Serena Williams beats Maria Sharapova to reach Wimbledon final

Garbine Muguruza easily won the first set in her Wimbledon semifinal match against Agnieszka Radwanska, 6-2.

In a tense conclusion, Muguruza broke for 4-2, rediscovering the raw power of her earlier dominance. That has extended to banning her parents from attending her biggest match of her career on Thursday afternoon.

Asked what she needs to do to be competitive against Williams, Sharapova responded: “A lot more than I’m doing”. “I know it’s not good for me, but it’s how I like to spend time“.

The 33-year-old American will be making her 25th Grand Slam final appearance, and her eighth at Wimbledon, as she chases a 21st major title. Is the World No 20 daunted? She’s beaten four players inside the top 20 to book her place in the final, where she’ll take on either Serena Williams or Maria Sharapova. The 21-year-old goes on to tackle world number one and five-time champion Serena Williams in Saturday’s final. “If you want to win a Grand Slam, when you dream, you say, ‘I want Serena in the final.’ “.

Despite Radwanska’s attempt to play down the incident, Muguruza shared the view of everyone in the crowd that she had been influenced to make the call. Radwanska had already hit a forehand return, and only challenged after her ball had bounced on the other side of the net and Muguruza lined up her next shot.

Muguruza also revealed that as a child she had dreamed of facing Williams in the Wimbledon final.

What is all the more remarkable is that Muguruza possesses next to no pedigree on grass. Muguruza won 6-3, 3-6, 6-3. I don’t think she’s really used to this.

She lost to 146th-ranked Briton Johanna Konta in Eastbourne and got only four games off Slovakian Magdalena Rybarikova in Birmingham.

“I’m surprised because my two tournaments before preparation, they were not so good”.

Arantxa Sanchez-Vicario was the last Spanish woman to make the final at the All England Club while Conchita Martinez was the last champion in 1994.

“I’ve grown so much mentally”.

There is no tiki-taka about Muguruza.

Two breaks of serve in the first and fifth games gave her the opener in just 33 minutes with the Pole only managing to claim four points of the Spaniard’s serve. With such a powerful game coming together, Mugurza said it takes all her effort to stay focused and in the present. Radwanska waited her moment. “It’s interesting Radwanska stopped play as her box called it out and it was in -she was not happy”, said the American.

“I’m going to talk to them now, to see if they’re going to come [to the final] or not”. Radwanska has been at this stage twice before at the All England Club, including in 2012 when she reached the final. “In the third, I could find a way, as in the first set, [to] play more aggressive, lose the fear to win the match”.

Williams hit 13 aces, reaching 123 miles per hour. Believers will be thin on the ground. “I think it’s important”. But I wish her luck. It’s going to be hard.

But as she has been since the start of these Championships, Muguruza will be utterly unfazed.

“It wasn’t easy out there, but when she stepped up her game I was able to step up mine”.