Williams beats Sharapova in 2 sets to reach Wimbledon final
Serena Williams of the United States returns a shot to Maria Sharapova of Russia during their women's singles semifinal match at the All England Lawn Tennis Championships in Wimbledon, London, Thursday July 9, 2015. (AP Photo/Pavel Golovkin)
LONDON >> Serena Williams is just one win away from another Grand Slam milestone.
The top-ranked Williams maintained her 11-year dominance over Maria Sharapova, beating the Russian 6-2, 6-4 on Thursday to reach her eighth Wimbledon championship match and 25th career Grand Slam final.
In beating Sharapova for the 17th straight time, the five-time Wimbledon champion won her 26th consecutive Grand Slam match. She’s going for a fourth straight major title — a “Serena Slam” — and the third-leg of a calendar-year Grand Slam.
Williams’ opponent in Saturday’s final will be 21-year-old Garbine Muguruza, who beat Agnieszka Radwanska 6-2, 3-6, 6-3 in the first semifinal. She’s the first Spanish woman to advance to the Wimbledon final since Arantxa Sanchez Vicario in 1996.
