Serena Ousts Sharapova to Set Muguruza Showdown Match at Wimbledon

Top seed Serena Williams is through to her eighth Wimbledon final after straight sets win against Maria Sharapova.

The American, 33, blasted 29 winners and 15 unforced errors en route to a morale boosting 6-2 6-4 win against the fourth seed and will face WTA rising star Garbine Muguruza in Saturday’s final.

The win took Williams dominance in the rival pair’s career head-to-head record to 18-2. She also moves into third place on the all-time list of Grand Slam matches won with 279 successes; 20 adrift of Chris Evert and a further seven behind Martina Navratilova in the Open Era.

The manner with which that victory was secured, was-moreover- worthy of note after the Russian fourth seed fended off match point at 6-2 5-4 but Williams stepped up the service line to serve it out in grande style.

“I’m really excited,” the World No.1 told the BBC. “I was a little nervous out there. The semifinals of Wimbledon – it’s been a long time since I’ve been this far in this tournament!

Serena Williams Through to Her 25th Grand Slam Final. Image: AELTC.
Serena Williams Through to Her 25th Grand Slam Final. Image: AELTC.

“I think Maria played really well. She stepped up her game, and I was able to step mine up as well. And it’s the semifinals of Wimbledon – you never want to lose, and you want to do the best you can.”

The five-time winner will be playing in her 25th Major finals at Centre Court, and has only lost four of his previous 24 Grand Slam showdown matches.

20th seed Muguruza saw off No. 13 seed Agnieszka Radwanska 6-2 3-6 6-3 in the other semi-final to reach her first Grand Slam final.

Williams leads the Spaniard 2-1 in their head-to-head, with her only defeat by the 21-year-old coming in the second round of last year’s French Open. The 20-time Grand Slam champion knocked Muguruza out of this year’s Australian Open in the fourth round.

She’s beaten me before, and she’s improved too,” Williams said. “It’s not going to be an easy match.”

“It’s the best final you can play,” Muguruza said. “Serena in the Wimbledon final is the hardest match you can have. If you want to win a Grand Slam, when you dream, you say, ‘I want Serena in the final.’

“She’s one of the best players in all these years. So it’s obviously the best challenge to have.”