Serena dumps Sharapova for Wimbledon final
Serena Williams is back in the Wimbledon final, and still on target for a calendar-year Grand Slam.
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The top-seeded American beat Maria Sharapova 6-2, 6-4 yesterday on Centre Court in the semi-finals, putting the five-time champion in the final at the All England Club for the eighth time.
Williams has already won the Australian Open and the French Open this year, and another win tomorrow would give her four majors in a row — a streak that includes last year's U.S. Open.
A win over Spain’s Garbine Muguruza in two days would also be a big step toward winning all four Grand Slam tournaments in the same season, something that hasn't been done since Steffi Graf in 1988.
In the men’s competition, Andy Murray will meet Roger Federer this evening in a mouthwatering Wimbledon semi-final after he beat Canada's Vasek Pospisil 6-4 7-5 6-4 while the Swiss eased past Gilles Simon, winning 6-3 7-5 6-2.
It will be Murray's 23rd meeting with Federer, who has come out on top in their last three matches, including a 6-0 6-1 demolition of the Briton at the ATP World Tour Finals in November.
Murray's Olympic gold-winning performance on Centre Court in 2012 remains the pair's most recent match-up on grass and the 28-year-old Scotsman will be slight favourite on the back of impressive year overall.
The British number one has enjoyed passionate support throughout the tournament but the crowd may be less unified today given Federer's wide appeal, as was the case when the Swiss won the Wimbledon final three years ago.
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Federer, who turns 34 next month, has enjoyed a renaissance under coach Stefan Edberg and Murray believes his next opponent could be competing at the top for another "three or four years" yet.
The world number two has won seven Wimbledon titles and will climb above Pete Sampras to become the tournament's most successful men's player of all time if he adds another this year.
Novak Djokovic beat Marin Cilic in straight sets to move into the other semi-final, where he will face France's Richard Gasquet.
Gasquet came through a marathon quarter-final with French Open champion Stan Wawrinka to win 6-4 4-6 3-6 6-4 11-9. — PA