.
Russia’s Sharapova was on the backfoot from the word go on Thursday on Centre Court as topseed Williams broke in the first game before consolidating the early advantage.
The American broke again in the fifth game and had no troubles on her own serve, wrapping up the opener 6-2 in just over half an hour. Sharapova started the second set much more confidently than the first with a hold to 15, but Williams earned a crucial break in the fifth game to edge ahead.
While Williams didn’t offer the fourth seed a single chance of a break all match long, Sharapova had to save several more break points as she stayed just about in touch. When the chance came for Williams to serve it out, Sharapova didn’t have a single touch on the ball as Williams boomed down four aces to complete the victory in style.
Williams will face 20th-seed Garbine Muguruza for her sixth Wimbledon title in Saturday’s final after the Spaniard overcame Agnieszka Radwanska in the other semifinal tie.
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