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Serena thrashes Vesnina, meets Kerber in Wimbledon final

Last updated on: July 07, 2016 20:59 IST

Serena Williams

IMAGE: Serena Williams of the United States celebrates after beating Russia's Elena Vesnina in the women’s singles semi-finals at Wimbledon on Thursday. Photograph: Stefan Wermuth/Reuters

Serena Williams thrashed unseeded Russian Elena Vesnina 6-2, 6-0 to reach a ninth Wimbledon final on Thursday.

The top seed and defending champion was totally dominant from the outset, sealing victory against the world number 50 in 49 minutes on a sunny Centre Court.

She will face Germany's fourth seed Angelique Kerber, who beat her sister Venus 6-4, 6-4 in the day's second semi-final.

Elena Vesnina

IMAGE: Russia's Elena Vesnina reacts after losing to the United States’ Serena Williams. Photograph: Stefan Wermuth/Reuters

Serena fired 11 aces, 28 winners and committed just seven unforced errors, breaking serve five times to reach her 28th Grand Slam final.

Vesnina won just three points off the Williams serve in the first set and none in the second.

Serena raced to a 4-0 lead in the first set before 29-year-old Vesnina got on the board. But the set was over in 28 minutes courtesy of Williams's seventh ace.

The second set was wrapped up in just 20 minutes with breaks in the first, third and fifth games.

Saturday's final will give Serena a chance to win a first major of the season after losing to Kerber in the final in Melbourne and Garbine Muguruza in Paris.

"It's never easy out there and every point you have to fight for," the 34-year-old, who lost three points on serve, said in a courtside interview.

"It's weird, I can't believe I'm in the finals again. I'm zero and two for (grand slam finals) this year so I want to get at least one."

Victory on Saturday would see the world number one draw level with Steffi Graf's professional era record of 22 Grand Slam titles.

Kerber outguns Venus Williams

IMAGE: Germany's Angelique Kerber celebrates her victory against USA's Venus Williams. Photograph: Reuters.

Germany's Angelique Kerber gatecrashed the Williams sisters' Wimbledon party when she overpowered Venus 6-4 6-4 in the other semi-final, setting up a mouth-watering final showdown with Serena.

The fourth seed will be aiming to become the first German woman since Steffi Graf 20 years ago to lift the Wimbledon singles crown, and to confound Serena's efforts to equal Graf's professional era record of 22 grand slam singles titles for the second time this year.

IMAGE: USA's Venus Williams in action against Germany's Angelique Kerber. Photograph: Tony O'Brien/Reuters.

Kerber will also aim to complete the double against Serena on Saturday, having beaten the world number one in the Australian Open final in January to lift her first grand slam title.