GAME, SET, MATCH SERENA WILLIAMS!
The top seed successfully defends her title for a 7-5, 6-3 victory over Angelique Kerber, thoroughly outclassing her in the second set. With this win, Serena Williams equals Steffi Graf’s all-time high record of 22 Grand Slams. She’s also won 7 titles here at Wimbledon.
Set 2, Game 8 Kerber* 3-5 Williams
Smash, smash smash!
Set 2, Game 7 Williams* 4-3 Kerber
A brilliant hold of serve from Serena Williams. As the game goes on, the rallies get longer. Serena ends that one with a smash to hold serve and lead on it.
Set 2, Game 6 Kerber* 3-3 Williams
She’s really back to fight today, is Angelique Kerber! She’s hammering shots all over the place but is yet to win a break of serve off Williams. She holds her service game.
Set 2, Game 5, Williams* 3-2 Kerber
By far the best rally of the match so far and the two are properly in the battle now! Brilliant shot placement from Angie Kerber but Serena is running back and forth and absolutely smashes that one! Kerber sends it long and Serena holds to lead on serve.
Set 2, Game 4 Kerber* 2-2 Williams
Both players are using the width of the court beautifully! Serena is a bit agitated today though, and she’s sending shots a bit long. Kerber is taking advantage of this and she holds her service game! A great forehand from the German sent down the line and that winner was so good, even Serena stopped to applaud her rival.
Set 2, Game 3 Williams* 2-1 Kerber
If anyone said Williams was flagging … she’s back! Aggressive tennis again from the American and she holds her service game.
Set 2, Game 2 Kerber* 1-1 Williams
But now Kerber appears to have found some too. She’s sending some great forehand winners down court – as another Court – Margaret, that is, watches on. The Australian Wimbledon champion is excelling today and helped along by a couple of mistimed shots from Williams. She holds!
Set 2, Game 1 Williams* 1-0 Kerber
She’s got momentum from that first set victory and Serena Williams will want to finish this off quite quickly.She’s held quite quickly.
SERENA WILLIAMS WINS THE FIRST SET 7-5!
Set 1, Game 12 Kerber* 5-7 Williams, SET SERENA WILLIAMS!
Again, it’s Angelique Kerber who has to serve to stay in the set. The American declares herself almost immediately with an ace down the baseline. A bit of a mistimed shot in the middle from her there and an effective return from her German rival, but in the end Williams takes it to set point – and breaks for the game and the set!
Set 1, Game 11 Williams* 6-5 Kerber
It’s a hold of serve for Williams. Kerber pushed her to the wall in the beginning of that game and it looked a bit difficult, but she fires back with some beautifully times winners to hold after trailing 15-30 in that game. She’s back!
Set 1, Game 10 Kerber* 5-5 Williams
Kerber serving to stay in the set. She’s looked good today, and is getting some beautiful drop shots in. Williams is getting agitated at not being able to break. Lots of flexibility from the German today – she’s gone full squat on a couple of occasions already to make a couple of backhand shots, and it’s really paid off for her! She has a hold of serve to stay in the set.
Set 1, Game 9 Williams* 5-4 Kerber
Big serves are back and Serena is hammering them in! She’s getting angry and aggressive and shooting winners down the court. And how! 114mph service from Williams to take the advantage here in this set. She slips, falls and gathers herself quite immediately. Hammering an ace down court, she takes the game! Kerber is now on the back foot, serving to stay in the set.
Set 1, Game 8 Kerber* 4-4 Williams
Another hold of service from each player. Kerber reaches low for a forehand shot and makes it. Some good play.
Set 1, Game 6 Kerber* 3-3 Williams
Her service games are getting easier to hold, but What a fight from Serena Williams! Kerber is definitely the underdog tonight judging on form, but tenacious play from each.
Set 1, Game 5 Williams* 3-2 Kerber
Ahead on serve, Serena is on form today, moving up and down the court, hitting some bouncy, powerful shots. It’s tautological, perhaps to say that she’s serving powerfully given it’s characteristic of her game. Nevertheless, a quick hold from the American gives her the lead – but she's ahead on serve. No breaks of service in this set...yet.
Set 1, Game 4 Kerber* 2-2 Williams
Kerber comes back and she’s playing better this game! She’s still sticking to the baseline but has improved on her first serves. A fair hold from the German!
Set 1, Game 3 Wiliams* 2-1
There’s a marked difference in the pair’s service games. A hold from Williams here with some aggressive smashes and a game end with an ace. Williams isn't sticking to the baseline today, but her baseline play has also been strong. A marked effort from the top seed to rush the net, and it’s paying off.
Set 1, Game 2 Kerber* 1-1
That was a long, tense game! The pair went to deuce three times and Serena had three opportunities to break in that game, one helped along by a double fault courtesy Angelique Kerber. In the end, Williams’ strong serve goes a bit long, giving Kerber a hold in her first service game.
Set 1, Game 1 Serena* (* denotes server) 1 – 0 Kerber
Kerber’s not nervous and quickly takes the opening point. Williams isn’t one to take things lying down though, and she answers back with a brilliant cross court forehand! She bisects the court vertically with a stunner of an ace to win her first service game.
AND THEY'RE OFF!
Players are now on court! It’s almost time for play! The defending champion and top seed is hitting the ball around and warming up and she looks ready for action. A win today will mean Serena matches two records. First, she will have the all-time highest number of Grand Slam singles titles, tying Germany’s Steffi Graf. Second, she will also become the oldest Grand Slam singles champion, tied with Martina Navratilova.
Incidentally, Martina Navratilova is on court to witness the finals of a tournament she’s won a whopping nine times. Williams has been in the final of every Grand Slam so far this year. She’s now at 3 for 3!
World No. 1 and top seed Serena Williams will take on 4th seed Angelique Kerber in the finals of Wimbledon 2016. Williams, the defending champion at the tournament, met Kerber at the finals of the Australian Open this year, and was upset by the German in a three-set contest. The younger Williams sister, who has 21 Grand Slam titles, is looking for a 22nd at Wimbledon this year. Should she be able to win today, she will equal a record set by German ace Steffi Graf, who has 22 titles. A win today will mean that Williams’ tally of titles here at SW19 goes up to 7. German ace Kerber faced Serena’s older sister Venus in the semi-finals, and put paid to fans’ hopes of an all-Williams final at Wimbledon. Venus is no slouch at Wimbledon either, and has won five titles here in the past.
If Serena Williams wins the title today, she will become the oldest Grand Slam winner at 34-years-old. Czech-American ace Martina Navratilova was also 34 years old when she won her final Grand Slam title, also at Wimbledon, in 1990.
Williams is also in the finals of the women’s doubles, paired with older sister Venus. The pair will take on Timea Babos and Yaroslava Shvedova in the finals following Serena’s singles match. Incidentally, 36-year-old Venus took victory over Shvedova in the quarterfinals at the women’s singles in straight sets.
Kerber won her first ever Grand Slam title in Australia this year after her victory over Serena Williams, while this is her best ever finish at Wimbledon. Before this, she had finished at the semi-finals of the tournament in 2012.
28-year-old Kerber and 34-year-old Williams are yet to play each other on grass courts, however, so today will be a new demon. Given that Williams is one of the most successful tennis players across surfaces and has been immensely successful on grass, the German will not be entirely at ease.
Ahead of her final match, the 28-year-old sent a message to her competitors telling them to “be careful, I am playing like Australia.”
That said, of the seven occasions the pair have met in the past, Williams has won five times. Every one of those victories has been on grass courts.
Although she had form in the immediate period after her Grand Slam win, Kerber saw a decline – and a drop in the rankings, missing out on titles. She has since made a return, however, but lost out on a couple of tournaments where she was defending champion.
The action will commence on Center Court at 6:30 pm IST.
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