By Richard Pagliaro | Tuesday, July 5, 2016

 

Reigning Wimbledon champion Serena Williams stopped Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova, 6-4, 6-4, to reach her 32nd major semifinal.

Photo credit: Stephen White/CameraSport

Dancing is a form of stress relief for Serena Williams.

Fast feet helped the world No. 1 twist through a 6-4, 6-4 Wimbledon victory over Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova into her 32nd career Grand Slam semifinal.

More: Venus Williams Reaches First Wimbledon Semifinal Since 2009

"I'm really happy to win that one and get through," Williams told the BBC afterward. "It felt really good."

It is Williams' eighth straight Grand Slam semifinal.

"It just shows another mental toughness of mine, just being able to come through and consistently get to this stage of the tournament," Williams said. "I think it's something that is really noteworthy."

Midway through the second set, Pavlyuchenkova plastered a forehand pass down the line.

Dancing to her right, a lunging Williams flicked a full-stretch forehand volley to hold for 3-all.

That sequence typified a tight test. The 23rd-ranked Russian stretched the six-time champion, but an aggressive Williams delivered all the right answers under pressure.

Attacking with vigor, Williams won 14 of 19 trips to net and summoned some of her most assertive serving in the latter stages of both sets.

Under pressure, even the game's greatest serve can occasionally fall out of sync. When she does, Williams sometimes speeds up the start of her motion and decelerates slightly on contact.

Tuning into the rhythm of her motion, Williams served 69 percent.

More importantly, she's banging the slider wide with authority, a key stroke in her SW19 success. When Williams is hitting that slider wide it hugs the lawn, drags the opponent off the court and creates space for her first strike. 

"She was serving amazing today," Pavlyuchenkova said. "There was a bit of breeze out there as well. I thought that was helping her a little bit more. Of course, maybe that's the reason I've got a little bit more pressure on my serve at that 4‑All."

The reigning champion slammed 11 aces, permitted only four points on her first serve, converted the only two break points of the match— breaking in the ninth game of both sets—and slammed an ace out wide to seal a 72-minute victory.

"My serve is usually really good," Williams said. "I don't know how it came about, though. Like, I'm not as tall as all the other players. So it's strange that I have such a strong, hard serve.

"But I have to say what I think really is my game is my mental toughness because just not only to be able to play, to win, but to be able to come back when I'm down. Both on the court and after tough losses, just to continue to come back and continue to fight, it's something that takes a lot of tenacity."

The world No. 1 moved one step closer to a record-tying 22nd Grand Slam championship—and a possible all-Williams sisters Wimbledon final—maintaining her calm and playing dynamic tennis on pivotal points.

Venus Williams preceded Serena on court defeating Yaroslava Shvedova 7-6 (5), 6-2 to reach her first Wimbledon semifinal since 2009. The 36-year-old Venus is the oldest woman to advance to a major final four since a 37-year-old Martina Navratilova was the 1994 Wimbledon runner-up.

Venus Williams' win sets up a clash with 4th-seeded Angelique Kerber. The Australian Open champion topped Simona Halep 7-5, 7-6 (2) to reach the Wimbledon semifinals for the second time.

"I'm just trying to win my match," Serena said when asked about the prospect of an all-Williams final. "I have a really tough opponent and one thing I've learned this year is just focus on the match. We don't really talk too much (about a sisters final). We will talk in the locker room...

"Regardless, we're just happy to be in the semifinals, that's so cool, it's great."

Serena Williams will be an immense favorite facing another Russian, 50th-ranked Elena Vesnina, for a spot in her ninth Wimbledon final.

Vesnina, a two-time Wimbledon doubles final, annihilated a weary Dominika Cibulkova, 6-2, 6-2, in 76 minutes. Both women were coming off physically-draining 9-7 in the third set victories yesterday.

The good news for Cibulkova is she won't have to reschedule her wedding, which is set for Saturday.

The bad news for Vesnina is she's never won a set from Serena Williams in four prior meetings.

Credit Pavlyuchenkova, who dismantled CoCo Vandeweghe in the fourth round, for hanging tough today. The right-handed Russian even pulled out the running left-handed forehand to win one point in the first set.

One reason Williams is a six-time Wimbledon champion is her ability to elevate at critical stages. She slid her third ace to level the opening set at 4-all then ratcheted up return pressure on suddenly skittish opponent.

Williams' deep returns drew a double-fault as she converted the first break point to close a love hold for 5-4. Roaring through a 59-second hold, Williams rattled a backhand error from Pavlyuchenkova to snatch a one-set lead.

Pouncing from a low crouch, Williams whipped a return right back at Pavlyuchenkova for double break point in the ninth game of the second set. Another menacing return drew a netted forehand for the second break.

Swatting her 11th ace out wide, Williams closed a 73-minute win in convincing fashion.
Since squeezing out a three-set comeback over Christina McHale in the second round, Williams has been a much more proactive player. She's permitted 16 games in her last three tournament wins, finding her serve and hitting her stride at the right time.

The question is: Can Williams hold her nerve to beat Vesnina then conquer a Grand Slam champion in the final?

"I think Serena is always on when it's a Grand Slam, of course," Pavlyuchenkova said."Especially grass, I would say one of her favorite surfaces. So she's always on and playing great.

"I thought today she was there since the first points to the last. Me, as well, of course. But, yeah, it was quite close, I would say."

The Williams sisters are one win away from meeting in their fifth Wimbledon final but first they had some work to do sharing the court in their third-round doubles match on Court No. 3.

"It would be great (if we reach the final). Obviously, she's such a tough opponent," Serena said of Venus. "Obviously, I want her to win so bad. Not in the final, if I'm there, but if I'm not there, I certainly want her to win."