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Epa05130596 Serena Williams of the U.S. reacts to Agnieszka Radwanska of Poland during their semi finals round on day eleven of the Australian Open tennis tournament in Melbourne, Australia, 28 January 2016.

Kerber just had to keep the ball in court and as the pressure fell on her to serve out the first set at 5-4, the German delivered as a Williams’ backhand hit the net.

Williams and Kerber have met six times previously, with the world number one winning five times, with Kerber’s lone victory in Cincinnati in 2012.

Those errors and a lack of timing on several potential winners enabled the German to break again in the seventh game and then seal the first set in 39 minutes when Williams made another unforced error. Saturday night the two will face off, the 34-year-old world No. 1 contesting her 26th championship tilt at a Grand Slam, bringing in a sparkling 21-4 record and a ideal six-for-six at the Australian Open.

Williams, serving for victory, sent down three booming aces and won it on the first match point, keeping intact her record of not dropping a set all tournament.

“I think it will be a close match because there are always nerves in the final”, said the 31-year-old.

“I think I grow in the last few years to be a top-10 player”, she said.

In her post match interview with the press Williams allowed herself to speak about the pressure and how tough it is to win even as good as she is.

Seventh seed Kerber this week credited 22-time major victor Graf with giving her the self-belief to put together her career-best season after hitting with the former great early past year. You know, I think she will have respect. I have nothing to lose on saturday.

“Right now I don’t have pressure anymore”, Kerber said, reports The Age. “But for now, you know, I’d rather have this than something else because it means I’m doing well”. If Kerber can withstand those big blows, her second challenge will be to try to take charge of the points without going for too much and losing control of her own game. “I have showed myself that I’m one of the best players in the world”.

No one will argue that Williams is ahead of any stat and has all the advantages against Kerber, but in so many times, the pressure of being the one expected to win can be a bit overwhelming. And here I am now after playing the final with Serena.

It will also be the first time two brothers have played the singles and doubles finals at the same Grand Slam after Andy Murray reached the men’s singles final on Friday.

Kerber and Konta play later Thursday, with whoever wins facing a huge obstacle to be crowned champion. While so often in her incredible Grand Slam run previous year Williams ensured drama by mentally dipping in and out of matches, this time she has been all-business from the off.

That was Williams’ fifth defeat in in a Grand Slam final.

She dismantled 14th-seeded Victoria Azarenka, who many believed to be the biggest threat to Serena in Melbourne, coming back from 2-5 down in the second set to move past the two-time champion Azarenka in straight sets.