Wimbledon 2018: Serena Williams and Angelique Kerber triumph to set up repeat of 2016 ladies' singles final
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Your support makes all the difference.Serena Williams demonstrated that having a baby had not robbed her of any of her phenomenal tennis skills when she became the first mother in 38 years to reach the Wimbledon final, with a 6-2, 6-4 demolition of Germany's Julia Gorges on Thursday.
At 181st in the world, Williams is the lowest ranked player to reach the women's final but that number will fool no one, and especially not Angelique Kerber who was runner-up to the American in the 2016 final.
Kerber beat 2017 French Open champion Jelena Ostapenko 6-3, 6-3 to book her place in Saturday’s final.
Relive all the live action below:
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Order of Play – Day 11:
CENTRE COURT – SHOW COURT – 13:00 START
1 Jelena Ostapenko (LAT) [12] 17 vs Angelique Kerber (GER) [11] 49
2 Julia Goerges (GER) [13] 81 vs Serena Williams (USA) [25] 104
3 Jay Clarke (GBR) / Harriet Dart (GBR) 6 vs Juan Sebastian Cabal (COL) / Abigail Spears (USA) [10] 9
No.1 COURT – SHOW COURT – 13:00 START
1 Raven Klaasen (RSA) / Michael Venus (NZL) [13] 8 vs Frederik Nielsen (DEN) / Joe Salisbury (GBR) 28
2 Jean-Julien Rojer (NED) / Demi Schuurs (NED) [4] 17 vs Jamie Murray (GBR) / Victoria Azarenka (BLR) 30
3 Michael Venus (NZL) / Katarina Srebotnik (SLO) [9] 40 vs Ivan Dodig (CRO) / Latisha Chan (TPE) [3] 48
No.2 COURT – SHOW COURT – 11:30 START
1 Jamie Delgado (GBR) / Jonathan Marray (GBR) vs Thomas Enqvist (SWE) / Thomas Johansson (SWE) (RR)
NOT BEFORE 12.30
2 Dominic Inglot (GBR) / Franko Skugor (CRO) [15] 41 vs Mike Bryan (USA) / Jack Sock (USA) [7] 49
3 Iga Swiatek (POL) 2 vs Emma Raducanu (GBR) 11 (GS)
No.3 COURT – SHOW COURT – 11:30 START
1 Tracy Austin (USA) / Anne Keothavong (GBR) vs Iva Majoli (CRO) / Selima Sfar (TUN) (SL)
2 Wayne Ferreira (RSA) / Mark Woodforde (AUS) vs Patrick McEnroe (USA) / Jeff Tarango (USA) (OD)
3 Jeremy Bates (GBR) / Andrew Castle (GBR) vs Jacco Eltingh (NED) / Paul Haarhuis (NED) (OD)
4 Jonas Bjorkman (SWE) / Todd Woodbridge (AUS) vs Mansour Bahrami (IRI) / Goran Ivanisevic (CRO) (OD)
COURT 12 – SHOW COURT – 11:00 START
1 Anton Matusevich (GBR) 21 vs Tao Mu (CHN) 28 (BS)
2 Jack Draper (GBR) 36 vs Lorenzo Musetti (ITA) 43 (BS)
3 Nicolas Mejia (COL) [5] 49 vs Gilbert Soares Klier Junior (BRA) 63 (BS)
4 Victoria Allen (GBR) / Destinee Martins (GBR) 13 vs Yuki Naito (JPN) / Naho Sato (JPN) [6] 16 (GD)
5 Tao Mu (CHN) / Leopold Zima (GER) 13 vs Nicolas Mejia (COL) / Ondrej Styler (CZE) [6] 16 (BD)
COURT 18 – SHOW COURT – 11:00 START
1 Xiyu Wang (CHN) [10] 40 vs Cori Gauff (USA) [3] 48 (GS)
2 Xinyu Wang (CHN) [4] 17 vs Viktoriia Dema (UKR) 29 (GS)
3 Maria Lourdes Carle (ARG) / Cori Gauff (USA) [4] 9 vs Sofya Lansere (RUS) / Kamilla Rakhimova (RUS) 12 (GD)
4 Xinyu Wang (CHN) / Xiyu Wang (CHN) [1] 1 vs Leonie Kung (SUI) / Joanne Zuger (SUI) 3 (GD)
COURT 5 – 11:00 START
1 Leonie Kung (SUI) 50 vs Caty McNally (USA) [13] 57 (GS)
2 Chun Hsin Tseng (TPE) [1] 1 vs Trey Hilderbrand (USA) 15 (BS)
3 Clara Burel (FRA) / Diane Parry (FRA) [8] 17 vs Leylah Annie Fernandez (CAN) / Gabriella Price (USA) 20 (GD)
4 Ray Ho (TPE) / Chun Hsin Tseng (TPE) [1] 1 vs Rinky Hijikata (AUS) / Naoki Tajima (JPN) 4 (BD)
5 Yanki Erel (TUR) / Otto Virtanen (FIN) 18 vs Titouan Droguet (FRA) / Simon Anthony Ivanov (BUL) 20 (BD)
COURT 8 – 11:00 START
1 Jonas Forejtek (CZE) / Dalibor Svrcina (CZE) 10 vs Brandon Nakashima (USA) / Tyler Zink (USA) 11 (BD)
2 Dalayna Hewitt (USA) / Peyton Stearns (USA) 22 vs Thasaporn Naklo (THA) / Mananchaya Sawangkaew (THA) 23 (GD)
3 Jesper De Jong (NED) / Damien Wenger (SUI) 30 vs Aidan McHugh (GBR) / Timofei Skatov (KAZ) [2] 32 (BD)
4 Lorenzo Musetti (ITA) / Deney Wassermann (NED) 26 vs James Story (GBR) / Harry Wendelken (GBR) 27 (BD)
5 Francesca Curmi (MLT) / Viktoriia Dema (UKR) 30 vs Caty McNally (USA) / Whitney Osuigwe (USA) [2] 32 (GD)
COURT 11 – 11:00 START
1 Tristan Boyer (USA) / William Woodall (USA) 6 vs Matheus Pucinelli De Almeida (BRA) / Joao Lucas Reis Da Silva (BRA) 7 (BD)
2 Georgia Drummy (IRL) / Alexa Noel (USA) [7] 25 vs Amelia Bissett (GBR) / Morgan Cross (GBR) 28 (GD)
3 Sonay Kartal (GBR) / Erin Richardson (GBR) 5 vs Joanna Garland (TPE) / En Shuo Liang (TPE) [5] 8 (GD)
4 Savriyan Danilov (RUS) / Henry Von Der Schulenburg (SUI) 22 vs Hugo Gaston (FRA) / Clement Tabur (FRA) [3] 24 (BD)
COURT 14 – 11:00 START
1 Shingo Kunieda (JPN) [1] 1 vs Gustavo Fernandez (ARG) 2
2 Nicolas Peifer (FRA) 5 vs Stefan Olsson (SWE) 6
3 Katharina Kruger (GER) 3 vs Kgothatso Montjane (RSA) 4
4 Marjolein Buis (NED) 7 vs Yui Kamiji (JPN) [2] 8
COURT 17 – 11:00 START
1 Gordon Reid (GBR) 3 vs Joachim Gerard (BEL) 4
2 Stephane Houdet (FRA) 7 vs Alfie Hewett (GBR) [2] 8
3 Diede De Groot (NED) [1] 1 vs Sabine Ellerbrock (GER) 2
4 Lucy Shuker (GBR) 5 vs Aniek Van Koot (NED) 6
MATCHES TO BE ARRANGED
NOT BEFORE 17.00
1 Tommy Haas (GER) / Mark Philippoussis (AUS) vs Fernando Gonzalez (CHI) / Sebastien Grosjean (FRA) (RR)
2 Justin Gimelstob (USA) / Ross Hutchins (GBR) vs Arnaud Clement (FRA) / Miles MacLagan (GBR) (RR)
Williams* 6-2 5-3 Gorges
Gorges bravely delays the inevitable, and forces Williams to serve this one out. She wins this game, just her fifth of the afternoon, with a powerful serve that Williams is unable to return.
Williams 6-2, 5-4 Gorges*
Well that didn't seem to be on the cards! Gorges breaks for the first time in this match to ensure this semi-final lasts a little longer.
A Williams double fault followed up by a beautiful Gorges forehand down the line handed the German three break points, with Williams defending the first two. But a huge backhand return means we are suddenly back on serve.
Julia Gorges breaks Serena Williams in the second set.
Game, set, match.
Serena Williams beats Julia Gorges 6-2, 6-4 and will play Angelique Kerber in the Wimbledon final.
Williams hits back immediately after that unexpected Gorges break.
She breaks to love and is through to the Wimbledon final.
↵We're set for a repeat of the 2016 Wimbledon final then!
Here's what happened last time around, courtesy of Paul Newman.
Here's what Serena Williams made of that semi-final victory:
It's crazy, I don't know how to feel. I did not expect to do this well in my first tournament back. When I have nothing to lose I can play freely.
This was not inevitable. I had a tough delivery and had to have multiple surgeries and almost didn't make it. I couldn't walk to my mailbox. I am taking everything as it is and enjoying the moment.
I played [Kerber] in the final in 2016. She's a great grass court player and I love watching her play. And whatever happens it is good motivation for me, for the rest of my career.
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