World Number One Serena Williams was hardly troubled by Russian, Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova as she beat her in straight sets 6-4, 6-4 to set up a semifinal clash with another Russian Elena Vesnina, who stunned Dominika Cibulkova also in two quick straight sets 6-2, 6-2.
The victory keeps Serena still on course to win her 22nd Grand Slam and equal Germany’s Steffi Graf record in the open era.
Before her match, sister Venus had already advanced to the semi-final, with an impressive 7-6, 6-2 thrashing of Kazakhstan’s Yaroslava Shvedova. This now throws up the possibility of another Sister Act on center court in Saturday’s final.
Five-time Wimbledon champion Venus Williams reached the semi-finals for the first time since 2009 with. The eight seeded Venus, aged 36, becomes the oldest player to reach a Grand Slam semi-final in 22 years.
In Thursday’s semis Venus play Germany’s Angelique Kerber. Asked about a potential Sister Act, Serena said: “It will be great. Venus is such a tough opponent I want her to win so bad; not in the final if I am there, but if I’m not, I do.”
cpcnews.org 