No all-Williams final at Wimbledon after Kerber stops Venus

Williams’ domination came in stark contrast to the two thrilling men’s quarter-finals on Centre Court on Wednesday, which both went to five sets as Roger Federer fought back to beat Marin Cilic and Andy Murray held off a late comeback from Jo-Wilfried Tsonga.

She is aiming to become the first German woman since Steffi Graf 20 years ago to lift the Wimbledon singles crown, and to confound Serena’s efforts to equal Graf’s professional era record of 22 grand slam singles titles for the second time this year.

Women’s final Saturday: Serena Williams vs. Kerber.

Meanwhile, former Wimbledon victor Marion Bartoli said yesterday she fears for her life after picking up a mystery virus which has caused dramatic weight loss. “For me, it’s holding the trophy and winning, which would make it a better accomplishment”. But I think that’s what makes me different.

“That’s what makes me Serena”.

“I feel that we’ve found this”.

“I think right now I’m a little bit more relaxed than there”.

Angelique Kerber during her semifinal win. “I’m talking about attitude, I’m talking about the ability to handle the matches, the ability to change the matches around when she’s in trouble, all those things that she’s so good at”.

Kerber said she’s realising a lifelong goal. “I was trying to moving her, that was the plan, to be the one to be aggressive”.

“It’s weird, I can’t believe I’m in the finals again”, she said.

Kerber said her win over Williams in Melbourne would give her plenty of confidence going into the final but added: “It’s a completely new match”. We’ve had a chance to build a little bit, starting in Rome, then the French, coming along here.

Vesnina was equally adamant that she and her fellow women players deserve equal rewards.

“She was always an idol for me, I have watched a lot of matches, on YouTube sometimes”, she said. She caps off her victory with a 40-0 win in the sixth game after just twenty minutes. In the second set, the Russian managed five points.

21-time Grand Slam champion Serena Williams has re-ignited the men/women pay debate, insisting that female tennis players deserve equal pay and should earn the same amount of prize money as their male counterparts. The Russian just won two games in the straight set match and only was able to take three points off William’s serve in the whole match.

The fourth seed sealed the contest and thereby prevented a fifth all-Williams final at Wimbledon – and first since 2009 – with a stinging cross-court forehand, a shot that’s particularly worked for the 28-year-old lefty this Wimbledon. I know how she was playing, so I was trying to focus more on my side of the net, and I was trying to play my type of style.

For Kerber, the grass of Centre Court, ideal for Williams’s style, will be a more challenging surface than the hard courts of the Australian Open.