Serena Williams moved closer to winning a fifth Wimbledon singles title with a formidable straight sets victory over Victoria Azarenka on Centre Court.
The American produced a record 24 aces to overpower Azarenka 6-3 7-6 (8-6) in one hour and 36 minutes minutes to set up a meeting with Agnieszka Radwanska.
Third seed Radwanska convincingly beat Angelique Kerber of Germany 6-3 6-4 to reach her first Grand Slam final.
Radwanska said: “There is one match to go. I’m really going to try my best.”
Radwanska only needed one hour and nine minutes to complete a 6-3 6-4 win on Centre Court.
When Kerber’s backhand bounced into the tramlines, Radwanska celebrated becoming the first Polish woman in 75 years to earn a place in a Grand Slam final with a subtle jig on the baseline.
It did not look promising for the world number three when she was broken early in the opening set.
But she bounced back in the sixth and eighth games to win five games in a row, relentlessly forcing her German opponent into a number of errors.
The 23-year-old, who could top the world rankings if she defeats Williams in the final, admitted nerves played a part in her poor start.
She said: “You really want to try your best but sometimes you want it too much and your hands are shaking. After that I concentrated on every point.
“I had a tough quarter-final and it was good to have a day off and rest because it’s always tough against Angie.
“We are really good friends but on court we’re opponents and you’re trying everything to make the final.” (BBC)
