Scintillating Serena Powers Past Azarenka, Will Face Radwanska in Final

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Scintillating Serena Powers Past Azarenka, Will Face Radwanska in Final

By Chris Oddo

Photo Credit: Gerry Penny/ Getty

(July 5, 2012)—Serena Williams put on a dazzling serving display beneath suddenly sunny skies at the All England Club today, overwhelming second-seeded Victoria Azarenka 6-3, 7-6(6) to reach her 18th Grand Slam and 7th Wimbledon final.

Serving with machine-like precision and power, Williams hammered 24 aces to break the Wimbledon women's single match record of 23, which was set in the third round by—guess who?—Serena Williams.

In that match, Williams needed three sets and 37 games to break the record against Zheng Jie of China. Today, the thirteen-times Grand Slam champion only needed 22 games to do it against Azarenka.

“I really wanted it,” said an exuberant Williams, immediately after the match. “Victoria’s a great player and she was playing really well. I got a little tight in the second set, I couldn’t relax, and she came back. But I was glad I was able to get through.”

Was she thinking about the title, is that why she was getting tight?

“No, no, no, no, no,” said Williams, “I was just getting excited about ‘I’m so close, I’m so close.’ Regardless, I’m so happy that I’ve gotten this far.”

Williams notched the first break of the match in the eigth game of the first set with a gorgeous backhand winner to take a 5-3 lead.

She then closed out the set when Azarenka netted a return, making it nine straight sets for Williams over Azarenka since 2010.

Williams made it ten straight in the second set, but not without a valiant effort from Azarenka.

After Williams broke the Belarusian to go up 2-1, she appeared to be marching to an uncomplicated victory, but Azarenka finally found a way to put a dent in Serena’s electrifying serve. The Belarusian earned her first break point in the sixth game of the second set, and even though Williams snuffed out the opportunity with her 15th ace, Azarenka stayed the course.

An errant backhand from Williams gave Azarenka a second break point opportunity, and she hammered a backhand return right at Williams’ feet to draw the error and even the set at 3-3.

From there they marched on, each holding serve with aplomb, into the tiebreaker.

Neither would budge until Williams scored the first mini-break of the tiebreaker to lead 7-6, and what happened next came as no surprise.

Another Williams ace, her record-breaking 24th, to seal a spot in the final alongside Agnieszka Radwanska of Poland.

Radwanska Eases Past Kerber for First Grand Slam Final

World No. 3 Agnieszka Radwanska reached her first ever Grand Slam semifinal today with a squeaky clean 6-3, 6-4 victory over Angelique Kerber of Germany.

The third-seeded Radwanska becomes the first Polish player to reach this level at a Grand Slam since Jadwiga Jedrzejowska reached the French Open final in 1939.

"This is a dream from when I was kid," the 23-year-old Radwanska said.

After a few love holds to begin the match, it was Kerber who secured the first break to lead 2-1, when Radwanska’s ill-advised attempt at a drop shot fell wide.

"I think we both were a bit nervous in the beginning," Radwanska said. "It's a semifinal so you want to try your best but sometimes you want it too much. After a couple of games I relaxed a little bit.”

Radwanska drew even at 3-3 when Kerber netted a forehand, and the 23-year-old proceeded to close out the set on a five-game winning streak, 6-3.

In the second set, Radwanska broke in the 5th game to lead 3-2, then saved the only break point she would face in the second set to hold for 4-2.

"My plan was playing aggressive tennis and make the points," said Kerber afterwards, "but she moved very well and makes not so many mistakes, so it was really tough to play really constant, you know, and make winners against her today.”

Kerber will rise to a career-high No. 7 in the rankings after Wimbledon, while Radwanska can finish the tournament at either No. 1 or No. 2, depending on the result of her final.