WIMBLEDON, England (AP) — Instead of counting Serena Williams out at Wimbledon, it was much easier to count her aces.
About a month after losing in the first round of a Grand Slam tournament for the first time in her career, Williams hit a tournament-record 24 aces Thursday to reach her seventh Wimbledon final.
“I honestly didn’t feel great on my serve today. I really didn’t,” Williams said after beating Victoria Azarenka of Belarus 6-3, 7-6 (6) on Centre Court. “I thought my serve was off, and apparently clearly it wasn’t, so maybe I should be off a little more.”
Williams has won 13 Grand Slam titles, with the last one coming at the All England Club two years ago. Shortly after that victory, Williams cut her feet on glass at a restaurant, leading to a series of health problems, including being hospitalized for clots in her lungs.
In Saturday’s final, Williams will face Agnieszka Radwanska. The third-seeded Radwanska beat Angelique Kerber 6-3, 6-4 in the other semifinal to become the first Polish player to reach a Grand Slam final since 1939.
Today in the men’s semifinals, defending champion Novak Djokovic is facing sixtime winner Roger Federer, while Andy Murray takes on Jo-Wilfried Tsonga.
On Thursday, the 30-year-old Serena Williams looked more like the champion of yesteryear than the player who exited in the first round of the French Open five weeks ago.
She controlled play against Azarenka in the first set with her service game, winning 20 of the 24 points she started. She then went up an early break in the second set before Azarenka responded to make it 3-3.
A few hours later, the Williams sisters reached the semifinals in doubles — putting them two matches from their fifth Wimbledon title.
Earlier on Centre Court, Radwanska won with her steady play, winning five straight games to close out the first set after going down a break early. She’ll need more of that to have a chance against Williams in the final.
“She’s been consistent this year, more consistent than I have,” Williams said of Radwanska.
“That already tells me from the beginning I really need to go out there and be ready to hit a lot of shots and be ready to play hard.”
Radwanska can take over the No. 1 ranking if she beats Williams.
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