Over a year after welcoming a baby girl, tennis champion Serena Williams made an announcement of coming back to the tennis court.&nbsp;

The 36-year-old is all set to make a comeback against French Open winner Jelena Ostapenko at the Mubadala World Tennis Championship in Abu Dhabi.

Williams will be defending her Australian Open title at the championship. &nbsp;

&quot;I am delighted to be returning to the court in Abu Dhabi for the first time since the birth of my daughter in September,&quot; noted 23-time grand slam champion. &nbsp;

Mubadala World Tennis Championship has been organised for a decade now.

Williams and Ostapenko will be the first women to participate in its 10th edition. The event will take place between December 31 and January 2.

Serena Williams recently took to Twitter and voiced her concern&nbsp;over &#39;baby issues&#39;.

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Teething- aka the devil - is so hard. Poor Alexis Olympia has been so uncomfortable. She cried so much (she never cries) I had to hold her until she fell asleep. I&#39;ve tried amber beads... cold towels.... chew on mommies fingers.... homeopathic water (lol on that one) but...... <a href="https://t.co/hCRMJ0RhUQ">pic.twitter.com/hCRMJ0RhUQ</a>
&mdash; Serena Williams (@serenawilliams) <a href="https://twitter.com/serenawilliams/status/942435383027097600?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 17, 2017</a></blockquote>
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Alexis Olympia&#39;s teething problems had the tennis star distraught while she asked fans and followers to give her tips to tackle her baby&#39;s discomfort.&nbsp;

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Nothing is working. It&#39;s breaking my heart. I almost need my mom to come and hold me to sleep cause I&#39;m so stressed. Help? Anyone??
&mdash; Serena Williams (@serenawilliams) <a href="https://twitter.com/serenawilliams/status/942435460948922368?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 17, 2017</a></blockquote>
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(With inputs from Reuters)

 
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The 36-year-old is all set to make a comeback against French Open winner Jelena Ostapenko

Over a year after welcoming a baby girl, tennis champion Serena Williams made an announcement of coming back to the tennis court. The 36-year-old is all set to make a comeback against French Open winner Jelena Ostapenko at the Mubadala World Tennis Championship in Abu Dhabi. Williams will be defending her Australian Open title at the championship. "I am delighted to be returning to the court in Abu Dhabi for the first time since the birth of my daughter in September," noted 23-time grand slam champion. Mubadala World Tennis Championship has been organised for a decade now. Williams and Ostapenko will be the first women to participate in its 10th edition. The event will take place between December 31 and January 2. Serena Williams recently took to Twitter and voiced her concern over 'baby issues'. Teething- aka the devil - is so hard. Poor Alexis Olympia has been so uncomfortable. She cried so much (she never cries) I had to hold her until she fell asleep. I've tried amber beads... cold towels.... chew on mommies fingers.... homeopathic water (lol on that one) but...... pic.twitter.com/hCRMJ0RhUQ — Serena Williams (@serenawilliams) December 17, 2017 × Alexis Olympia's teething problems had the tennis star distraught while she asked fans and followers to give her tips to tackle her baby's discomfort. Nothing is working. It's breaking my heart. I almost need my mom to come and hold me to sleep cause I'm so stressed. Help? Anyone?? — Serena Williams (@serenawilliams) December 17, 2017 × (With inputs from Reuters)

Tennis champion Serena Williams to make a comeback in Abu Dhabi next week

2017 has set the precedent for the coming years in terms of weddings as most celebrities who got married this year stuck to private, intimate ceremonies with close family and friends. Celebs chose to opt for a venue/theme-based wedding that differentiated each high-profile ceremony&nbsp;from one another. While most chose a lighter palette for decor and their ensemble, almost all preferred an au naturel look of the venue.&nbsp;

Here are some of the most talked about weddings of 2017 with the dreamiest venues, dresses, style and wedding theme ideas for you to sift through to plan your wedding or that of your loved one:&nbsp;

Serena Williams and Alexis Ohanian

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Serena Williams and Alexis Ohanian (Others)
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Tennis star Serena Williams married Reddit co-founder Alexis Ohanian on November 16&nbsp;in a Beauty and the Beast-themed ceremony at the Contemporary Arts Center in New Orleans. The guests were&nbsp;greeted to the wedding ceremony with the song &quot;Be Our Guest&quot;&nbsp;from the Disney film while Serena&#39;s elder sister Venus was the bridesmaid.

Serena changed into three outfits on her D-Day from a princess gown with cape to feathered dress with sneakers and then finally changed into another short dress ensemble with a skirt.

The couple personalised the entire wedding and wrote their own vows too. Alexis even surprised Serena with a carousel while romantic music played.&nbsp;

Kate Upton and Justin Verlander

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Kate Upton and Justin Verlander (Others)
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Actress Kate Upton and MLB star Justin Verlander tied the knot on November 4 in the most dreamy setting possible as they did not want a wedding but an experience. They got married at Rosewood Castiglion Del Bosco resort in a medieval church in a beautiful countryside in Italy.&nbsp;

Before the wedding ceremony started, the couple was sure to make friends and family feel that they are on a vacation. They held the Uplander Olympics (a name they devised taking the initials on their first names) and made all guests participate in games like&nbsp;ping-pong tournament, cornhole, a football toss, relay races, and an epic water balloon fights for each guest to get familiarised with one another.

Their wedding ceremony was all about fairy lights, flowers, mathcing dresses, light hues of pinks and blues and trails.&nbsp;

Anushka Sharma and Virat Kohli

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Virat Kohli announced the news of his wedding with Bollywood star Anushka Sharma on Twitter. (AFP)
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Our very own desi actress Anushka Sharma and Indian cricket captain Virat Kohli tied the knot in a surreal setting away from paparazzi and noise. They also chose the countryside town of Tuscany in Italy and married in the presence of few friends and family members.&nbsp;

The couple held all functions of haldi, mehendi, shadi but with a western twist. They got married surrounded by greenery, under the natural light in an open-air resort.&nbsp;

Anushka even kept her makeup to a bare minimum and chose light pink for the D-Day with matching jewellery. While walking towards the garland ceremony, she walks over the Italian cobbled pavement to reach her groom.&nbsp;

Michael Fassbender and Alicia Vikander

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Michael Fassbender and Alicia Vikander (Others)
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Hollywood actors Michael Fassbender and Alicia Vikander had an environmentally-friendly wedding as the famously private couple who fell in love in 2014 tied the knot in Ibiza, Spain on October 14.&nbsp;

The couple&nbsp;exchanged vows at the picturesque farmstead La Granja. where they are said to feast on local cuisine, some of which was grown on the farm they stayed. The guests were open to enjoy natural swimming pools, solar panels that provided electricity and hot water and other services well within the resort.&nbsp;

Ahead of the ceremony, the Hollywood stars celebrated their impending nuptials with a catamaran trip around the Mediterranean Sea&nbsp;joined by their friends and loved ones.

Pippa Middleton and James Matthews

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Pippa Middleton and James Matthews (Others)
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Pippa Middleton, Kate Middleton&#39;s younger sister got married to&nbsp;James Matthews at St. Mark&#39;s Church in Englefield, England in an equally beautiful setting.&nbsp;The pair tied the knot in front of a number of their closest friends and family members.&nbsp;

Their wedding included castles, flowers, page boys and flower girls, and lots of good food.&nbsp;

Neil Nitin Mukesh and Rukimini Sahay

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Neil Nitin Mukesh and Rukimini Sahay (Others)
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Bollywood actor Neil Nitin Mukesh chose the arranged marriage path and married Rukmini Sahay in a grand destination style wedding in Udaipur.&nbsp;

The couple got married on February 9 in the spectacular backdrop of the Sajjangarh Fort, surrounded by the beautiful Aravalli mountains. The venue they chose had a regal feel to it. They had all functions including haldi, cocktail, Mehendi which had a&nbsp;contemporary vibe. The entire d&eacute;cor was done in a royal English vintage garden theme and was decorated with open-air tents, flowers and silk drapes.

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From Serena Williams getting married in short dress and sneakers to Anushka Sharma picking up a countryside resort in Italy for wedding, there are multiple ideas for you

2017 has set the precedent for the coming years in terms of weddings as most celebrities who got married this year stuck to private, intimate ceremonies with close family and friends. Celebs chose to opt for a venue/theme-based wedding that differentiated each high-profile ceremony from one another. While most chose a lighter palette for decor and their ensemble, almost all preferred an au naturel look of the venue. Here are some of the most talked about weddings of 2017 with the dreamiest venues, dresses, style and wedding theme ideas for you to sift through to plan your wedding or that of your loved one: Serena Williams and Alexis Ohanian Serena Williams and Alexis Ohanian (Others) × Tennis star Serena Williams married Reddit co-founder Alexis Ohanian on November 16 in a Beauty and the Beast-themed ceremony at the Contemporary Arts Center in New Orleans. The guests were greeted to the wedding ceremony with the song "Be Our Guest" from the Disney film while Serena's elder sister Venus was the bridesmaid. Serena changed into three outfits on her D-Day from a princess gown with cape to feathered dress with sneakers and then finally changed into another short dress ensemble with a skirt. The couple personalised the entire wedding and wrote their own vows too. Alexis even surprised Serena with a carousel while romantic music played. Kate Upton and Justin Verlander Kate Upton and Justin Verlander (Others) × Actress Kate Upton and MLB star Justin Verlander tied the knot on November 4 in the most dreamy setting possible as they did not want a wedding but an experience. They got married at Rosewood Castiglion Del Bosco resort in a medieval church in a beautiful countryside in Italy. Before the wedding ceremony started, the couple was sure to make friends and family feel that they are on a vacation. They held the Uplander Olympics (a name they devised taking the initials on their first names) and made all guests participate in games like ping-pong tournament, cornhole, a football toss, relay races, and an epic water balloon fights for each guest to get familiarised with one another. Their wedding ceremony was all about fairy lights, flowers, mathcing dresses, light hues of pinks and blues and trails. Anushka Sharma and Virat Kohli Virat Kohli announced the news of his wedding with Bollywood star Anushka Sharma on Twitter. (AFP) × Our very own desi actress Anushka Sharma and Indian cricket captain Virat Kohli tied the knot in a surreal setting away from paparazzi and noise. They also chose the countryside town of Tuscany in Italy and married in the presence of few friends and family members. The couple held all functions of haldi, mehendi, shadi but with a western twist. They got married surrounded by greenery, under the natural light in an open-air resort. Anushka even kept her makeup to a bare minimum and chose light pink for the D-Day with matching jewellery. While walking towards the garland ceremony, she walks over the Italian cobbled pavement to reach her groom. Michael Fassbender and Alicia Vikander Michael Fassbender and Alicia Vikander (Others) × Hollywood actors Michael Fassbender and Alicia Vikander had an environmentally-friendly wedding as the famously private couple who fell in love in 2014 tied the knot in Ibiza, Spain on October 14. The couple exchanged vows at the picturesque farmstead La Granja. where they are said to feast on local cuisine, some of which was grown on the farm they stayed. The guests were open to enjoy natural swimming pools, solar panels that provided electricity and hot water and other services well within the resort. Ahead of the ceremony, the Hollywood stars celebrated their impending nuptials with a catamaran trip around the Mediterranean Sea joined by their friends and loved ones. Pippa Middleton and James Matthews Pippa Middleton and James Matthews (Others) × Pippa Middleton, Kate Middleton's younger sister got married to James Matthews at St. Mark's Church in Englefield, England in an equally beautiful setting. The pair tied the knot in front of a number of their closest friends and family members. Their wedding included castles, flowers, page boys and flower girls, and lots of good food. Neil Nitin Mukesh and Rukimini Sahay Neil Nitin Mukesh and Rukimini Sahay (Others) × Bollywood actor Neil Nitin Mukesh chose the arranged marriage path and married Rukmini Sahay in a grand destination style wedding in Udaipur. The couple got married on February 9 in the spectacular backdrop of the Sajjangarh Fort, surrounded by the beautiful Aravalli mountains. The venue they chose had a regal feel to it. They had all functions including haldi, cocktail, Mehendi which had a contemporary vibe. The entire décor was done in a royal English vintage garden theme and was decorated with open-air tents, flowers and silk drapes.

Dreamy weddings of 2017: Ideas to steal from celebrities

US Tennis star Serena Williams, who married Reddit co-founder Alexis Ohanian in a ceremony in New Orleans on Thursday, shared pictures from her wedding on Instagram the next day.

Her husband also Instagrammed pictures of of himself, Serena and their two-month-old daughter Alexis Olympia Ohanian Jr from the special day.

Serena looks radiant in a flowing white Alexander McQueen dress. Alexis Ohanian looks dashing in a black tux. Their daughter looks adorable in white.

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<p style=" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; line-height:17px; margin-bottom:0; margin-top:8px; overflow:hidden; padding:8px 0 7px; text-align:center; text-overflow:ellipsis; white-space:nowrap;"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/Bbnj0BbB1Zv/" style=" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:normal; line-height:17px; text-decoration:none;" target="_blank">A post shared by Serena Williams (@serenawilliams)</a> on <time datetime="2017-11-18T01:27:12+00:00" style=" font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; line-height:17px;">Nov 17, 2017 at 5:27pm PST</time>
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<a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/Bbn_eq8B3Y1/" style=" color:#000; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:normal; line-height:17px; text-decoration:none; word-wrap:break-word;" target="_blank">Official. ?? @melbarlowandco @allanzepedaphotography</a>

<p style=" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; line-height:17px; margin-bottom:0; margin-top:8px; overflow:hidden; padding:8px 0 7px; text-align:center; text-overflow:ellipsis; white-space:nowrap;">A post shared by Alexis Ohanian Sr.?? (@alexisohanian) on <time datetime="2017-11-18T05:28:57+00:00" style=" font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; line-height:17px;">Nov 17, 2017 at 9:28pm PST</time>
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<a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/Bbn-zE0BWv7/" style=" color:#000; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:normal; line-height:17px; text-decoration:none; word-wrap:break-word;" target="_blank">@serenawilliams: You are the greatest of all time, not just in sport--I&rsquo;m talking about as a mother and as a wife. I am so excited to write so many more chapters of our fairy tale together. And my whole life I didn&rsquo;t even realize it, but I was waiting for this moment. And everything that I have done, everything that I am so proud of in my career, and in my life, for the last 34 years, pales in comparison to what we&rsquo;re doing today. And I am so grateful, and I am so in love. ?? @melbarlowandco @allanzepedaphotography</a>

<p style=" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; line-height:17px; margin-bottom:0; margin-top:8px; overflow:hidden; padding:8px 0 7px; text-align:center; text-overflow:ellipsis; white-space:nowrap;">A post shared by Alexis Ohanian Sr.?? (@alexisohanian) on <time datetime="2017-11-18T05:23:00+00:00" style=" font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; line-height:17px;">Nov 17, 2017 at 9:23pm PST</time>
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<a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/Bbn73WdhnJI/" style=" color:#000; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:normal; line-height:17px; text-decoration:none; word-wrap:break-word;" target="_blank">Each one of my groomsmen is a best friend who also represents a different period of my life. Jon: childhood Huu: @uva Steve: @reddit Michael: my book &amp; tour, Without Their Permission Garry: Initialized Capital To be rich with great friends is a privilege -- and it&#39;s no surprise that they all love my bride.</a>

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The celebrities who attended the high-profile wedding included singer Beyonce, reality TV star Kim Kardashian and actress Eva Longoria.

The couple announced they were dating in 2015. Serena gave birth to their daughter in September this year.

 
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Serena looks radiant in a flowing white Alexander McQueen dress. Alexis Ohanian looks dashing in a black tux. Their daughter looks adorable in white.

US Tennis star Serena Williams, who married Reddit co-founder Alexis Ohanian in a ceremony in New Orleans on Thursday, shared pictures from her wedding on Instagram the next day. Her husband also Instagrammed pictures of of himself, Serena and their two-month-old daughter Alexis Olympia Ohanian Jr from the special day. Serena looks radiant in a flowing white Alexander McQueen dress. Alexis Ohanian looks dashing in a black tux. Their daughter looks adorable in white. A post shared by Serena Williams (@serenawilliams) on Nov 17, 2017 at 5:27pm PST × Official. ?? @melbarlowandco @allanzepedaphotography A post shared by Alexis Ohanian Sr.?? (@alexisohanian) on Nov 17, 2017 at 9:28pm PST × @serenawilliams: You are the greatest of all time, not just in sport--I’m talking about as a mother and as a wife. I am so excited to write so many more chapters of our fairy tale together. And my whole life I didn’t even realize it, but I was waiting for this moment. And everything that I have done, everything that I am so proud of in my career, and in my life, for the last 34 years, pales in comparison to what we’re doing today. And I am so grateful, and I am so in love. ?? @melbarlowandco @allanzepedaphotography A post shared by Alexis Ohanian Sr.?? (@alexisohanian) on Nov 17, 2017 at 9:23pm PST × Each one of my groomsmen is a best friend who also represents a different period of my life. Jon: childhood Huu: @uva Steve: @reddit Michael: my book & tour, Without Their Permission Garry: Initialized Capital To be rich with great friends is a privilege -- and it's no surprise that they all love my bride. A post shared by Alexis Ohanian Sr. (@alexisohanian) on Nov 17, 2017 at 8:57pm PST × The celebrities who attended the high-profile wedding included singer Beyonce, reality TV star Kim Kardashian and actress Eva Longoria. The couple announced they were dating in 2015. Serena gave birth to their daughter in September this year.

Inside pics from Serena Williams, Alex Ohanian's wedding

Serena Williams has given birth to a baby girl, the first child for the former world number one tennis player, her coach Patrick Mouratoglou said on Twitter on Friday.

The 35-year-old American, who is engaged to Reddit co-founder Alexis Ohanian, has not competed since winning the Australian Open in January but has posted several videos to social media showing her hitting balls during her pregnancy.

&quot;Congratulations @SerenaWilliams for your baby girl. I am so happy for you and I feel your emotion,&quot; Mouratoglou wrote.

&quot;Btw ... I wish you a speedy recovery... we have a lot of work ahead of us,&quot; he added.

Williams and Ohanian have yet to officially confirm the birth, but the reports she had quickly became the talk of the tournament, which Williams has won six times.

&quot;A baby girl? Well, I hope she doesn&#39;t play tennis,&quot; world number three Garbine Muguruza said with a smile during a news conference.

Fellow American Sloane Stephens said she expected to see a lot of the newborn.

&quot;I am very happy for her,&quot; she said. &quot;I cannot wait to see the little baby girl on tour because I am sure she will be around.&quot;

Williams confirmed her pregnancy in April hours after triggering frenzied speculation when she accidentally posted a short-lived selfie on social media with the caption: &quot;20 weeks&quot;.

Williams, the world&#39;s highest-paid female athlete, was about two months pregnant when she captured her 23rd grand slam singles title at the Australian Open, one short of the all-time record held by Australian Margaret Court.

She told Vogue magazine last month about her &quot;outrageous plan&quot; to defend her title in Australia, where the year&#39;s first grand slam will be played from Jan. 15-28.

Other women have left the tour to have children and returned at a high level, although none has done so at Williams&#39; age.

Kim Clijsters of Belgium retired and had a child before coming back at age 26 and winning three grand slam titles.

Australians Evonne Goolagong Cawley and Court also won grand slam titles after having children.

Williams and her husband Ohanian have yet to officially confirm the birth

Serena Williams has given birth to a baby girl, the first child for the former world number one tennis player, her coach Patrick Mouratoglou said on Twitter on Friday. The 35-year-old American, who is engaged to Reddit co-founder Alexis Ohanian, has not competed since winning the Australian Open in January but has posted several videos to social media showing her hitting balls during her pregnancy. "Congratulations @SerenaWilliams for your baby girl. I am so happy for you and I feel your emotion," Mouratoglou wrote. "Btw ... I wish you a speedy recovery... we have a lot of work ahead of us," he added. Williams and Ohanian have yet to officially confirm the birth, but the reports she had quickly became the talk of the tournament, which Williams has won six times. "A baby girl? Well, I hope she doesn't play tennis," world number three Garbine Muguruza said with a smile during a news conference. Fellow American Sloane Stephens said she expected to see a lot of the newborn. "I am very happy for her," she said. "I cannot wait to see the little baby girl on tour because I am sure she will be around." Williams confirmed her pregnancy in April hours after triggering frenzied speculation when she accidentally posted a short-lived selfie on social media with the caption: "20 weeks". Williams, the world's highest-paid female athlete, was about two months pregnant when she captured her 23rd grand slam singles title at the Australian Open, one short of the all-time record held by Australian Margaret Court. She told Vogue magazine last month about her "outrageous plan" to defend her title in Australia, where the year's first grand slam will be played from Jan. 15-28. Other women have left the tour to have children and returned at a high level, although none has done so at Williams' age. Kim Clijsters of Belgium retired and had a child before coming back at age 26 and winning three grand slam titles. Australians Evonne Goolagong Cawley and Court also won grand slam titles after having children.

Serena Williams gives birth to baby girl: Coach

Serena Williams aims to defend her Australian Open title next year, the American saying the rapid return to action would only give her around three months to prepare after giving birth to her first child.

The 23-times grand slam winner announced her pregnancy in April and will be on maternity leave for the rest of the year. The 35-year-old is engaged to Reddit co-founder Alexis Ohanian.

&quot;It&#39;s the most outrageous plan,&quot; Williams told Vogue magazine. &quot;I just want to put that out there. That&#39;s, like, three months after I give birth. I&#39;m not walking anything back, but I&#39;m just saying it&#39;s pretty intense.

&quot;If I lose and I lose again, it&#39;s like, &#39;she&#39;s done&#39;. Especially since I&#39;m not 20 years old. I&#39;ll tell you this much: I won&#39;t win less. Either I win, or I don&#39;t play.&quot;

The American added that she could have a few new tricks up her sleeve after analysing her game on television over the last few months.

&quot;I learn by watching. Or I watch old matches of myself on the Tennis Channel,&quot; she added.

&quot;I hit amazing shots and these girls are running them down and hitting winners, and I&#39;m beginning to see why. It&#39;s because I have patterns.&quot;

Williams is one grand slam shy of Australian Margaret Court&#39;s long-standing record of 24 major titles.

Williams is one grand slam shy of Australian Margaret Court's long-standing record of 24 major titles

Serena Williams aims to defend her Australian Open title next year, the American saying the rapid return to action would only give her around three months to prepare after giving birth to her first child. The 23-times grand slam winner announced her pregnancy in April and will be on maternity leave for the rest of the year. The 35-year-old is engaged to Reddit co-founder Alexis Ohanian. "It's the most outrageous plan," Williams told Vogue magazine. "I just want to put that out there. That's, like, three months after I give birth. I'm not walking anything back, but I'm just saying it's pretty intense. "If I lose and I lose again, it's like, 'she's done'. Especially since I'm not 20 years old. I'll tell you this much: I won't win less. Either I win, or I don't play." The American added that she could have a few new tricks up her sleeve after analysing her game on television over the last few months. "I learn by watching. Or I watch old matches of myself on the Tennis Channel," she added. "I hit amazing shots and these girls are running them down and hitting winners, and I'm beginning to see why. It's because I have patterns." Williams is one grand slam shy of Australian Margaret Court's long-standing record of 24 major titles.

Serena eyes 'outrageous' Australian Open return

The International Tennis Federation(ITF) today banned Romanian former world No -1 tennis player Ilie Nastase over derogatory comments about Serena Williams and his&nbsp;Federation Cup tirade.

The 71-year-old former tennis player was thrown out of the Federation Cup tie in Bucharest against Britain in April after <a href="http://www.wionews.com/photos/meet-the-bad-boys-of-tennis-345">he was overheard making derogatory remarks about US superstar Serena Williams&#39;s pregnancy</a>.

&quot;Let&#39;s see what colour it (the baby) has. Chocolate with milk?,&quot; he said in Romanian. The went on to berate a British woman reporter who reported the incident, describing her as &quot;stupid&quot; and &quot;ugly&quot;.

He also asked British captain Anne Keothavong for her hotel room number.

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The ITF Internal Adjudication Panel has issued its decision in the case against Ilie Nastase <a href="https://t.co/UDZ25ZnWDe">https://t.co/UDZ25ZnWDe</a> <a href="https://t.co/quqAkUggVm">pic.twitter.com/quqAkUggVm</a>
&mdash; ITF (@ITF_Tennis) <a href="https://twitter.com/ITF_Tennis/status/888367982178689025">July 21, 2017</a></blockquote>
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The tennis federation banned Nastase from all ITF competitions until December 2020 and fined $10,000.

The ITF in a statement described Nastase&#39;s comment about Williams as &quot;highly inappropriate and racially insensitive&quot;.

It reported how &quot;Mr Nastase made advances of a sexual nature towards Anne Keothavong, the Captain of the Great Britain team&quot;.

The statement added that the disgraced Fed Cup skipper had &quot;refused to leave the court and deliberately interfered with the opposing team&quot;.

Nastase and the Romanian Tennis Federation have 21 days to appeal.

The tennis federation banned Nastase from all ITF competitions until December 2020 and fined $10,000.

The International Tennis Federation(ITF) today banned Romanian former world No -1 tennis player Ilie Nastase over derogatory comments about Serena Williams and his Federation Cup tirade. The 71-year-old former tennis player was thrown out of the Federation Cup tie in Bucharest against Britain in April after he was overheard making derogatory remarks about US superstar Serena Williams's pregnancy. "Let's see what colour it (the baby) has. Chocolate with milk?," he said in Romanian. The went on to berate a British woman reporter who reported the incident, describing her as "stupid" and "ugly". He also asked British captain Anne Keothavong for her hotel room number. The ITF Internal Adjudication Panel has issued its decision in the case against Ilie Nastase https://t.co/UDZ25ZnWDe pic.twitter.com/quqAkUggVm — ITF (@ITF_Tennis) July 21, 2017 × The tennis federation banned Nastase from all ITF competitions until December 2020 and fined $10,000. The ITF in a statement described Nastase's comment about Williams as "highly inappropriate and racially insensitive". It reported how "Mr Nastase made advances of a sexual nature towards Anne Keothavong, the Captain of the Great Britain team". The statement added that the disgraced Fed Cup skipper had "refused to leave the court and deliberately interfered with the opposing team". Nastase and the Romanian Tennis Federation have 21 days to appeal.

ITF bans Nastase over Williams' racial remark, Fed Cup tirade

Spain&#39;s Garbine Muguruza reached her second Wimbledon final in three years with a thumping 6-1 6-1 win over Slovakia&#39;s Magdalena Rybarikova on Thursday.

A visibly confident Muguruza needed just 64 minutes to beat the 87th-ranked Rybarikova, who had beaten third seed Karolina Pliskova and American Coco Vanderweghe on her unexpected run to the last four.

Muguruza, who lost to Serena Williams in the 2015 final, will face the winner of Thursday&#39;s other semi between Venus Williams and Britain&#39;s Johanna Konta.

The Spaniard was 3-0 up after just 10 minutes, her aggressive approach paying dividends against an opponent who looked nervous in what was the biggest game of her career to date.

&quot;I think I stepped on the court super-confident and I played well,&quot; said Muguruza, who is being coached at this tournament by Conchita Martinez, the only Spaniard to win the women&#39;s singles at the All England Club.

The women&#39;s tournament this year has been marked by some fiercely contested and tight battles but this was a disappointingly one-sided affair.

Muguruza appeared with heavy tape on her left thigh but there was no sign of any hindrance to her movement.

Indeed, she was simply stronger in every department, hitting 22 winners and just 11 unforced errors as she won 60 points to Rybarikova&#39;s 33 with her backhand down the line, fundamental to her win.

The Venezuela-born 23-year-old, the 2016 French Open winner, was quick to the net and her groundstrokes flowed easily as she rattled off the first set in just 30 minutes.

Her serve was strong and she was positive in going to the net, while Rybarikova struggled with her serve and found her returns coming up against a wave of attacks from the Spaniard.

Muguruza won ten of 13 points at the net in the first set and that lay the foundation for her dominance in the second.

The Slovak&#39;s first service game of the set was broken, as she went wide on break point and a sizzling backhand return winner down the line, the shot of the match, established another 3-0 lead.

Rybarikova had done remarkably well to reach this stage after a seventh month injury lay-off, getting herself into great form by winning International Tennis Federation tournaments at Fukuoka, Surbiton and Ilkley.

But this was a step too far. Even when she was able to hold in the second, she needed to stave off two break points to do so.

The final point was a rare rally but it ended with Rybarikova finding the net after being forced into the corner by Muguruza&#39;s relentless returns.

Muguruza will face the winner of Thursday's other semi between Venus Williams and Britain's Johanna Konta

Spain's Garbine Muguruza reached her second Wimbledon final in three years with a thumping 6-1 6-1 win over Slovakia's Magdalena Rybarikova on Thursday. A visibly confident Muguruza needed just 64 minutes to beat the 87th-ranked Rybarikova, who had beaten third seed Karolina Pliskova and American Coco Vanderweghe on her unexpected run to the last four. Muguruza, who lost to Serena Williams in the 2015 final, will face the winner of Thursday's other semi between Venus Williams and Britain's Johanna Konta. The Spaniard was 3-0 up after just 10 minutes, her aggressive approach paying dividends against an opponent who looked nervous in what was the biggest game of her career to date. "I think I stepped on the court super-confident and I played well," said Muguruza, who is being coached at this tournament by Conchita Martinez, the only Spaniard to win the women's singles at the All England Club. The women's tournament this year has been marked by some fiercely contested and tight battles but this was a disappointingly one-sided affair. Muguruza appeared with heavy tape on her left thigh but there was no sign of any hindrance to her movement. Indeed, she was simply stronger in every department, hitting 22 winners and just 11 unforced errors as she won 60 points to Rybarikova's 33 with her backhand down the line, fundamental to her win. The Venezuela-born 23-year-old, the 2016 French Open winner, was quick to the net and her groundstrokes flowed easily as she rattled off the first set in just 30 minutes. Her serve was strong and she was positive in going to the net, while Rybarikova struggled with her serve and found her returns coming up against a wave of attacks from the Spaniard. Muguruza won ten of 13 points at the net in the first set and that lay the foundation for her dominance in the second. The Slovak's first service game of the set was broken, as she went wide on break point and a sizzling backhand return winner down the line, the shot of the match, established another 3-0 lead. Rybarikova had done remarkably well to reach this stage after a seventh month injury lay-off, getting herself into great form by winning International Tennis Federation tournaments at Fukuoka, Surbiton and Ilkley. But this was a step too far. Even when she was able to hold in the second, she needed to stave off two break points to do so. The final point was a rare rally but it ended with Rybarikova finding the net after being forced into the corner by Muguruza's relentless returns.

Spain's Muguruza beats Rybarikova to reach Wimbledon final

The off-court match going on between John McEnroe and Serena Williams doesn&#39;t seem to end as the tennis legend has refused to apologise for his comments about the 23-time grand slam champion and believes men should play against women to settle the argument.

McEnroe had claimed that Serena, who is the best player of her gender, would be ranked 700 if she plays on the men&#39;s circuit.

Following which the Serena had said that McEnroe should respect her and her privacy and should abstain from making comments that are &quot;not factually based&quot;.

&quot;I felt the need, however, unfortunately, to defend myself and say what I really felt, which is about what I think she would be,&quot; The Sydney Morning Herald quoted McEnroe as saying.

&quot;I&#39;ve got a solution. Solve the problem, and I&#39;m sure the men would be all for this - the men and women play together. And then we don&#39;t have to guess.&quot;

When asked if he would like to apologise for his comments, the tennis legend said was emphatic in his response.

&quot;No. I didn&#39;t know it would create controversy. I&#39;ve said this 1000 times. I don&#39;t want anything to go wrong with Serena because she&#39;s pregnant. I don&#39;t want to upset her,&quot; he said.

&quot;I think she&#39;s doing it tongue in cheek as well and I think deep down we&#39;re talking about something... I can&#39;t even believe we&#39;re talking about it,&quot; he added.

McEnroe, seven-time major champion, speaking as part of a tour to promote his new book &#39;But Seriously&#39;, had said that while he has great respect for Serena, he would place the 23-time Grand Slam winner &quot;like 700 in the world&quot; on the men&#39;s circuit.

&quot;Best female player ever - no question.&quot;

&quot;If she had to just play the circuit - the men&#39;s circuit - that would be an entirely different story,&quot; he added.

However, Williams on Monday hit back at McEnroe and wrote on Twitter, &quot;Dear John, I adore and respect you but please please keep me out of your statements that are not factually based.&quot;

&quot;I&#39;ve never played anyone ranked &#39;there&#39; nor do I have time. Respect me and my privacy as I&#39;m trying to have a baby. Good day sir,&quot; she added.

The American has already made it clear she is determined to return to the tour next year, with Margaret Court&#39;s all-time record of 24 slam singles titles an obvious goal.

In April, she had announced that she was pregnant and would not compete for the remainder of the season.

Serena became the oldest woman to win a grand slam when he won the 2015 Wimbledon title at the age of 33.

The 35-year-old tennis star has 23 grand slam singles crowns and 14 doubles titles in majors.&nbsp;

McEnroe had claimed that Serena, who is the best player of her gender, would be ranked 700 if she plays on the men's circuit

The off-court match going on between John McEnroe and Serena Williams doesn't seem to end as the tennis legend has refused to apologise for his comments about the 23-time grand slam champion and believes men should play against women to settle the argument. McEnroe had claimed that Serena, who is the best player of her gender, would be ranked 700 if she plays on the men's circuit. Following which the Serena had said that McEnroe should respect her and her privacy and should abstain from making comments that are "not factually based". "I felt the need, however, unfortunately, to defend myself and say what I really felt, which is about what I think she would be," The Sydney Morning Herald quoted McEnroe as saying. "I've got a solution. Solve the problem, and I'm sure the men would be all for this - the men and women play together. And then we don't have to guess." When asked if he would like to apologise for his comments, the tennis legend said was emphatic in his response. "No. I didn't know it would create controversy. I've said this 1000 times. I don't want anything to go wrong with Serena because she's pregnant. I don't want to upset her," he said. "I think she's doing it tongue in cheek as well and I think deep down we're talking about something... I can't even believe we're talking about it," he added. McEnroe, seven-time major champion, speaking as part of a tour to promote his new book 'But Seriously', had said that while he has great respect for Serena, he would place the 23-time Grand Slam winner "like 700 in the world" on the men's circuit. "Best female player ever - no question." "If she had to just play the circuit - the men's circuit - that would be an entirely different story," he added. However, Williams on Monday hit back at McEnroe and wrote on Twitter, "Dear John, I adore and respect you but please please keep me out of your statements that are not factually based." "I've never played anyone ranked 'there' nor do I have time. Respect me and my privacy as I'm trying to have a baby. Good day sir," she added. The American has already made it clear she is determined to return to the tour next year, with Margaret Court's all-time record of 24 slam singles titles an obvious goal. In April, she had announced that she was pregnant and would not compete for the remainder of the season. Serena became the oldest woman to win a grand slam when he won the 2015 Wimbledon title at the age of 33. The 35-year-old tennis star has 23 grand slam singles crowns and 14 doubles titles in majors.

John McEnroe refuses to apologise to Serena Williams

Former US tennis player John McEnroe and multiple grand slam champion Serena Williams were engaged in a war of words after McEnroe in an interview with National Public Radio on Sunday said Serena Williams would be ranked &quot;like 700 in the world&quot; if she had to play on the men&#39;s circuit.

Former world No-1 Serena Williams responded on Twitter at McEnroe&#39;s jibe, saying,&quot;I&#39;ve never played anyone ranked &#39;there&#39; nor do I have time. Respect me and my privacy as I&#39;m trying to have a baby.&quot;

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Dear John, I adore and respect you but please please keep me out of your statements that are not factually based.
&mdash; Serena Williams (@serenawilliams) <a href="https://twitter.com/serenawilliams/status/879466071404810241">June 26, 2017</a></blockquote>
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I&#39;ve never played anyone ranked &quot;there&quot; nor do I have time. Respect me and my privacy as I&#39;m trying to have a baby. Good day sir
&mdash; Serena Williams (@serenawilliams) <a href="https://twitter.com/serenawilliams/status/879466221112094720">June 26, 2017</a></blockquote>
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During the interview, McEnroe said, &quot;That doesn&#39;t mean I don&#39;t think Serena is an incredible player. I do.&quot;

However, he was quick to add that &quot;on a given day, Serena could beat some players... But if she had to just play the circuit -- the men&#39;s circuit -- that would be an entirely different story.&quot;

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John McEnroe in an interview with National Public Radio said Serena Williams would be ranked 'like 700 in the world' if she had to play on the men's circuit.

Former US tennis player John McEnroe and multiple grand slam champion Serena Williams were engaged in a war of words after McEnroe in an interview with National Public Radio on Sunday said Serena Williams would be ranked "like 700 in the world" if she had to play on the men's circuit. Former world No-1 Serena Williams responded on Twitter at McEnroe's jibe, saying,"I've never played anyone ranked 'there' nor do I have time. Respect me and my privacy as I'm trying to have a baby." Dear John, I adore and respect you but please please keep me out of your statements that are not factually based. — Serena Williams (@serenawilliams) June 26, 2017 × I've never played anyone ranked "there" nor do I have time. Respect me and my privacy as I'm trying to have a baby. Good day sir — Serena Williams (@serenawilliams) June 26, 2017 × During the interview, McEnroe said, "That doesn't mean I don't think Serena is an incredible player. I do." However, he was quick to add that "on a given day, Serena could beat some players... But if she had to just play the circuit -- the men's circuit -- that would be an entirely different story."

McEnroe ranks Williams '700 in the world' in men's circuit, 'respect me' says Williams

Serena Williams will be the mother of a baby girl, if sister Venus is to be believed after she appeared to let the secret slip on Wednesday.

Venus, playing at the French Open in Paris, told a TV interviewer: &quot;She&#39;s going to call me her favourite aunt.&quot;

&quot;We all like &#39;baby V, baby Lyn, baby Isha&#39;. We all want the baby to be named after us,&quot; the 36-year-old told Eurosport.

Serena, who revealed she was pregnant in April, has refused to discuss the sex of the baby she is expecting with fiance, Alex Ohanian, the founder of Reddit.

She was at Roland Garros on Wednesday watching her older sister defeat Kurumi Nara in the second round on the showpiece Philippe Chatrier court.

(AFP)

Serena Williams has refused to discuss the sex of the baby she is expecting with fiance, Alex Ohanian, the founder of Reddit

Serena Williams will be the mother of a baby girl, if sister Venus is to be believed after she appeared to let the secret slip on Wednesday. Venus, playing at the French Open in Paris, told a TV interviewer: "She's going to call me her favourite aunt." "We all like 'baby V, baby Lyn, baby Isha'. We all want the baby to be named after us," the 36-year-old told Eurosport. Serena, who revealed she was pregnant in April, has refused to discuss the sex of the baby she is expecting with fiance, Alex Ohanian, the founder of Reddit. She was at Roland Garros on Wednesday watching her older sister defeat Kurumi Nara in the second round on the showpiece Philippe Chatrier court. (AFP)

Serena Williams to have baby girl, says Venus

Pregnant star Serena Williams and gymnastics great Nadia Comaneci blasted tennis legend Ilie Nastase for making &quot;racist&quot;, &quot;sexist&quot; and &quot;offensive&quot; comments during the Fed Cup tie between Romania and Britain at the weekend.

Romanian Fed Cup captain Nastase has been suspended by the International Tennis Federation (ITF) over his foul-mouthed and abusive behaviour during the tie, from which he was ejected.

On Friday, he had made a controversial racial slur over Williams&#39;s unborn baby while also reportedly propositioning the married and pregnant British captain Anne Keothavong.

&quot;It disappoints me to know we live in a society where people like Ilie Nastase can make such racist comments towards myself and unborn child, and sexist comments against my peers,&quot; said the 23-time Grand Slam winner.

Nastase was overheard by a journalist commenting on Williams&#39;s unborn child -- who will be mixed race as her fiance is white -- on Friday, saying: &quot;Let&#39;s see what colour it has. Chocolate with milk?&quot;

On Saturday, the 70-year-old former world number one and two-time Grand Slam winner was kicked out of the tie after swearing at the umpire, Keothavong and British number one player Johanna Konta-- calling the latter two &quot;f*ck*ng b*tches&quot;.

&quot;You may shoot me with your words... you may try to kill me with your hatefulness, but still like air, I rise,&quot; continued the 35-year-old Williams, a four-time Olympic gold medallist.

&quot;I humbly thank the ITF for any consideration given to all the facts in this case. They will have my full support.&quot;

Nastase was also blasted by compatriot Comaneci.

&quot;Ilie has been my friend for many years, but I can not condone or defend his recent ugly and very offensive remarks,&quot; the 55-year-old five-time Olympic gold medallist wrote on Twitter.

Nastase and Comaneci are Romania&#39;s two greatest sporting icons.

Comaneci was reacting to criticism she received from earlier comments she made at the European Gymnastics Championships, held in Cluj, Romania at the weekend.

Various press reported her as having said Nastase &quot;says things that he doesn&#39;t really mean&quot;, adding that &quot;everybody in Romania loves Ilie because he is Ilie&quot;.

Despite being kicked out of the Fed Cup tie, Nastase had blatantly ignored the ban on Sunday and walked into the VIP area at the venue in Constanta, before being asked to leave by the Romanian Tennis Federation president.

His bizarre behaviour did not stop there, though, as Keothavong revealed he had sent her flowers on Sunday in a peace-making gesture.

(AFP)

Former world number one Ilie Nastase has also been condemned by Nadia Comaneci for his tirade during a Fed Cup tie

Pregnant star Serena Williams and gymnastics great Nadia Comaneci blasted tennis legend Ilie Nastase for making "racist", "sexist" and "offensive" comments during the Fed Cup tie between Romania and Britain at the weekend. Romanian Fed Cup captain Nastase has been suspended by the International Tennis Federation (ITF) over his foul-mouthed and abusive behaviour during the tie, from which he was ejected. On Friday, he had made a controversial racial slur over Williams's unborn baby while also reportedly propositioning the married and pregnant British captain Anne Keothavong. "It disappoints me to know we live in a society where people like Ilie Nastase can make such racist comments towards myself and unborn child, and sexist comments against my peers," said the 23-time Grand Slam winner. Nastase was overheard by a journalist commenting on Williams's unborn child -- who will be mixed race as her fiance is white -- on Friday, saying: "Let's see what colour it has. Chocolate with milk?" On Saturday, the 70-year-old former world number one and two-time Grand Slam winner was kicked out of the tie after swearing at the umpire, Keothavong and British number one player Johanna Konta-- calling the latter two "f*ck*ng b*tches". "You may shoot me with your words... you may try to kill me with your hatefulness, but still like air, I rise," continued the 35-year-old Williams, a four-time Olympic gold medallist. "I humbly thank the ITF for any consideration given to all the facts in this case. They will have my full support." Nastase was also blasted by compatriot Comaneci. "Ilie has been my friend for many years, but I can not condone or defend his recent ugly and very offensive remarks," the 55-year-old five-time Olympic gold medallist wrote on Twitter. Nastase and Comaneci are Romania's two greatest sporting icons. Comaneci was reacting to criticism she received from earlier comments she made at the European Gymnastics Championships, held in Cluj, Romania at the weekend. Various press reported her as having said Nastase "says things that he doesn't really mean", adding that "everybody in Romania loves Ilie because he is Ilie". Despite being kicked out of the Fed Cup tie, Nastase had blatantly ignored the ban on Sunday and walked into the VIP area at the venue in Constanta, before being asked to leave by the Romanian Tennis Federation president. His bizarre behaviour did not stop there, though, as Keothavong revealed he had sent her flowers on Sunday in a peace-making gesture. (AFP)

Serena Williams slams Nastase for 'racist' slur about unborn child

Tennis superstar Serena Williams is pregnant and taking maternity leave through the rest of 2017, expecting to give birth this fall, her spokeswoman said on Wednesday in an announcement that upended a sport the 35-year-old athlete has dominated for the past decade.

The confirmation came hours after Williams, due to regain to the number&nbsp;1 world ranking next week, set off a day of frenzied speculation with a short-lived selfie posted on social media - posing for a photo in a yellow one-piece swimsuit on Snapchat with the caption: &quot;20 weeks&quot;.

Williams deleted the photo shortly after it appeared and waited more than six hours to make any public comment, stoking debate among tennis fans about whether or not she was joking.

&quot;I&#39;m happy to confirm Serena is expecting a baby this fall,&quot; Los Angeles-based publicist Kelly Bush Novak said.

Bush Novak told Reuters that Williams intended to sit out the remainder of the 2017 season and return next year.

Williams, the world&#39;s highest paid female athlete, announced her engagement to Reddit co-founder Alexis Ohanian last December.

Days ago she seemed to quell speculation about impending motherhood with an Instagram post praising a newly published guidebook for new mothers by former Destiny&#39;s Child singer Kelly Rowland, adding in the caption: &quot;One of these days I hope to apply this (but for now I&#39;ll stick to my dog Chip).&quot;

If Williams is indeed 20 weeks into her term, that would mean she was approximately two months pregnant when she captured her record 23rd Grand Slam tournament singles title at the Australian Open in January.

Her victory over older sister Venus Williams broke a tie with Steffi Graf for the most Grand Slam singles championships in the sport&#39;s modern era. Serena Williams has not played since then, citing a knee injury.

&nbsp;

TECHNICALLY A DOUBLES MATCH?

Fans and celebrities reacted with a mixture of awe and glee to Williams&#39; Snapchat post.

&quot;Serena Williams was pregnant when she won her 23rd grand slam tournament at the Australian Open. And did not drop ONE SET. Let that sink in,&quot; wrote Twitter user @noelleharmony.

&quot;So Serena cheated,&quot; Trevor Noah, the host of &quot;The Daily Show&quot; on Comedy Central, wrote on his Twitter account. &quot;Because that&#39;s technically a doubles match.&quot;

The Women&#39;s Tennis Association congratulated Williams on Twitter before deleting its post.

Tennis&#39; US&nbsp;governing body, the United States Tennis Association, wrote on Facebook, &quot;Join us in congratulating the GOAT and her fianc&eacute; Alexis Ohanian on this incredible news!&quot; referring to Williams with the acronym for &quot;Greatest of All Time.&quot;

Researchers who study pregnancy in high-performing athletes said her training during pregnancy, the speed of her body&#39;s recovery after giving birth and her will power are the keys to Williams returning to top-level play. James Pivarnik, a kinesiology professor at Michigan State University, said her muscular build could overcome some of the changes that usually impair performance.

Other women have left the tour to have children and returned at a high level, although none has done so at Williams&#39; age. Kim Clijsters of Belgium retired and had a child before coming back at age 26 and winning three Grand Slam titles as a mother.

Australians Evonne Goolagong and Margaret Court also won Grand Slam titles after having children.

Former number&nbsp;1 Victoria Azarenka of Belarus, 27, missed most of the 2016 season to have a baby and is expected to return to the tour this summer.

&quot;We&#39;ve seen some other mothers come back ... but will she have enough motivation when she sees that little one?&quot; former world number&nbsp;1 Hall of Famer Tracy Austin said on the Tennis Channel. &quot;She&#39;s already done so much, does she need more?&quot;

For Williams, who commands nearly $29 million in salary and sponsorship earnings, becoming pregnant makes her all the more attractive to corporate sponsors, industry executives said.

Williams is the oldest woman to win a Grand Slam singles title and still dominates the tour at an age when most players have retired.

Williams, who has played professionally for two decades, first gained the number&nbsp;1 ranking in 2002 and has held that spot for more than six years in total.

Sister Venus, 36, has won seven Grand Slam singles titles.

(Reuters)

Due to regain the world number 1 ranking, Williams will take maternity leave through the rest of 2017, expecting to give birth this fall

Tennis superstar Serena Williams is pregnant and taking maternity leave through the rest of 2017, expecting to give birth this fall, her spokeswoman said on Wednesday in an announcement that upended a sport the 35-year-old athlete has dominated for the past decade. The confirmation came hours after Williams, due to regain to the number 1 world ranking next week, set off a day of frenzied speculation with a short-lived selfie posted on social media - posing for a photo in a yellow one-piece swimsuit on Snapchat with the caption: "20 weeks". Williams deleted the photo shortly after it appeared and waited more than six hours to make any public comment, stoking debate among tennis fans about whether or not she was joking. "I'm happy to confirm Serena is expecting a baby this fall," Los Angeles-based publicist Kelly Bush Novak said. Bush Novak told Reuters that Williams intended to sit out the remainder of the 2017 season and return next year. Williams, the world's highest paid female athlete, announced her engagement to Reddit co-founder Alexis Ohanian last December. Days ago she seemed to quell speculation about impending motherhood with an Instagram post praising a newly published guidebook for new mothers by former Destiny's Child singer Kelly Rowland, adding in the caption: "One of these days I hope to apply this (but for now I'll stick to my dog Chip)." If Williams is indeed 20 weeks into her term, that would mean she was approximately two months pregnant when she captured her record 23rd Grand Slam tournament singles title at the Australian Open in January. Her victory over older sister Venus Williams broke a tie with Steffi Graf for the most Grand Slam singles championships in the sport's modern era. Serena Williams has not played since then, citing a knee injury. TECHNICALLY A DOUBLES MATCH? Fans and celebrities reacted with a mixture of awe and glee to Williams' Snapchat post. "Serena Williams was pregnant when she won her 23rd grand slam tournament at the Australian Open. And did not drop ONE SET. Let that sink in," wrote Twitter user @noelleharmony. "So Serena cheated," Trevor Noah, the host of "The Daily Show" on Comedy Central, wrote on his Twitter account. "Because that's technically a doubles match." The Women's Tennis Association congratulated Williams on Twitter before deleting its post. Tennis' US governing body, the United States Tennis Association, wrote on Facebook, "Join us in congratulating the GOAT and her fiancé Alexis Ohanian on this incredible news!" referring to Williams with the acronym for "Greatest of All Time." Researchers who study pregnancy in high-performing athletes said her training during pregnancy, the speed of her body's recovery after giving birth and her will power are the keys to Williams returning to top-level play. James Pivarnik, a kinesiology professor at Michigan State University, said her muscular build could overcome some of the changes that usually impair performance. Other women have left the tour to have children and returned at a high level, although none has done so at Williams' age. Kim Clijsters of Belgium retired and had a child before coming back at age 26 and winning three Grand Slam titles as a mother. Australians Evonne Goolagong and Margaret Court also won Grand Slam titles after having children. Former number 1 Victoria Azarenka of Belarus, 27, missed most of the 2016 season to have a baby and is expected to return to the tour this summer. "We've seen some other mothers come back ... but will she have enough motivation when she sees that little one?" former world number 1 Hall of Famer Tracy Austin said on the Tennis Channel. "She's already done so much, does she need more?" For Williams, who commands nearly $29 million in salary and sponsorship earnings, becoming pregnant makes her all the more attractive to corporate sponsors, industry executives said. Williams is the oldest woman to win a Grand Slam singles title and still dominates the tour at an age when most players have retired. Williams, who has played professionally for two decades, first gained the number 1 ranking in 2002 and has held that spot for more than six years in total. Sister Venus, 36, has won seven Grand Slam singles titles. (Reuters)

Tennis superstar Serena Williams confirms pregnancy

Serena Williams beat her sister Venus 6-4 6-4 in the Australian Open final on Saturday to win her 23rd Grand Slam singles title and become the most successful tennis player in the open era.

The 35-year-old American&#39;s victory gave her a seventh Melbourne Park crown and sent her clear of Germany&#39;s Steffi Graf at the top of the list of most prolific grand slam winners since the game turned professional in 1968.

The second seed overcame a stuttering serve to take a topsy-turvy opening set and one break of 36-year-old Venus&#39;s serve proved enough to claim the second after 82 minutes on Rod Laver Arena.

The victory ensured Serena, who hit 10 aces and 27 winners, would regain the world number one ranking from Germany&#39;s Angelique Kerber on Monday.

(Reuters)

Serena Williams beat her sister Venus in straight sets at the Australian Open final

Serena Williams beat her sister Venus 6-4 6-4 in the Australian Open final on Saturday to win her 23rd Grand Slam singles title and become the most successful tennis player in the open era. The 35-year-old American's victory gave her a seventh Melbourne Park crown and sent her clear of Germany's Steffi Graf at the top of the list of most prolific grand slam winners since the game turned professional in 1968. The second seed overcame a stuttering serve to take a topsy-turvy opening set and one break of 36-year-old Venus's serve proved enough to claim the second after 82 minutes on Rod Laver Arena. The victory ensured Serena, who hit 10 aces and 27 winners, would regain the world number one ranking from Germany's Angelique Kerber on Monday. (Reuters)

Serena Williams beats Venus to win Australian Open

Only three women can now prevent Serena Williams from clinching a 23rd grand slam title on Saturday, her sister Venus, a younger compatriot and a 34-year-old Croatian she last played nearly two decades ago.

The quartet take to Rod Laver Arena on Thursday with Serena playing Mirjana Lucic-Baroni and Venus facing Coco Vandeweghe at the business end of an Australian Open where upsets have been a daily occurrence.

The seedings have not proved much of a guide in the women&#39;s draw this year, with world number two Serena the sole survivor of the top 12 at the start the tournament.

The head-to-head will not provide much help either when assessing Serena&#39;s matchup against Lucic-Baroni, given their last meeting came in 1998 at Wimbledon when they were both 16.

&quot;It was on Centre Court. That&#39;s all I remember. I remember winning. I was so excited because I was so young. She obviously was super young, too. That&#39;s all,&quot; Serena said on Wednesday after beating Johanna Konta in the quarter-finals.

&quot;We have totally different games now, the both of us. We both have gone through a lot. We both have survived, and here we are, which I think is a really remarkable story.&quot;

As six-times Melbourne Park champion, Serena will be a clear favourite, of course, more so because she has reached her 34th grand slam semi-final without losing a set.

Lucic-Baroni&#39;s path to the last four has been more of a battle, as befits a woman who has overcome huge adversity to get back to the top of the game after years in the wilderness.

While Serena missed the back end last season with a shoulder problem, Lucic-Baroni has more immediate concerns about an injury to her left leg.

&quot;I&#39;m going to be just fine,&quot; said the world number 79. &quot;I&#39;m going to recover, do some therapy, and I&#39;ll be fine. I&#39;ll just put some extra tapes on and hopefully, it will hold me together. I&#39;ll fight hard. I&#39;ll be okay.&quot;

The first semi-final is an all-American affair pitching Venus, the oldest woman in the draw, against 25-year-old surprise package Vandeweghe.

Venus does not have an Australian Open crown in her collection of seven grand slam titles and has reached the final just once, losing to Serena in 2003.

Vandeweghe has got to the last four of a grand slam for the first time here by blowing opponents off the court with her booming serve and big winners.

Venus might be hoping that the occasion gets the better of the world number 35 but promised nevertheless that the power tennis would not be coming from just one side of the net.

&quot;Power is her game, her strength. She&#39;s putting the ball in with it, it&#39;s awesome to see really,&quot; Venus said.

&quot;(But) I play a power game as well. I&#39;ve been fortunate enough to play good defence and have good movement on the court. Hopefully, this will be a plus for me.&quot;

Vandeweghe was seven years old when Venus first played at the Australian Open and said it remarkable to think she was about to face a player she once asked for an autograph.

&quot;It&#39;s a dream to play someone you grew up watching,&quot; she said. &quot;To play an unbelievable player, future Hall of Famer, Venus, to be on the court with her but to do it at this stage of a grand slam is kind of crazy.&quot;

(Reuters)

Only three women can now prevent Serena Williams from clinching a 23rd grand slam title on Saturday

Only three women can now prevent Serena Williams from clinching a 23rd grand slam title on Saturday, her sister Venus, a younger compatriot and a 34-year-old Croatian she last played nearly two decades ago. The quartet take to Rod Laver Arena on Thursday with Serena playing Mirjana Lucic-Baroni and Venus facing Coco Vandeweghe at the business end of an Australian Open where upsets have been a daily occurrence. The seedings have not proved much of a guide in the women's draw this year, with world number two Serena the sole survivor of the top 12 at the start the tournament. The head-to-head will not provide much help either when assessing Serena's matchup against Lucic-Baroni, given their last meeting came in 1998 at Wimbledon when they were both 16. "It was on Centre Court. That's all I remember. I remember winning. I was so excited because I was so young. She obviously was super young, too. That's all," Serena said on Wednesday after beating Johanna Konta in the quarter-finals. "We have totally different games now, the both of us. We both have gone through a lot. We both have survived, and here we are, which I think is a really remarkable story." As six-times Melbourne Park champion, Serena will be a clear favourite, of course, more so because she has reached her 34th grand slam semi-final without losing a set. Lucic-Baroni's path to the last four has been more of a battle, as befits a woman who has overcome huge adversity to get back to the top of the game after years in the wilderness. While Serena missed the back end last season with a shoulder problem, Lucic-Baroni has more immediate concerns about an injury to her left leg. "I'm going to be just fine," said the world number 79. "I'm going to recover, do some therapy, and I'll be fine. I'll just put some extra tapes on and hopefully, it will hold me together. I'll fight hard. I'll be okay." The first semi-final is an all-American affair pitching Venus, the oldest woman in the draw, against 25-year-old surprise package Vandeweghe. Venus does not have an Australian Open crown in her collection of seven grand slam titles and has reached the final just once, losing to Serena in 2003. Vandeweghe has got to the last four of a grand slam for the first time here by blowing opponents off the court with her booming serve and big winners. Venus might be hoping that the occasion gets the better of the world number 35 but promised nevertheless that the power tennis would not be coming from just one side of the net. "Power is her game, her strength. She's putting the ball in with it, it's awesome to see really," Venus said. "(But) I play a power game as well. I've been fortunate enough to play good defence and have good movement on the court. Hopefully, this will be a plus for me." Vandeweghe was seven years old when Venus first played at the Australian Open and said it remarkable to think she was about to face a player she once asked for an autograph. "It's a dream to play someone you grew up watching," she said. "To play an unbelievable player, future Hall of Famer, Venus, to be on the court with her but to do it at this stage of a grand slam is kind of crazy." (Reuters)

Australian Open: Serena Williams enters semi-finals

Unstoppable Serena Williams zeroed in on a record-breaking 23rd Grand Slam title Thursday by setting up an Australian Open final against her older sister Venus, as the siblings&#39; dream came true.

The ruthless world number two proved one step too far for unseeded Croat Mirjana Lucic-Baroni, whose fairytale tournament was finally ended in a crushing 6-2, 6-1 defeat in just 50 minutes.

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<h5>Serena has so far refused to talk about the possibility of finally surpassing Stefi</h5>
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In swatting aside the 34-year-old, in their first meeting since 1998, Serena, 35, stayed on track for a seventh Australian title which would take her past Steffi Graf&#39;s Open-era record of 22 major wins.

She has refused to talk about the possibility of finally surpassing the German, but now has a golden chance of further cementing her place in history.

Winning the title would also mean the world number one ranking would be hers again&nbsp;after Angelique Kerber snatched deposed her late last year.

Only Venus stands in the way after the elder Williams rolled back the years to beat fellow American Coco Vandeweghe 6-7 (3/7), 6-2, 6-3 in the other semi-final.

It ensured another chapter in their eventful family history as they meet for their ninth Grand Slam final on Saturday, eight years after the last. Serena holds a 6-2 advantage.

&quot;I didn&#39;t watch (Venus). Obviously, I was really proud, she&#39;s an inspiration, my big sister,&quot; said Serena.&nbsp;

&quot;She&#39;s my world, my life, she means everything to me. I couldn&#39;t be happier for us both to be in the final. It&#39;s the biggest dream come true for us.&quot;

She also paid tribute to Lucic-Baroni, a former teenage prodigy when the Williams sisters were emerging in the 1990s before her career was derailed by personal problems.

&quot;Mirjana is an inspiration, she deserves all the credit today. To get this far, after everything she has gone through, that just inspires me.&quot;

One-way traffic&nbsp; 
Despite her serve not being up to scratch in Melbourne until now, Williams has so many other weapons in her armoury that her opponents have been unable to cope.

Lucic-Baroni was no different.

Her left thigh was again heavily strapped and the problem put her at an immediate disadvantage, restricting her movement against a player known for her pounding forehand winners.

They both held serve comfortably to shake off any early nerves but Williams was looking sharp, capitalising on an unforced error to get the first break and go 2-1 ahead.

She consolidated her lead by holding serve again, and a Lucic-Baroni double fault handed her a 4-1 lead.

It was one-way traffic as the second seed asserted her authority, unloading some powerful groundstrokes to unsettle the Croat and easily take the first set in 25 minutes.

The pair were playing each other for the first time since Wimbledon 19 years ago, a match the American won. Since then their careers have taken very different turns.

While Williams went on to win 22 Grand Slams, the Croat dropped out of top-level tennis for most of the 2003-2010 period after fleeing an abusive and controlling father and suffering money and injury problems.

Her return to the big time in Melbourne has been the feel-good story of the tournament, winning her legions of new fans with her emotional progression to her first Grand Slam semi-final since Wimbledon in 1999.

But it was only ever going to come to an end against the dominant Williams, who after seeing Venus make the final was never going to throw away the chance to meet her once again.

The second set went the way of the first, with Williams crushing Lucic-Baroni&#39;s serve to again break in the third game.

She was broken again in game five as her magnificent run drew to a close and Williams moved into her 29th Grand Slam final.&nbsp;

(AFP)

Serena Williams beat Croat Mirjana Lucic-Baroni 6-2, 6-1, her sister Venus defeated American Coco Vandeweghe 6-7, 6-2, 6-3

Unstoppable Serena Williams zeroed in on a record-breaking 23rd Grand Slam title Thursday by setting up an Australian Open final against her older sister Venus, as the siblings' dream came true. The ruthless world number two proved one step too far for unseeded Croat Mirjana Lucic-Baroni, whose fairytale tournament was finally ended in a crushing 6-2, 6-1 defeat in just 50 minutes. Serena has so far refused to talk about the possibility of finally surpassing Stefi × In swatting aside the 34-year-old, in their first meeting since 1998, Serena, 35, stayed on track for a seventh Australian title which would take her past Steffi Graf's Open-era record of 22 major wins. She has refused to talk about the possibility of finally surpassing the German, but now has a golden chance of further cementing her place in history. Winning the title would also mean the world number one ranking would be hers again after Angelique Kerber snatched deposed her late last year. Only Venus stands in the way after the elder Williams rolled back the years to beat fellow American Coco Vandeweghe 6-7 (3/7), 6-2, 6-3 in the other semi-final. It ensured another chapter in their eventful family history as they meet for their ninth Grand Slam final on Saturday, eight years after the last. Serena holds a 6-2 advantage. "I didn't watch (Venus). Obviously, I was really proud, she's an inspiration, my big sister," said Serena. "She's my world, my life, she means everything to me. I couldn't be happier for us both to be in the final. It's the biggest dream come true for us." She also paid tribute to Lucic-Baroni, a former teenage prodigy when the Williams sisters were emerging in the 1990s before her career was derailed by personal problems. "Mirjana is an inspiration, she deserves all the credit today. To get this far, after everything she has gone through, that just inspires me." One-way traffic Despite her serve not being up to scratch in Melbourne until now, Williams has so many other weapons in her armoury that her opponents have been unable to cope. Lucic-Baroni was no different. Her left thigh was again heavily strapped and the problem put her at an immediate disadvantage, restricting her movement against a player known for her pounding forehand winners. They both held serve comfortably to shake off any early nerves but Williams was looking sharp, capitalising on an unforced error to get the first break and go 2-1 ahead. She consolidated her lead by holding serve again, and a Lucic-Baroni double fault handed her a 4-1 lead. It was one-way traffic as the second seed asserted her authority, unloading some powerful groundstrokes to unsettle the Croat and easily take the first set in 25 minutes. The pair were playing each other for the first time since Wimbledon 19 years ago, a match the American won. Since then their careers have taken very different turns. While Williams went on to win 22 Grand Slams, the Croat dropped out of top-level tennis for most of the 2003-2010 period after fleeing an abusive and controlling father and suffering money and injury problems. Her return to the big time in Melbourne has been the feel-good story of the tournament, winning her legions of new fans with her emotional progression to her first Grand Slam semi-final since Wimbledon in 1999. But it was only ever going to come to an end against the dominant Williams, who after seeing Venus make the final was never going to throw away the chance to meet her once again. The second set went the way of the first, with Williams crushing Lucic-Baroni's serve to again break in the third game. She was broken again in game five as her magnificent run drew to a close and Williams moved into her 29th Grand Slam final. (AFP)

Dreams do come true: Serena, Venus in Australian Open final

Tennis superstar Serena Williams announced on Thursday she is engaged to Reddit co-founder Alexis Ohanian, breaking the news with a poem on her verified Reddit account.

Williams, 35, and Ohanian, 33, did not reveal a wedding date in the postings, listed under the Reddit tag &#39;isaidyes&#39;.

&quot;I came home A little late, Someone had a bag packed for me, And a carriage awaited, Destination: Rome, To escort me to my very own &quot;charming&quot; Back to where our stars first collided, And now it was full circle At the same table we first met by chance, This time he made it not by chance But by choice, Down on one knee He said 4 words And r/isaidyes,&quot; Williams posted on her account.

A reply from his verified account said: &quot;And you made me the happiest man on the planet.&quot;

The WTA Tour, which Williams has dominated for much of her career, posted a photo of Williams and Ohanian on Twitter with a message of congratulations.

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Congrats to <a href="https://twitter.com/serenawilliams">@SerenaWilliams</a> and <a href="https://twitter.com/alexisohanian">@AlexisOhanian</a> on their engagement! ?? ?? <a href="https://t.co/mRVchROPx9">pic.twitter.com/mRVchROPx9</a>
&mdash; WTA (@WTA) <a href="https://twitter.com/WTA/status/814559883924303873">December 29, 2016</a></blockquote>
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Williams won this year&#39;s Wimbledon crown, the 71st singles title of her career, to match Steffi Graf with an Open Era-record 22 Grand Slam singles titles, two shy of Margaret Court&#39;s all-time record.

She later completed 186 consecutive weeks as world number one, matching Graf for the longest run at the top in rankings history, but she was dethroned from the spot by Angelique Kerber in September.

(AFP)

Williams, 35, and Ohanian, 33, did not reveal a wedding date in the postings, listed under the Reddit tag 'isaidyes'

Tennis superstar Serena Williams announced on Thursday she is engaged to Reddit co-founder Alexis Ohanian, breaking the news with a poem on her verified Reddit account. Williams, 35, and Ohanian, 33, did not reveal a wedding date in the postings, listed under the Reddit tag 'isaidyes'. "I came home A little late, Someone had a bag packed for me, And a carriage awaited, Destination: Rome, To escort me to my very own "charming" Back to where our stars first collided, And now it was full circle At the same table we first met by chance, This time he made it not by chance But by choice, Down on one knee He said 4 words And r/isaidyes," Williams posted on her account. A reply from his verified account said: "And you made me the happiest man on the planet." The WTA Tour, which Williams has dominated for much of her career, posted a photo of Williams and Ohanian on Twitter with a message of congratulations. Congrats to @SerenaWilliams and @AlexisOhanian on their engagement! ?? ?? pic.twitter.com/mRVchROPx9 — WTA (@WTA) December 29, 2016 × Williams won this year's Wimbledon crown, the 71st singles title of her career, to match Steffi Graf with an Open Era-record 22 Grand Slam singles titles, two shy of Margaret Court's all-time record. She later completed 186 consecutive weeks as world number one, matching Graf for the longest run at the top in rankings history, but she was dethroned from the spot by Angelique Kerber in September. (AFP)

Tennis: Serena Williams engaged to Reddit co-founder

World number five Simona Halep booked her spot in the season-ending WTA final after she reached the semi-finals of the Wuhan Open by beating big-hitting Madison Keys on Thursday.

The Romanian beat Keys 6-4 6-2 to book her spot in the season finale in Singapore, which will see the top eight players in the world slug it out to win what is popularly called the &quot;fifth grand slam&quot;.

&quot;It&#39;s amazing to be qualified again for Singapore three years in a row. It&#39;s a good thing. It gives me confidence,&quot; Halep told reporters after the quarter-final match.

&quot;I don&#39;t (have) big shots, but I have speed on the court... I like to take the ball fast. So when I do that, I think I can play at the highest level,&quot; she added.

So far, only world number one Angelique Kerber and Serena Williams have qualified for the highly lucrative tournament. The field remains wide open for the remaining five spots.

Halep, now has her sight set on the prize with Serena Williams having taken only one Grand Slam title this year.&nbsp;

&quot;Every Grand Slam was another winner, Kerber two times this year. I feel now (it) is more open. I feel that I have (a) bigger chance,&quot; said the Romanian, who ended last season as world number two but is yet to win a Slam.

Halep will meet two-time Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova in the semi-finals after she ended a strong run by Briton Johanna Konta in straight sets.

(WION with inputs from agencies) 
&nbsp;

Halep said she feels she has a shot at the top spot with world number one Serena Williams having a difficult season

World number five Simona Halep booked her spot in the season-ending WTA final after she reached the semi-finals of the Wuhan Open by beating big-hitting Madison Keys on Thursday. The Romanian beat Keys 6-4 6-2 to book her spot in the season finale in Singapore, which will see the top eight players in the world slug it out to win what is popularly called the "fifth grand slam". "It's amazing to be qualified again for Singapore three years in a row. It's a good thing. It gives me confidence," Halep told reporters after the quarter-final match. "I don't (have) big shots, but I have speed on the court... I like to take the ball fast. So when I do that, I think I can play at the highest level," she added. So far, only world number one Angelique Kerber and Serena Williams have qualified for the highly lucrative tournament. The field remains wide open for the remaining five spots. Halep, now has her sight set on the prize with Serena Williams having taken only one Grand Slam title this year. "Every Grand Slam was another winner, Kerber two times this year. I feel now (it) is more open. I feel that I have (a) bigger chance," said the Romanian, who ended last season as world number two but is yet to win a Slam. Halep will meet two-time Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova in the semi-finals after she ended a strong run by Briton Johanna Konta in straight sets. (WION with inputs from agencies)

Tennis: World number five Halep books place in WTA Finals

Serena Williams announced on Friday that she has pulled out of two forthcoming tournaments in China citing an ongoing shoulder injury. 
 
&quot;I am disappointed that I will not be able to compete at the Dongfeng Motor Wuhan Open or the China Open due to continuing issues with my right shoulder,&quot; Williams said in a statement. 
 
Williams has not been seen on court since the US Open earlier this month, where she was knocked out by Czech Karolina Pliskova in the semi-finals and lost her long-held position as world number one to eventual winner Angelique Kerber. 
 
(AFP)

Williams released a statement saying she will not be able to compete at the China Open due to continuing issues with her right shoulder

Serena Williams announced on Friday that she has pulled out of two forthcoming tournaments in China citing an ongoing shoulder injury. "I am disappointed that I will not be able to compete at the Dongfeng Motor Wuhan Open or the China Open due to continuing issues with my right shoulder," Williams said in a statement. Williams has not been seen on court since the US Open earlier this month, where she was knocked out by Czech Karolina Pliskova in the semi-finals and lost her long-held position as world number one to eventual winner Angelique Kerber. (AFP)

Serena Williams pulls out of China tournaments due to injury

Top seed Serena Williams was dumped out of the US Open by Karolina Pliskova on Friday. 
 
Pliskova beat Williams 6-2 7-6 (5) to enter her maiden US Open final. 
 
The tenth seed will either play Angelique Kerber or Carolina Wozniacki in her first grand slam final. 
 
The loss means that Williams will relinquish her number one ranking to Kerber.&nbsp; 
 
&#39;&#39;My goal was to beat Serena. I don&#39;t care who I play in the final,&#39;&#39; Pliskova said in an on-court interview, moments after winning the match. 
 
Pliskova was the dominant player in the first set, winning it in just 26 minutes. 
 
The second set was a more even contest as Williams found her bearings to get into the match. But she double-faulted on match point to gift her Czech opponent her maiden entry into a grand slam final. 
 
Williams was bidding to win her 23rd grand slam, an Open-era record. 
 
(WION) 
 
&nbsp;

The tenth seed Czech beat the world number one in straight sets to enter her maiden grand slam final

Top seed Serena Williams was dumped out of the US Open by Karolina Pliskova on Friday. Pliskova beat Williams 6-2 7-6 (5) to enter her maiden US Open final. The tenth seed will either play Angelique Kerber or Carolina Wozniacki in her first grand slam final. The loss means that Williams will relinquish her number one ranking to Kerber. ''My goal was to beat Serena. I don't care who I play in the final,'' Pliskova said in an on-court interview, moments after winning the match. Pliskova was the dominant player in the first set, winning it in just 26 minutes. The second set was a more even contest as Williams found her bearings to get into the match. But she double-faulted on match point to gift her Czech opponent her maiden entry into a grand slam final. Williams was bidding to win her 23rd grand slam, an Open-era record. (WION)

US Open: Serena Williams stunned by Karolina Pliskova

Tennis ace Serena Williams breezed into the US Open last 16 on Saturday after beating Sweden&#39;s Johanna Larsson to clinch her 307th grand slam title, breaking Martina Navratilova&#39;s record for the most grand slam victories by a woman in the Open era. The win places the 34-year-old at par with Roger Federer for most grand slam victories by a man or woman. 
 
&quot;Wow. That&rsquo;s pretty awesome and honestly what a better place to do it than here, where it all started. It is actually a really good feeling. To be up there with both men and women is something that&#39;s super rare,&quot; Williams told jubilant crowds at the Arthur Ashe Stadium. 
 
As in the majority of her victories at the majors, she operated with ruthless efficiency but displayed little fire as she coolly dispatched the 47th-ranked Swede &nbsp;6-2 6-1 in exactly one hour, her calmness under pressure a far cry from last year where the weight of expectation culminated in a shock loss to Roberta Vinci in last year&#39;s semi-finals. 
 
This year Williams has been unusually low key, making her way into the fourth round with minimum fuss having yet to drop a set, conserving energy for the second week where the real tournament begins for the world number one. 
 
Larsson fell behind quickly as Williams broke her at the first opportunity and again to close out the first set. The Swede began better in the second set, holding serve to level at 1-1 but Williams was in no mood to mess around as she swept the next five games. 
 
&quot;I feel like I have been doing pretty good,&quot; said Williams, adding, &quot;I have been being moving a lot. So far, so good.&quot; 
 
Life has probably come full circle for the player who won her first grand slam at Flushing Meadows in 1999. 17 years later, it is where she could achieve two more career landmarks if she can reach the winner&#39;s circle again on September 10. A record seventh US Open title would give Williams 23 career grand slams, moving her past Steffi Graf again for the most in the Open Era, and just one shy of Margaret Court who tops the all-time list with 24. 
 
&quot;Each number I&#39;m definitely proud of,&quot; said Williams. &quot;I was really excited to 307. I was really excited to do that.&quot; 
 
Williams will go for win number 308 on Monday when she meets Kazakhstan&#39;s Yaroslava Shvedova, a 6-2 7-5 winner over China&#39;s Zhang Shuai, in round four.

(WION with inputs from Reuters) 
 
 
 
 
 
&nbsp;

The win places Serena at par with Roger Federer for most grand slam victories by a man or woman

Tennis ace Serena Williams breezed into the US Open last 16 on Saturday after beating Sweden's Johanna Larsson to clinch her 307th grand slam title, breaking Martina Navratilova's record for the most grand slam victories by a woman in the Open era. The win places the 34-year-old at par with Roger Federer for most grand slam victories by a man or woman. "Wow. That’s pretty awesome and honestly what a better place to do it than here, where it all started. It is actually a really good feeling. To be up there with both men and women is something that's super rare," Williams told jubilant crowds at the Arthur Ashe Stadium. As in the majority of her victories at the majors, she operated with ruthless efficiency but displayed little fire as she coolly dispatched the 47th-ranked Swede 6-2 6-1 in exactly one hour, her calmness under pressure a far cry from last year where the weight of expectation culminated in a shock loss to Roberta Vinci in last year's semi-finals. This year Williams has been unusually low key, making her way into the fourth round with minimum fuss having yet to drop a set, conserving energy for the second week where the real tournament begins for the world number one. Larsson fell behind quickly as Williams broke her at the first opportunity and again to close out the first set. The Swede began better in the second set, holding serve to level at 1-1 but Williams was in no mood to mess around as she swept the next five games. "I feel like I have been doing pretty good," said Williams, adding, "I have been being moving a lot. So far, so good." Life has probably come full circle for the player who won her first grand slam at Flushing Meadows in 1999. 17 years later, it is where she could achieve two more career landmarks if she can reach the winner's circle again on September 10. A record seventh US Open title would give Williams 23 career grand slams, moving her past Steffi Graf again for the most in the Open Era, and just one shy of Margaret Court who tops the all-time list with 24. "Each number I'm definitely proud of," said Williams. "I was really excited to 307. I was really excited to do that." Williams will go for win number 308 on Monday when she meets Kazakhstan's Yaroslava Shvedova, a 6-2 7-5 winner over China's Zhang Shuai, in round four. (WION with inputs from Reuters)

US Open: Serena crosses Navratilova's grand slam milestone to reach last 16

World number one Serena Williams opened her US Open account with a tidy 6-3 6-3 win over Ekaterina Makarova on Tuesday, to join her sister Venus in the second round of the year&#39;s final grand slam. 
 
Williams, whose status as world number one is under attack from several fronts, delivered a message that she will not be surrendering the top spot without a fight, needing just 63 minutes to dispatch the 29th-ranked Russian. 
 
Germany&#39;s Angelique Kerber and Spain&#39;s Garbine Muguruza, who have both beaten Williams in slam finals this season, along with Poland&#39;s Agnieszka Radwanska, will all be eyeing the number one ranking should the American&#39;s bid for a 23rd grand slam title stall. 
 
Williams has owned the number one spot since February 18, 2013 and will extend her streak to 186 consecutive weeks by the end of the US Open fortnight, tying the WTA record held by Steffi Graf. 
 
Back on Arthur Ashe Stadium court for the first time since a shock loss to Italy&#39;s Roberta Vinci in last year&#39;s U.S. Open semi-finals, Williams made quick work of Makarova to follow the lead of her sister Venus. 
 
Sixth-seeded Venus had provided the opening act for sister Serena when she outlasted Ukraine&#39;s Kateryna Kozlova 6-2 5-7 6-4 before turning over the Arthur Ashe Stadium court to her top-seeded sibling. 
 
The Flushing Meadows spotlight is once again firmly fixed on Serena as she chases an Open Era, record-smashing 23rd slam title with concerns over her right shoulder, believed to be a factor in her third-round singles loss at the Rio Olympics. 
 
Fashion Statement 
 
As always at the US Open, what the world number one was wearing attracted as much attention as her performance. Williams sported a black tennis dress with cutouts revealing her muscular shoulders. 
 
&quot;It&#39;s a part of the design,&quot; explained William. &quot;It&#39;s just the latest and greatest accessory. 
 
&quot;It also is functional, so I think that helps me, especially with my shoulder problems that I&#39;ve been having.&quot; 
 
The 34-year-old American took something off her big serve, but showed no signs of distress as she blasted 12 aces past Makarova, a player who on occasion has given her problems, beating her in the fourth round of the 2012 Australian Open. 
 
&quot;I didn&#39;t hit them as hard as I normally hit them,&quot; she said about her serves. &quot;I just went for more placement. I didn&#39;t go for the big 120s (mph), just the regular.&quot; 
 
&quot;I knew today I needed to be focused,&quot; said Williams. &quot;She goes deep in majors. She knows how to play big matches on big courts. She&#39;s not intimidated.&quot; 
 
As usual, history beckons Williams who is bidding for a seventh U.S. Open victory that would surpass the Open Era record she shares with Chris Evert. 
 
But whether it is the world number one ranking or another record at stake, Williams had the same answer. 
 
&quot;I don&#39;t answer those questions,&quot; flatly stated Williams, who will next face American wild card Vania King, a 7-6(2) 6-3 winner over Germany qualifier Antonia Lottner.

(Reuters)

After being at the world number one spot since 2013, Serena will extend her streak to 186 consecutive weeks by the end of the US Open

World number one Serena Williams opened her US Open account with a tidy 6-3 6-3 win over Ekaterina Makarova on Tuesday, to join her sister Venus in the second round of the year's final grand slam. Williams, whose status as world number one is under attack from several fronts, delivered a message that she will not be surrendering the top spot without a fight, needing just 63 minutes to dispatch the 29th-ranked Russian. Germany's Angelique Kerber and Spain's Garbine Muguruza, who have both beaten Williams in slam finals this season, along with Poland's Agnieszka Radwanska, will all be eyeing the number one ranking should the American's bid for a 23rd grand slam title stall. Williams has owned the number one spot since February 18, 2013 and will extend her streak to 186 consecutive weeks by the end of the US Open fortnight, tying the WTA record held by Steffi Graf. Back on Arthur Ashe Stadium court for the first time since a shock loss to Italy's Roberta Vinci in last year's U.S. Open semi-finals, Williams made quick work of Makarova to follow the lead of her sister Venus. Sixth-seeded Venus had provided the opening act for sister Serena when she outlasted Ukraine's Kateryna Kozlova 6-2 5-7 6-4 before turning over the Arthur Ashe Stadium court to her top-seeded sibling. The Flushing Meadows spotlight is once again firmly fixed on Serena as she chases an Open Era, record-smashing 23rd slam title with concerns over her right shoulder, believed to be a factor in her third-round singles loss at the Rio Olympics. Fashion Statement As always at the US Open, what the world number one was wearing attracted as much attention as her performance. Williams sported a black tennis dress with cutouts revealing her muscular shoulders. "It's a part of the design," explained William. "It's just the latest and greatest accessory. "It also is functional, so I think that helps me, especially with my shoulder problems that I've been having." The 34-year-old American took something off her big serve, but showed no signs of distress as she blasted 12 aces past Makarova, a player who on occasion has given her problems, beating her in the fourth round of the 2012 Australian Open. "I didn't hit them as hard as I normally hit them," she said about her serves. "I just went for more placement. I didn't go for the big 120s (mph), just the regular." "I knew today I needed to be focused," said Williams. "She goes deep in majors. She knows how to play big matches on big courts. She's not intimidated." As usual, history beckons Williams who is bidding for a seventh U.S. Open victory that would surpass the Open Era record she shares with Chris Evert. But whether it is the world number one ranking or another record at stake, Williams had the same answer. "I don't answer those questions," flatly stated Williams, who will next face American wild card Vania King, a 7-6(2) 6-3 winner over Germany qualifier Antonia Lottner. (Reuters)

Serena Williams joins Venus to reach second round of US Open

Serena Williams will miss next week&#39;s Women&#39;s Tennis Association event in Montreal after the world number one withdrew with a shoulder injury, tournament organisers announced today. 
 
&quot;Due to inflammation in my shoulder, I unfortunately must withdraw from the (tournament). I was looking forward to competing in Montreal and I look forward to returning soon,&quot; Williams said in a statement. 
 
Williams, a three-time winner of the event that rotates between Montreal and Toronto each year, equaled Steffi Graf&#39;s Open era record of 22 Grand Slam titles with her victory at Wimbledon earlier this month. 
 
&quot;Of course, we are disappointed that Serena will not play in the tournament this year,&quot; said tournament director Eugenie Lapierre. 
 
&quot;Because this is an Olympic year, the players have very full schedules. Sometimes your body needs rest. We hope that Serena will recover quickly and wish her much success for the rest of the season.&quot; 
 
Williams, who turns 35 in September, is aiming to defend her Olympic singles crown in Rio next month and will also team up with sister Venus in search of a fourth gold medal in the doubles. 
 
(AFP)

Williams equaled Steffi Graf's Open era record of 22 Grand Slam titles with her victory at Wimbledon earlier this month

Serena Williams will miss next week's Women's Tennis Association event in Montreal after the world number one withdrew with a shoulder injury, tournament organisers announced today. "Due to inflammation in my shoulder, I unfortunately must withdraw from the (tournament). I was looking forward to competing in Montreal and I look forward to returning soon," Williams said in a statement. Williams, a three-time winner of the event that rotates between Montreal and Toronto each year, equaled Steffi Graf's Open era record of 22 Grand Slam titles with her victory at Wimbledon earlier this month. "Of course, we are disappointed that Serena will not play in the tournament this year," said tournament director Eugenie Lapierre. "Because this is an Olympic year, the players have very full schedules. Sometimes your body needs rest. We hope that Serena will recover quickly and wish her much success for the rest of the season." Williams, who turns 35 in September, is aiming to defend her Olympic singles crown in Rio next month and will also team up with sister Venus in search of a fourth gold medal in the doubles. (AFP)

Serena Williams withdraws out of Montreal due to shoulder injury

Serena Williams powered to her seventh Wimbledon crown as the world number one finally claimed a record-equalling 22nd major title with a 7-5, 6-3 victory over Angelique Kerber in Saturday&#39;s final. 
 
Williams had been stuck on 21 Grand Slams since winning last year&#39;s Wimbledon, but the American star ended that frustrating barren spell to retain the title and draw level with Steffi Graf&#39;s Open era record. 
 
Serena was pushed hard by Kerber in a high-quality clash lasting 81 minutes on Centre Court, but the German fourth seed eventually crumbled under a barrage of 39 winners and 13 aces from the defending champion. 
 
&quot;It&#39;s a great feeling to be here. Angelique brings out great tennis in me,&quot; said Serena. 
 
&quot;Number 22 is awesome. Centre Court feels like home.&quot; 
 
Williams had come up short at the US Open last year, losing in the semi-finals. 
 
She then was beaten in the Australian and French Open finals. 
 
&quot;Definitely so excited to win Wimbledon, that&#39;s always a great feeling. But maybe even more so is the excitement of getting 22, trying so hard to get there, finally being able to match history, which is pretty awesome,&quot; said Williams. 
 
&quot;I think, if anything, I was able to show resilience that, no, that&#39;s (the losses in New York, Melbourne and Paris) not going to shake me, you&#39;re not going to break me, it&#39;s going to make me stronger.&quot; 
 
Kerber said the American was a great champion. 
 
&quot;Serena you deserve it, you are a great champion and great person. We played a great match,&quot; said Kerber. 
 
To complete a golden day, Serena later teamed up with sister Venus to beat Timea Babos and Yaroslava Shvedova 6-3, 6-4 to claim their sixth Wimbledon doubles title. 
 
- Doubles triumph - 
It was also their 14th doubles triumph as a team at the majors and their 22nd in 23 finals overall. 
 
Having avenged her shock loss against Kerber in the Australian Open final in January, Williams was wreathed in smiles as she paraded the Venus Rosewater Dish around Centre Court after collecting a cheque for &pound;2 million ($2.5 million, 2.3 million euros). 
 
But the far more significant reward is the knowledge she has reestablished her supremacy at a time when doubters were beginning to question the 34-year-old&#39;s hunger after consecutive Slam final defeats this year. 
 
In a testament to her remarkable longevity as the sport&#39;s preeminent force, Serena is once again Wimbledon&#39;s queen 14 years after her first success at the All England Club. 
 
Equalling Margaret Court&#39;s all-time record of 24 Grand Slam titles will be Serena&#39;s next goal. 
 
The 71st singles title of Williams&#39; astonishing career also moved her within two of Martina Navratilova&#39;s all-time record of nine Wimbledon triumphs. 
 
&quot;She is someone who beats records and not just equals them,&quot; warned coach Patrick Mouratoglou. 
 
With pop royalty Beyonce and Jay-Z among Serena&#39;s entourage in the players&#39; box, Williams finally hit the right notes after so many recent disappointments. 
 
In her ninth Wimbledon final and 28th at the majors, Williams had a golden opportunity to seize the initiative in Kerber&#39;s first service game, but the German showed her mettle as she nervelessly saved three break points. 
 
Given Williams&#39; pursuit of Graf&#39;s historic landmark, it was a delicious twist that the 47-year-old had played a role in Kerber&#39;s recent rise after advising her compatriot. 
 
Showing she has heeded Graf&#39;s words of wisdom, Kerber had sprinted to the final without dropping a set. 
 
Kerber, in her first Wimbledon final and second major title match, was moving Williams into awkward positions with her left-handed ground-strokes. 
 
But Serena kept slugging away and the barrage eventually proved too much for the 28-year-old to resist. 
 
A sequence of blistering ground-strokes rocked the German deep behind the baseline on set point, forcing a fatal error that Serena celebrated with a defiant double-fist pump. 
 
Kerber was still competing gamely in the second set, but when she finally earned a first break point in the seventh game, Williams got out of trouble with a pair of imperious aces. 
 
The German&#39;s look of resignation suggested the end was in sight and so it proved as Serena broke in the next game. 
 
Williams then slumped flat on her back on Centre Court when Kerber miscued on match point. 
 
(AFP)

Williams equals Steffi Graf's professional era record of 22 grand slam singles crowns

Serena Williams powered to her seventh Wimbledon crown as the world number one finally claimed a record-equalling 22nd major title with a 7-5, 6-3 victory over Angelique Kerber in Saturday's final. Williams had been stuck on 21 Grand Slams since winning last year's Wimbledon, but the American star ended that frustrating barren spell to retain the title and draw level with Steffi Graf's Open era record. Serena was pushed hard by Kerber in a high-quality clash lasting 81 minutes on Centre Court, but the German fourth seed eventually crumbled under a barrage of 39 winners and 13 aces from the defending champion. "It's a great feeling to be here. Angelique brings out great tennis in me," said Serena. "Number 22 is awesome. Centre Court feels like home." Williams had come up short at the US Open last year, losing in the semi-finals. She then was beaten in the Australian and French Open finals. "Definitely so excited to win Wimbledon, that's always a great feeling. But maybe even more so is the excitement of getting 22, trying so hard to get there, finally being able to match history, which is pretty awesome," said Williams. "I think, if anything, I was able to show resilience that, no, that's (the losses in New York, Melbourne and Paris) not going to shake me, you're not going to break me, it's going to make me stronger." Kerber said the American was a great champion. "Serena you deserve it, you are a great champion and great person. We played a great match," said Kerber. To complete a golden day, Serena later teamed up with sister Venus to beat Timea Babos and Yaroslava Shvedova 6-3, 6-4 to claim their sixth Wimbledon doubles title. - Doubles triumph - It was also their 14th doubles triumph as a team at the majors and their 22nd in 23 finals overall. Having avenged her shock loss against Kerber in the Australian Open final in January, Williams was wreathed in smiles as she paraded the Venus Rosewater Dish around Centre Court after collecting a cheque for £2 million ($2.5 million, 2.3 million euros). But the far more significant reward is the knowledge she has reestablished her supremacy at a time when doubters were beginning to question the 34-year-old's hunger after consecutive Slam final defeats this year. In a testament to her remarkable longevity as the sport's preeminent force, Serena is once again Wimbledon's queen 14 years after her first success at the All England Club. Equalling Margaret Court's all-time record of 24 Grand Slam titles will be Serena's next goal. The 71st singles title of Williams' astonishing career also moved her within two of Martina Navratilova's all-time record of nine Wimbledon triumphs. "She is someone who beats records and not just equals them," warned coach Patrick Mouratoglou. With pop royalty Beyonce and Jay-Z among Serena's entourage in the players' box, Williams finally hit the right notes after so many recent disappointments. In her ninth Wimbledon final and 28th at the majors, Williams had a golden opportunity to seize the initiative in Kerber's first service game, but the German showed her mettle as she nervelessly saved three break points. Given Williams' pursuit of Graf's historic landmark, it was a delicious twist that the 47-year-old had played a role in Kerber's recent rise after advising her compatriot. Showing she has heeded Graf's words of wisdom, Kerber had sprinted to the final without dropping a set. Kerber, in her first Wimbledon final and second major title match, was moving Williams into awkward positions with her left-handed ground-strokes. But Serena kept slugging away and the barrage eventually proved too much for the 28-year-old to resist. A sequence of blistering ground-strokes rocked the German deep behind the baseline on set point, forcing a fatal error that Serena celebrated with a defiant double-fist pump. Kerber was still competing gamely in the second set, but when she finally earned a first break point in the seventh game, Williams got out of trouble with a pair of imperious aces. The German's look of resignation suggested the end was in sight and so it proved as Serena broke in the next game. Williams then slumped flat on her back on Centre Court when Kerber miscued on match point. (AFP)

Serena beats Kerber 7-5, 6-3 to win seventh Wimbledon singles title

Serena Williams put the icing on the cake of another magnificent Wimbledon campaign by teaming up with sister Venus for a sixth doubles crown at the All England Club on Saturday. 
 
The reigning Olympic champions beat Timea Babos of Hungary and Kazakhstan&#39;s Yaroslava Shvedova 6-3 6-4 on Centre Court, hours after Serena claimed a record-equalling 22nd grand slam singles title by defeating Germany&#39;s Angelique Kerber 7-5 6-3. 
 
Serena has now won both the Wimbledon singles and doubles (with Venus) in the same year on four occasions. Together, the American duo have a perfect 14-0 record in grand slam doubles finals. 
 
&quot;It&#39;s unbelievable,&quot; said Serena. &quot;It&#39;s a feat even I couldn&#39;t have thought would have happened. It&#39;s amazing,&quot; she exclaimed.&nbsp; 
 
&#39;When you enter the doubles draw, you dream of winning&#39; 
 
For Venus, it was a consolation after she lost to Kerber in Thursday&#39;s singles semi-finals, denying her a first grand slam singles final since losing to Serena at Wimbledon in 2009. 
 
&quot;It&#39;s a privilege, it&#39;s an honour,&quot; said Venus. &quot;When you enter the doubles draw, you dream of winning. Then we enter the singles, we dream of winning.&nbsp;To have Williams on both of those, somehow in 2016, it&#39;s another dream come true.&quot; 
 
The sisters, who paired up again this year after a two-year absence, have won 14 grand slam doubles titles together, moving them level with American Gigi Fernandez and Belarussian Natasha Zvereva in second place on the all-time list. 
 
They still have some way to go, however, to match the 20 of Martina Navratilova and fellow American Pam Shriver. 
 
&quot;I didn&#39;t know about that stat until yesterday, that we were 13-0,&quot; said Venus. &quot;It&#39;s not something you really think about. You just get to the final and try to win. 
 
&quot;I don&#39;t think it made us nervous. You got time. If you get down a break, you always have time to get the break back. You can always go to a third (set).&nbsp;When you&#39;re out there, you probably realise you have a chance to go for it again,&quot; she mentioned.&nbsp; 
 
The Williams sisters are now 22-1 in all doubles finals they have played together. 
 
(Reuters)

Serena Williams and Venus Williams, who have won 14 grand slam doubles titles together, paired up again this year after a two-year absence

Serena Williams put the icing on the cake of another magnificent Wimbledon campaign by teaming up with sister Venus for a sixth doubles crown at the All England Club on Saturday. The reigning Olympic champions beat Timea Babos of Hungary and Kazakhstan's Yaroslava Shvedova 6-3 6-4 on Centre Court, hours after Serena claimed a record-equalling 22nd grand slam singles title by defeating Germany's Angelique Kerber 7-5 6-3. Serena has now won both the Wimbledon singles and doubles (with Venus) in the same year on four occasions. Together, the American duo have a perfect 14-0 record in grand slam doubles finals. "It's unbelievable," said Serena. "It's a feat even I couldn't have thought would have happened. It's amazing," she exclaimed. 'When you enter the doubles draw, you dream of winning' For Venus, it was a consolation after she lost to Kerber in Thursday's singles semi-finals, denying her a first grand slam singles final since losing to Serena at Wimbledon in 2009. "It's a privilege, it's an honour," said Venus. "When you enter the doubles draw, you dream of winning. Then we enter the singles, we dream of winning. To have Williams on both of those, somehow in 2016, it's another dream come true." The sisters, who paired up again this year after a two-year absence, have won 14 grand slam doubles titles together, moving them level with American Gigi Fernandez and Belarussian Natasha Zvereva in second place on the all-time list. They still have some way to go, however, to match the 20 of Martina Navratilova and fellow American Pam Shriver. "I didn't know about that stat until yesterday, that we were 13-0," said Venus. "It's not something you really think about. You just get to the final and try to win. "I don't think it made us nervous. You got time. If you get down a break, you always have time to get the break back. You can always go to a third (set). When you're out there, you probably realise you have a chance to go for it again," she mentioned. The Williams sisters are now 22-1 in all doubles finals they have played together. (Reuters)

Williams sisters win sixth Wimbledon doubles crown

Serena Williams put the icing on the cake of another magnificent Wimbledon campaign by teaming up with sister Venus for a sixth doubles crown at the All England Club on Saturday. 
 
The reigning Olympic champions beat Timea Babos of Hungary and Kazakhstan&#39;s Yaroslava Shvedova 6-3 6-4 on Centre Court -- hours after Serena claimed a record-equalling 22nd grand slam singles title by defeating Germany&#39;s Angelique Kerber 7-5 6-3. 
 
Serena has now won both the Wimbledon singles and doubles (with Venus) in the same year on four occasions. Together, the American duo have a perfect 14-0 record in grand slam doubles finals. 
 
&quot;It&#39;s unbelievable,&quot; said Serena. &quot;It&#39;s a feat even I couldn&#39;t have thought would have happened. It&#39;s amazing.&quot; 
 
For Venus it was a consolation after she lost to Kerber in Thursday&#39;s singles semi-finals -- denying her a first grand slam singles final since losing to Serena at Wimbledon in 2009. 
 
&quot;It&#39;s a privilege, it&#39;s an honour,&quot; said Venus. &quot;When you enter the doubles draw, you dream of winning. Then we enter the singles, we dream of winning. 
 
&quot;To have Williams on both of those, somehow in 2016, it&#39;s another dream come true.&quot; 
 
The sisters, who paired up again this year after a two-year absence, have won 14 grand slam doubles titles together, moving them level with American Gigi Fernandez and Belarussian Natasha Zvereva in second place on the all-time list. 
 
They still have some way to go, however, to match the 20 of Martina Navratilova and fellow American Pam Shriver. 
 
&quot;I didn&#39;t know about that stat until yesterday, that we were 13-0,&quot; said Venus. &quot;It&#39;s not something you really think about. You just get to the final and try to win. 
 
&quot;I don&#39;t think it made us nervous. You got time. If you get down a break, you always have time to get the break back. You can always go to a third (set). 
 
&quot;When you&#39;re out there, you probably realise you have a chance to go for it again.&quot; 
 
The Williams sisters are now 22-1 in all doubles finals they have played together. 
 
(Reuters)

The two had paired up after a two-year absence, have won 14 grand slam doubles titles together

Serena Williams put the icing on the cake of another magnificent Wimbledon campaign by teaming up with sister Venus for a sixth doubles crown at the All England Club on Saturday. The reigning Olympic champions beat Timea Babos of Hungary and Kazakhstan's Yaroslava Shvedova 6-3 6-4 on Centre Court -- hours after Serena claimed a record-equalling 22nd grand slam singles title by defeating Germany's Angelique Kerber 7-5 6-3. Serena has now won both the Wimbledon singles and doubles (with Venus) in the same year on four occasions. Together, the American duo have a perfect 14-0 record in grand slam doubles finals. "It's unbelievable," said Serena. "It's a feat even I couldn't have thought would have happened. It's amazing." For Venus it was a consolation after she lost to Kerber in Thursday's singles semi-finals -- denying her a first grand slam singles final since losing to Serena at Wimbledon in 2009. "It's a privilege, it's an honour," said Venus. "When you enter the doubles draw, you dream of winning. Then we enter the singles, we dream of winning. "To have Williams on both of those, somehow in 2016, it's another dream come true." The sisters, who paired up again this year after a two-year absence, have won 14 grand slam doubles titles together, moving them level with American Gigi Fernandez and Belarussian Natasha Zvereva in second place on the all-time list. They still have some way to go, however, to match the 20 of Martina Navratilova and fellow American Pam Shriver. "I didn't know about that stat until yesterday, that we were 13-0," said Venus. "It's not something you really think about. You just get to the final and try to win. "I don't think it made us nervous. You got time. If you get down a break, you always have time to get the break back. You can always go to a third (set). "When you're out there, you probably realise you have a chance to go for it again." The Williams sisters are now 22-1 in all doubles finals they have played together. (Reuters)

After a 48-minute battering at the hands of Serena Williams on Wimbledon&#39;s Centre Court on Thursday, the last words Elena Vesnina probably wanted to hear were &quot;see you later&quot;. 
 
World number one Williams was not joking, though, as she consoled the Russian at the net, as Vesnina&#39;s consolation for a very public tennis lesson was another encounter with not one, but two Williams sisters in the women&#39;s doubles. 
 
&quot;Serena even told me at the net, see you later.&nbsp;Not long to wait,&quot; 29-year-old Vesnina, partnering compatriot Ekaterina Makarova in the quarter-finals against Serena and older sister Venus, joked. 
 
&quot;It is a little bit strange.&nbsp;But that&#39;s what it is, you know.&nbsp;How to learn, how to actually try to play her serve, how to return her serve.&nbsp;She&#39;s, like, serving 129 miles per hour in the corner, it&#39;s really difficult to read.&quot; 
 
Unfortunately for Vesnina, her reading skills let her down for a second time on Thursday as she and Makarova were beaten in three sets by the Williams sisters. 
 
Vesnina, a three-times grand slam doubles winner, had battled through to a first major singles semi, but her challenge crumbled quickly as dropped her opening two service games. 
 
She managed only 21 points in a match that shaved three minutes off the previous quickest women&#39;s semi-final of the modern era in which Dinara Safina was obliterated by Venus Williams in 51 minutes in 2009. 
 
The Russian, the first unseeded woman to reach the semi-finals since Sabine Lisicki in 2011, never stood a chance against a fired-up Williams who will play Angelique Kerber on Saturday in a repeat of the Australian Open final. 
 
NO CHANCE 
Germany fourth seed Kerber, who stunned a nervy Williams in Melbourne to deny the American a record-equalling 22nd major title, may not want to listen to what Vesnina had to say. 
 
&quot;I felt like I had no chance today,&quot; the Russian told reporters. &quot;I think she has now a big, big chance to win her 22nd grand slam title.&nbsp;I think she&#39;s in the right mood right now.&quot; 
 
Asked whether it was just the Williams serve, that offered up only three points on Thursday, which was so tough, she said the American veteran has a cache of other weapons. 
 
&quot;Today for me was really difficult.&nbsp;She has one of the best forehand crosscourt returns.&nbsp;It&#39;s so fast, you cannot even finish your serve, then the ball&#39;s already passing you,&quot; she said. 
 
&quot;Of course, the mental part.&nbsp;She&#39;s the strongest one with the mentality to play on the big courts, the big events, finals, semi-finals, grand slams.&nbsp;She&#39;s the best with this.&quot; 
 
Despite a chastening experience, Vesnina was far from downhearted, especially having risen from 122 in the rankings in February to be back inside the world&#39;s top 25 next week. 
 
&quot;If you&#39;re going to cry and be crazy after every loss, I think your nerves will be dead by the end of your career,&quot; she said. &quot;For me, it&#39;s just a magical tournament.&nbsp;I was in the semi-final.&nbsp;I had good wins.&nbsp;I was fighting. But it was all about Serena today.&quot; 
 
(Reuters)

Vesnina, a three-time grand slam doubles winner, managed to score only 21 points

After a 48-minute battering at the hands of Serena Williams on Wimbledon's Centre Court on Thursday, the last words Elena Vesnina probably wanted to hear were "see you later". World number one Williams was not joking, though, as she consoled the Russian at the net, as Vesnina's consolation for a very public tennis lesson was another encounter with not one, but two Williams sisters in the women's doubles. "Serena even told me at the net, see you later. Not long to wait," 29-year-old Vesnina, partnering compatriot Ekaterina Makarova in the quarter-finals against Serena and older sister Venus, joked. "It is a little bit strange. But that's what it is, you know. How to learn, how to actually try to play her serve, how to return her serve. She's, like, serving 129 miles per hour in the corner, it's really difficult to read." Unfortunately for Vesnina, her reading skills let her down for a second time on Thursday as she and Makarova were beaten in three sets by the Williams sisters. Vesnina, a three-times grand slam doubles winner, had battled through to a first major singles semi, but her challenge crumbled quickly as dropped her opening two service games. She managed only 21 points in a match that shaved three minutes off the previous quickest women's semi-final of the modern era in which Dinara Safina was obliterated by Venus Williams in 51 minutes in 2009. The Russian, the first unseeded woman to reach the semi-finals since Sabine Lisicki in 2011, never stood a chance against a fired-up Williams who will play Angelique Kerber on Saturday in a repeat of the Australian Open final. NO CHANCE Germany fourth seed Kerber, who stunned a nervy Williams in Melbourne to deny the American a record-equalling 22nd major title, may not want to listen to what Vesnina had to say. "I felt like I had no chance today," the Russian told reporters. "I think she has now a big, big chance to win her 22nd grand slam title. I think she's in the right mood right now." Asked whether it was just the Williams serve, that offered up only three points on Thursday, which was so tough, she said the American veteran has a cache of other weapons. "Today for me was really difficult. She has one of the best forehand crosscourt returns. It's so fast, you cannot even finish your serve, then the ball's already passing you," she said. "Of course, the mental part. She's the strongest one with the mentality to play on the big courts, the big events, finals, semi-finals, grand slams. She's the best with this." Despite a chastening experience, Vesnina was far from downhearted, especially having risen from 122 in the rankings in February to be back inside the world's top 25 next week. "If you're going to cry and be crazy after every loss, I think your nerves will be dead by the end of your career," she said. "For me, it's just a magical tournament. I was in the semi-final. I had good wins. I was fighting. But it was all about Serena today." (Reuters)

No escaping Serena for badly beaten Vesnina

Six-time champion Serena Williams stormed into her ninth Wimbledon final in record time today and will meet Angelique Kerber after the German ended Venus Williams&#39;s hopes of becoming the oldest woman in the title match in 22 years.

Serena, bidding for a seventh Wimbledon and an Open Era record-equalling 22nd Grand Slam title, took just 48mins 34sec, the fastest ever semi-final at the All England Club, to secure a 6-2, 6-0 win over world number 50 Elena Vesnina.

But her hopes of meeting Venus for the fifth time in a Wimbledon final and ninth time at a major were shattered when fourth seed Angelique Kerber, the Australian Open champion, saw off the 36-year-old 6-4, 6-4.

Serena, playing in her 32nd Grand Slam semi-final, blasted last-four debutant Vesnina off the sun-kissed Centre Court in front of Prince William&#39;s wife Kate watching from up in the Royal Box.

The American 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.

&quot;I&#39;m very happy. I was really focused today. We&#39;ve had tough matches before and I knew she could bring it to me on this surface,&quot; said Williams, who has now defeated the Russian five times in five meetings.

Despite the painfully one-sided semi-final Williams, into her third Grand Slam final of the year, insisted it had been a tough workout.

&quot;It&#39;s never easy out there, every point you have to fight for,&quot; she said.

Vesnina, who was due to face Serena again in the women&#39;s doubles later Thursday, admitted she just wasn&#39;t good enough.

&quot;I felt like I had no chance. Serena was playing really good. She was in a great mood, and her serve was working really well. She was placing it amazingly,&quot; said the Russian.

&quot;She was just better all over the court.&quot; 
 
Enjoying life

Today&rsquo;s contest saw Serena race 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&#39;s seventh ace.

The second set was wrapped up in just 20 minutes with breaks in the first, third and fifth games.

Saturday&#39;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.

Kerber saw off five-time champion Venus in 71 minutes on Centre Court to reach her first All England Club title match.

&quot;Venus won so many times here and was playing really well. That&#39;s why I&#39;m so happy to reach my first Wimbledon final,&quot; Kerber said.

&quot;It&#39;s a really good feeling. I&#39;m really enjoying my tennis life.&quot;

Kerber, 28, stunned Serena to win her maiden Grand Slam crown in the Australian Open final in January.

Kerber can now set her sights on becoming the first player to defeat both of the American siblings in the same Grand Slam since Kim Clijsters at the 2009 US Open.

If she can cause another upset against Serena, Kerber would become the first German woman to win Wimbledon since Steffi Graf in 1996.

She has raced through her six matches at Wimbledon without dropping a set, has a WTA tour-best 34 match wins in 2016 and is guaranteed to rise to a career-high second in the world rankings next week.

Venus had won all eight of her previous Wimbledon semi-finals dating back 16 years to her maiden appearance in the last four when she defeated Serena.

But in her first All England Club semi-final for seven years, Venus-&nbsp;the oldest woman to make the last four since Martina Navratilova in 1994&nbsp;was unable to roll back the years one more time. 
 
(AFP)

Kerber saw off Venus, shattering hopes of Serena Williams meeting her sister for the fifth time in a Wimbledon final

Six-time champion Serena Williams stormed into her ninth Wimbledon final in record time today and will meet Angelique Kerber after the German ended Venus Williams's hopes of becoming the oldest woman in the title match in 22 years. Serena, bidding for a seventh Wimbledon and an Open Era record-equalling 22nd Grand Slam title, took just 48mins 34sec, the fastest ever semi-final at the All England Club, to secure a 6-2, 6-0 win over world number 50 Elena Vesnina. But her hopes of meeting Venus for the fifth time in a Wimbledon final and ninth time at a major were shattered when fourth seed Angelique Kerber, the Australian Open champion, saw off the 36-year-old 6-4, 6-4. Serena, playing in her 32nd Grand Slam semi-final, blasted last-four debutant Vesnina off the sun-kissed Centre Court in front of Prince William's wife Kate watching from up in the Royal Box. The American 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. "I'm very happy. I was really focused today. We've had tough matches before and I knew she could bring it to me on this surface," said Williams, who has now defeated the Russian five times in five meetings. Despite the painfully one-sided semi-final Williams, into her third Grand Slam final of the year, insisted it had been a tough workout. "It's never easy out there, every point you have to fight for," she said. Vesnina, who was due to face Serena again in the women's doubles later Thursday, admitted she just wasn't good enough. "I felt like I had no chance. Serena was playing really good. She was in a great mood, and her serve was working really well. She was placing it amazingly," said the Russian. "She was just better all over the court." Enjoying life Today’s contest saw Serena race 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. Kerber saw off five-time champion Venus in 71 minutes on Centre Court to reach her first All England Club title match. "Venus won so many times here and was playing really well. That's why I'm so happy to reach my first Wimbledon final," Kerber said. "It's a really good feeling. I'm really enjoying my tennis life." Kerber, 28, stunned Serena to win her maiden Grand Slam crown in the Australian Open final in January. Kerber can now set her sights on becoming the first player to defeat both of the American siblings in the same Grand Slam since Kim Clijsters at the 2009 US Open. If she can cause another upset against Serena, Kerber would become the first German woman to win Wimbledon since Steffi Graf in 1996. She has raced through her six matches at Wimbledon without dropping a set, has a WTA tour-best 34 match wins in 2016 and is guaranteed to rise to a career-high second in the world rankings next week. Venus had won all eight of her previous Wimbledon semi-finals dating back 16 years to her maiden appearance in the last four when she defeated Serena. But in her first All England Club semi-final for seven years, Venus- the oldest woman to make the last four since Martina Navratilova in 1994 was unable to roll back the years one more time. (AFP)

Serena, Kerber to meet in Wimbledon final

It would be hard to bet against the Williams sisters meeting in their first Wimbledon final since 2009, but Angelique Kerber and Elena Vesnina won&#39;t just be making up the numbers in the last four on Thursday. 
 
While unseeded Vesnina has described her semi-final against world number one Serena Williams as a dream, she is playing inspired tennis, bringing the guile from two doubles slams to deliver baseline power and a deft touch at the net. 
 
Fourth seed Kerber, meanwhile, has a 3-2 head-to-head lead over five-time champion Venus Williams and stunned younger sister Serena, who has won Wimbledon six times, at the Australian Open in January to win her first major final. 
 
All four will bring a wealth of experience to Centre Court -- their average age is 31 years and nine months, the oldest for the last four in an open era women&#39;s major. 
 
&quot;The experienced players are ready to keep winning. They want to keep being great,&quot; Serena, 34, told reporters after she ground down 21st seed Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova in the quarter-finals. 
 
She is aiming to equal Steffi Graf&#39;s open era record of 22 majors by lifting the trophy on Saturday, having been stuck on 21 since last year&#39;s Wimbledon. Of the challenge from her 29-year-old Russian opponent, she said: &quot;I&#39;ll be ready for it.&quot; 
 
Vesnina said of Serena after reaching her first major semi-final: &quot;You have to give all your heart and fight for every single point and just use your chances because it is really difficult to break her, especially here on grass.&quot; 
 
Like everlasting opponents on the other side of the net, Vesnina will also be taking on the American sisters in the doubles quarter-finals with her partner Ekaterina Makarova. 
 
Venus, 36, has reached her ninth Wimbledon semi-final and owns seven slam titles overall -- the last coming on the grass in 2008, inevitably against her sister, before the result was reversed the following year. 
 
It is nonetheless the first semi-final since the 2010 U.S. Open for the oldest woman in the 2016 Wimbledon field. 
 
&quot;Semi-finals feels good. But it doesn&#39;t feel foreign at all, let&#39;s put it that way,&quot; she told reporters after brushing past Kazakhstan&#39;s Yaroslava Shvedova in straight sets. 
 
&quot;All those other semi-finals helped me to have the experience to be in this semi-final.&quot; 
 
Her perfect last-four record at Wimbledon could come under pressure though from Kerber, 28, who is trying to replicate the focus and relaxation that brought her the title in Melbourne. 
 
The last player to win both the Australian and Wimbledon in the same year was Serena Williams in 2015 - the last German was Graf in 1989. 
 
First up though is Venus. 
 
&quot;She&#39;s always dangerous on grass, especially here in Wimbledon. She has a lot of confidence right now. She played great matches,&quot; Kerber said after beating Romanian fifth seed Simona Halep. 
 
And it is Kerber who may have the last laugh: &quot;I&#39;m playing really good tennis right now. Yeah, I think I&#39;m playing like in Australia, like really high-class tennis.&quot; 
 
(Reuters)

Vesnina takes on Serena, and Kerber Venus, in the semi-finals on Thursday

It would be hard to bet against the Williams sisters meeting in their first Wimbledon final since 2009, but Angelique Kerber and Elena Vesnina won't just be making up the numbers in the last four on Thursday. While unseeded Vesnina has described her semi-final against world number one Serena Williams as a dream, she is playing inspired tennis, bringing the guile from two doubles slams to deliver baseline power and a deft touch at the net. Fourth seed Kerber, meanwhile, has a 3-2 head-to-head lead over five-time champion Venus Williams and stunned younger sister Serena, who has won Wimbledon six times, at the Australian Open in January to win her first major final. All four will bring a wealth of experience to Centre Court -- their average age is 31 years and nine months, the oldest for the last four in an open era women's major. "The experienced players are ready to keep winning. They want to keep being great," Serena, 34, told reporters after she ground down 21st seed Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova in the quarter-finals. She is aiming to equal Steffi Graf's open era record of 22 majors by lifting the trophy on Saturday, having been stuck on 21 since last year's Wimbledon. Of the challenge from her 29-year-old Russian opponent, she said: "I'll be ready for it." Vesnina said of Serena after reaching her first major semi-final: "You have to give all your heart and fight for every single point and just use your chances because it is really difficult to break her, especially here on grass." Like everlasting opponents on the other side of the net, Vesnina will also be taking on the American sisters in the doubles quarter-finals with her partner Ekaterina Makarova. Venus, 36, has reached her ninth Wimbledon semi-final and owns seven slam titles overall -- the last coming on the grass in 2008, inevitably against her sister, before the result was reversed the following year. It is nonetheless the first semi-final since the 2010 U.S. Open for the oldest woman in the 2016 Wimbledon field. "Semi-finals feels good. But it doesn't feel foreign at all, let's put it that way," she told reporters after brushing past Kazakhstan's Yaroslava Shvedova in straight sets. "All those other semi-finals helped me to have the experience to be in this semi-final." Her perfect last-four record at Wimbledon could come under pressure though from Kerber, 28, who is trying to replicate the focus and relaxation that brought her the title in Melbourne. The last player to win both the Australian and Wimbledon in the same year was Serena Williams in 2015 - the last German was Graf in 1989. First up though is Venus. "She's always dangerous on grass, especially here in Wimbledon. She has a lot of confidence right now. She played great matches," Kerber said after beating Romanian fifth seed Simona Halep. And it is Kerber who may have the last laugh: "I'm playing really good tennis right now. Yeah, I think I'm playing like in Australia, like really high-class tennis." (Reuters)

As the Williams sisters march on, Kerber and Vesnina stand in their way

Serena and Venus Williams closed today on a fifth all-sister Wimbledon final while beaten quarter-finalist Dominika Cibulkova prepared to rush back to Slovakia to get ready for her wedding. 
 
Six-time champion Serena reached her 10th semi-final at the All England Club with a 6-4, 6-4 win over Russia 21st seed Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova. 
 
She goes on to face Russian world number 50 Elena Vesnina on Thursday for a place in the final. 
 
Five-time champion Venus, seeded eight, enjoyed a 7-6 (7/5), 6-2 victory over Kazakhstans world number 96 Yaroslava Shvedova to reach her first Wimbledon semi-final in seven years. 
 
The 36-year-old will now face German fourth seed and Australian Open champion Angelique Kerber who reached her second Wimbledon semi-final with a 7-5, 7-6 (7/2) win over Simona Halep, the fifth seed from Romania. 
 
Vesnina made her first semi-final at a major, by seeing off bride-to-be Cibulkova, the Slovak 19th seed, 6-2, 6-2. &quot;They showed Venuss score on court and I was like yaaaay. I want her to win so bad, but not in the final if Im there,&quot; said defending champion Serena, who took her Grand Slam match win record to 302 -- four behind Martina Navratilovas all-time mark. 
 
It is the 11th time that the sisters have advanced to the semi-finals of the same Grand Slam event. 
 
Serena took a 5-0 career lead over Russian 21st seed Pavlyuchenkova into Tuesdays match, having not dropped a set to her opponent since their first meeting in 2010. But the match was decided in the ninth game of both sets with Williams carving out the only breaks of the match against Pavlyuchenkova, playing in her first Wimbledon quarter-final. 
 
The American finished the match with an 11th ace. 
 
&quot;It was good. I am excited to be able to win and get through, it felt really good,&quot; said Serena, who is bidding to win a record-equalling Open era 22nd Grand Slam title. On the potential of an all-Williams final, Serena refused to get too far ahead of herself even though she has a 4-0 winning record over Vesnina. &quot;We dont really talk too much about it but we are playing doubles later so we are just happy to be in the semi-finals,&quot; she said. 
 
Venus is the oldest womens semi-finalist since Martina Navratilova in 1994. Venus, who won the last of her seven Grand Slam titles at Wimbledon in 2008, is back in the last-four of a Grand Slam for the first time since the 2010 US Open. 
 
The eight-time Wimbledon finalist trails 3-2 in her five career meetings with 28-year-old Kerber, who won their only meeting on grass in the 2012 Olympics at Wimbledon. &quot;I love playing the game. When you are winning matches it makes it that much sweeter,&quot; the German said. &quot;You cant always have these big moments. I guess if you are Serena Williams it happens a lot, but for Venus Williams this is an awesome day. 
 
&quot;The first set tiebreak was key for Venus on Tuesday as she over-turned a 2/5 deficit before Shvedovas game fell apart in the second set. Kerber now has 33 match wins in 2016, joint-best with Cibulkova. &quot;I have had a great year so far. I think I am playing my best tennis. Hopefully I can play a few more matches here,&quot; she said. 
 
The 28-year-old Kerber, who also made the semi-finals in 2012, came out on top in a big-hitting battle with Halep, who was a semi-finalist in 2014. Cibulkova is due to marry fiance Miso Navara in her hometown of Bratislava on Saturday -- the same day as the womens final -- and the 27-year-old was willing to postpone the ceremony if she won her quarter-final. 
 
But 29-year-old Vesnina took advantage of a distracted display from Cibulkova to become the fifth unseeded woman to reach the All England Club semi-finals since the Grand Slams switched to 32 seeds in 2001. 
 
&quot;Serena is one of the greatest. I always watch her matches,&quot; said Vesnina who dropped out of the top 100 last year. 
 
&quot;I have to go on to the court with all my heart and take my chances.&quot; 
 
(AFP)

It is the 11th time that the William sisters have advanced to the semi-finals of the same Grand Slam event

Serena and Venus Williams closed today on a fifth all-sister Wimbledon final while beaten quarter-finalist Dominika Cibulkova prepared to rush back to Slovakia to get ready for her wedding. Six-time champion Serena reached her 10th semi-final at the All England Club with a 6-4, 6-4 win over Russia 21st seed Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova. She goes on to face Russian world number 50 Elena Vesnina on Thursday for a place in the final. Five-time champion Venus, seeded eight, enjoyed a 7-6 (7/5), 6-2 victory over Kazakhstans world number 96 Yaroslava Shvedova to reach her first Wimbledon semi-final in seven years. The 36-year-old will now face German fourth seed and Australian Open champion Angelique Kerber who reached her second Wimbledon semi-final with a 7-5, 7-6 (7/2) win over Simona Halep, the fifth seed from Romania. Vesnina made her first semi-final at a major, by seeing off bride-to-be Cibulkova, the Slovak 19th seed, 6-2, 6-2. "They showed Venuss score on court and I was like yaaaay. I want her to win so bad, but not in the final if Im there," said defending champion Serena, who took her Grand Slam match win record to 302 -- four behind Martina Navratilovas all-time mark. It is the 11th time that the sisters have advanced to the semi-finals of the same Grand Slam event. Serena took a 5-0 career lead over Russian 21st seed Pavlyuchenkova into Tuesdays match, having not dropped a set to her opponent since their first meeting in 2010. But the match was decided in the ninth game of both sets with Williams carving out the only breaks of the match against Pavlyuchenkova, playing in her first Wimbledon quarter-final. The American finished the match with an 11th ace. "It was good. I am excited to be able to win and get through, it felt really good," said Serena, who is bidding to win a record-equalling Open era 22nd Grand Slam title. On the potential of an all-Williams final, Serena refused to get too far ahead of herself even though she has a 4-0 winning record over Vesnina. "We dont really talk too much about it but we are playing doubles later so we are just happy to be in the semi-finals," she said. Venus is the oldest womens semi-finalist since Martina Navratilova in 1994. Venus, who won the last of her seven Grand Slam titles at Wimbledon in 2008, is back in the last-four of a Grand Slam for the first time since the 2010 US Open. The eight-time Wimbledon finalist trails 3-2 in her five career meetings with 28-year-old Kerber, who won their only meeting on grass in the 2012 Olympics at Wimbledon. "I love playing the game. When you are winning matches it makes it that much sweeter," the German said. "You cant always have these big moments. I guess if you are Serena Williams it happens a lot, but for Venus Williams this is an awesome day. "The first set tiebreak was key for Venus on Tuesday as she over-turned a 2/5 deficit before Shvedovas game fell apart in the second set. Kerber now has 33 match wins in 2016, joint-best with Cibulkova. "I have had a great year so far. I think I am playing my best tennis. Hopefully I can play a few more matches here," she said. The 28-year-old Kerber, who also made the semi-finals in 2012, came out on top in a big-hitting battle with Halep, who was a semi-finalist in 2014. Cibulkova is due to marry fiance Miso Navara in her hometown of Bratislava on Saturday -- the same day as the womens final -- and the 27-year-old was willing to postpone the ceremony if she won her quarter-final. But 29-year-old Vesnina took advantage of a distracted display from Cibulkova to become the fifth unseeded woman to reach the All England Club semi-finals since the Grand Slams switched to 32 seeds in 2001. "Serena is one of the greatest. I always watch her matches," said Vesnina who dropped out of the top 100 last year. "I have to go on to the court with all my heart and take my chances." (AFP)

Serena, Venus close in on Wimbledon final

Serena Williams needed just 51 minutes to clinch the 300th Grand Slam win of her career today as the defending champion made the Wimbledon last 16. 
 
The 34-year-old American brushed aside Germany&#39;s world number 43 Annika Beck 6-3, 6-0 on the back of 25 winners and seven aces and goes on to face long-time Russian rival Svetlana Kuznetsova. 
 
&quot;I thought it was good. I still want to get out to a little bit of a faster start but I was really focused and calm,&quot; said Williams, who is just six wins short of Martina Navratilova&#39;s Open Era record of 306 Slam wins. 
 
Williams has now won 82 matches at Wimbledon as she remains on course to equal Steffi Graf&#39;s Open Era record of 22 Grand Slam titles with her seventh Wimbledon crown. 
 
Rare middle Sunday play&nbsp; 
 
Williams took the starring role as play was held on the middle Sunday for only the fourth time in Wimbledon history, and the first time since 2004, as organisers tried to clear the backlog caused by days of rain. 
 
Two-time Grand Slam champion Kuznetsova reached the fourth round for the first time since 2008 despite becoming involved in a row with the umpire over coaching. 
 
The 31-year-old 13th seed battled back from 2-5 down in the final set to defeat US 18th seed Sloane Stephens 6-7 (1/7), 6-2, 8-6. 
 
But the Russian was hit with a code violation for coaching early in the final set which prompted a bitter exchange with umpire Marijana Veljovic. 
 
&quot;I&#39;m just doing my job,&quot; said the official. 
 
&quot;Well, you&#39;re not doing it very well,&quot; responded Kuznetsova, the 2004 US Open champion and 2009 French Open winner. 
 
Russian 21st seed Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova made the last 16 of a Slam for the first time since the 2011 US Open by seeing off Swiss 11th seed Timea Bacsinszky 6-3, 6-2. 
 
Pavlyuchenkova will face US 27th seed Coco Vandeweghe, a quarter-finalist last year, who knocked out sixth-seeded Italian Roberta Vinci 6-3, 6-4. 
 
Vandeweghe is one of the in-form players on grass this year, winning at &#39;s-Hertogenbosch and making the semi-finals in Birmingham. 
 
Russia&#39;s Elena Vesnina made the fourth round for the first time in seven years by ending the run of US qualifier Julia Boserup, the world number 225, in straight sets, 7-5, 7-5. 
 
Vesnina will face doubles partner and close friend Ekaterina Makarova, who was a bridesmaid at her wedding last year, for a spot in the quarter-finals. 
 
Djokovic shock still resonates&nbsp; 
 
Today&#39;s programme on Centre Court concludes with German teenager Alexander Zverev facing 2010 runner-up Tomas Berdych. 
 
Tenth seed Berdych is bidding to record his first win against a seed at Wimbledon since 2013. 
 
Zverev, who is through to the third round at Wimbledon for the first time, is hoping to record his first win against a seed at a Grand Slam. 
 
The men&#39;s draw is still reeling from Saturday&#39;s shock exit of defending champion Novak Djokovic in the third round. 
 
Andy Murray will now be the joint-favourite with Roger Federer to succeed Djokovic. 
 
Murray was not scheduled to play on Sunday but he will take a keen interest in the tie between Australian 15th seed Nick Kyrgios and Feliciano Lopez, the Spanish 22nd seed. 
 
Murray will face the winner of that third round clash which was one set apiece when play was halted for bad light Saturday. 
 
Kyrgios was at the centre of a new row on Sunday when he was heard labelling one of his own support team as &quot;retarded&quot;. 
 
The incident, picked up by microphones on Court One, occurred during the second set of his third round match. 
 
His compatriot Bernard Tomic got in trouble for describing himself as standing on court &quot;like a retard&quot; earlier in the tournament. 
 
On Court 12, French 32nd seed Lucas Pouille saw off former US Open champion Juan Martin del Potro 6-7 (7/4), 7-6 (8/6), 7-5, 6-1 in a tie held over from Saturday. 
 
Pouille next faces 19th seed Tomic in what will be his first appearance in the last 16 at a major. 
 
(AFP)

Williams has won 82 matches at Wimbledon, and remains on course to equal Steffi Graf's Open Era record of 22 Grand Slam titles

Serena Williams needed just 51 minutes to clinch the 300th Grand Slam win of her career today as the defending champion made the Wimbledon last 16. The 34-year-old American brushed aside Germany's world number 43 Annika Beck 6-3, 6-0 on the back of 25 winners and seven aces and goes on to face long-time Russian rival Svetlana Kuznetsova. "I thought it was good. I still want to get out to a little bit of a faster start but I was really focused and calm," said Williams, who is just six wins short of Martina Navratilova's Open Era record of 306 Slam wins. Williams has now won 82 matches at Wimbledon as she remains on course to equal Steffi Graf's Open Era record of 22 Grand Slam titles with her seventh Wimbledon crown. Rare middle Sunday play Williams took the starring role as play was held on the middle Sunday for only the fourth time in Wimbledon history, and the first time since 2004, as organisers tried to clear the backlog caused by days of rain. Two-time Grand Slam champion Kuznetsova reached the fourth round for the first time since 2008 despite becoming involved in a row with the umpire over coaching. The 31-year-old 13th seed battled back from 2-5 down in the final set to defeat US 18th seed Sloane Stephens 6-7 (1/7), 6-2, 8-6. But the Russian was hit with a code violation for coaching early in the final set which prompted a bitter exchange with umpire Marijana Veljovic. "I'm just doing my job," said the official. "Well, you're not doing it very well," responded Kuznetsova, the 2004 US Open champion and 2009 French Open winner. Russian 21st seed Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova made the last 16 of a Slam for the first time since the 2011 US Open by seeing off Swiss 11th seed Timea Bacsinszky 6-3, 6-2. Pavlyuchenkova will face US 27th seed Coco Vandeweghe, a quarter-finalist last year, who knocked out sixth-seeded Italian Roberta Vinci 6-3, 6-4. Vandeweghe is one of the in-form players on grass this year, winning at 's-Hertogenbosch and making the semi-finals in Birmingham. Russia's Elena Vesnina made the fourth round for the first time in seven years by ending the run of US qualifier Julia Boserup, the world number 225, in straight sets, 7-5, 7-5. Vesnina will face doubles partner and close friend Ekaterina Makarova, who was a bridesmaid at her wedding last year, for a spot in the quarter-finals. Djokovic shock still resonates Today's programme on Centre Court concludes with German teenager Alexander Zverev facing 2010 runner-up Tomas Berdych. Tenth seed Berdych is bidding to record his first win against a seed at Wimbledon since 2013. Zverev, who is through to the third round at Wimbledon for the first time, is hoping to record his first win against a seed at a Grand Slam. The men's draw is still reeling from Saturday's shock exit of defending champion Novak Djokovic in the third round. Andy Murray will now be the joint-favourite with Roger Federer to succeed Djokovic. Murray was not scheduled to play on Sunday but he will take a keen interest in the tie between Australian 15th seed Nick Kyrgios and Feliciano Lopez, the Spanish 22nd seed. Murray will face the winner of that third round clash which was one set apiece when play was halted for bad light Saturday. Kyrgios was at the centre of a new row on Sunday when he was heard labelling one of his own support team as "retarded". The incident, picked up by microphones on Court One, occurred during the second set of his third round match. His compatriot Bernard Tomic got in trouble for describing himself as standing on court "like a retard" earlier in the tournament. On Court 12, French 32nd seed Lucas Pouille saw off former US Open champion Juan Martin del Potro 6-7 (7/4), 7-6 (8/6), 7-5, 6-1 in a tie held over from Saturday. Pouille next faces 19th seed Tomic in what will be his first appearance in the last 16 at a major. (AFP)

Serena hits 300th Slam win

Second seed Garbine Muguruza, gunning to add the Wimbledon crown to her French Open title, was sensationally beaten in the second round on Thursday by a Slovakian qualifier, removing one of the biggest obstacles to Serena Williams defending her title. 
 
Jana Cepelova pulled off the shock of the tournament so far, downing the Spaniard 6-3 6-2 in a nerveless Court One display. 
 
Spaniard Muguruza, who lost to Williams in last year&#39;s final, looked lacklustre and struggled with the accuracy of her powershots that had thrilled the French crowds. 
 
&quot;I think my energy was missing a little bit today,&quot; she told reporters. 
 
&quot;Today during the match, and after the match, I&#39;m like, it&#39;s a tough day today. I feel empty a little bit, and I start to be sick. But I think it was a little bit of a combination,&rdquo; she added.&nbsp; 
 
Muguruza had laboured in the first round against Italy&#39;s Camila Giorgi on Monday, eventually winning through in three sets, but had not lost against a player ranked outside the top 100 since last August on the hardcourts of Cincinnati. 
 
Cepelova played fearlessly:&nbsp;Muguruza 
However, Cepelova, ranked 124th and having come through three rounds of qualifying, had served notice that she could cause an upset, having a two-two record over top-five players. 
 
The 23-year-old brought all the pedigree that helped her down then world number three Simona Halep in the first round last year, racing through the match in 59 minutes. 
 
&quot;I like to play on the big courts and today and also last year, my performance on the big court was pretty good. I think I played today well,&quot; Cepelova told reporters. 
 
She broke Muguruza at the first opportunity, forcing a backhand error, and never looked back, sassing her opponent at the net, outdoing her on the baseline and sealing both sets on the first set points. 
 
&quot;I think she played great, with no fear. She was trying a lot of stuff that was working. My energy was not really there. I was trying, but didn&#39;t work at all,&quot; Muguruza, 22, said. 
 
Her defeat removes one of the major challengers to Williams&#39;s bid the equal Steffi Graf&#39;s Open era record of 22 grand slams by lifting the trophy next Saturday. 
 
French open champ dismisses defeat as &#39;no drama&#39; 
Muguruza had achieved the rare feat of overpowering world Williams to claim her maiden grand slam title on the Paris clay with a 7-5 6-4 win over the world number one and many had thought she could go all the way at Wimbledon. 
 
She ruefully dismissed Thursday&#39;s defeat as no drama, and the sunny, relaxed demeanour that has won her legions of fans was still in evidence. She scotched suggestions she had buckled under pressure heaped on her after her Paris triumph. 
 
&quot;No, not pressure. I think for sure more expectations from other people. But honestly, for me, I just was very clear it was going to be a rough tournament for me after winning a grand slam and coming here. Everybody likes looking at me,&quot; she said. 
 
&quot;One day it&#39;s going to go my way, another day no. Hopefully, my consistency will improve and I&#39;ll be able to be deep in all the tournaments.&quot; 
 
(Reuters)&nbsp;

With the second seed out of the tournament, Serena Williams' path to defending her title just got easier

Second seed Garbine Muguruza, gunning to add the Wimbledon crown to her French Open title, was sensationally beaten in the second round on Thursday by a Slovakian qualifier, removing one of the biggest obstacles to Serena Williams defending her title. Jana Cepelova pulled off the shock of the tournament so far, downing the Spaniard 6-3 6-2 in a nerveless Court One display. Spaniard Muguruza, who lost to Williams in last year's final, looked lacklustre and struggled with the accuracy of her powershots that had thrilled the French crowds. "I think my energy was missing a little bit today," she told reporters. "Today during the match, and after the match, I'm like, it's a tough day today. I feel empty a little bit, and I start to be sick. But I think it was a little bit of a combination,” she added. Muguruza had laboured in the first round against Italy's Camila Giorgi on Monday, eventually winning through in three sets, but had not lost against a player ranked outside the top 100 since last August on the hardcourts of Cincinnati. Cepelova played fearlessly: Muguruza However, Cepelova, ranked 124th and having come through three rounds of qualifying, had served notice that she could cause an upset, having a two-two record over top-five players. The 23-year-old brought all the pedigree that helped her down then world number three Simona Halep in the first round last year, racing through the match in 59 minutes. "I like to play on the big courts and today and also last year, my performance on the big court was pretty good. I think I played today well," Cepelova told reporters. She broke Muguruza at the first opportunity, forcing a backhand error, and never looked back, sassing her opponent at the net, outdoing her on the baseline and sealing both sets on the first set points. "I think she played great, with no fear. She was trying a lot of stuff that was working. My energy was not really there. I was trying, but didn't work at all," Muguruza, 22, said. Her defeat removes one of the major challengers to Williams's bid the equal Steffi Graf's Open era record of 22 grand slams by lifting the trophy next Saturday. French open champ dismisses defeat as 'no drama' Muguruza had achieved the rare feat of overpowering world Williams to claim her maiden grand slam title on the Paris clay with a 7-5 6-4 win over the world number one and many had thought she could go all the way at Wimbledon. She ruefully dismissed Thursday's defeat as no drama, and the sunny, relaxed demeanour that has won her legions of fans was still in evidence. She scotched suggestions she had buckled under pressure heaped on her after her Paris triumph. "No, not pressure. I think for sure more expectations from other people. But honestly, for me, I just was very clear it was going to be a rough tournament for me after winning a grand slam and coming here. Everybody likes looking at me," she said. "One day it's going to go my way, another day no. Hopefully, my consistency will improve and I'll be able to be deep in all the tournaments." (Reuters)

French Open champ Muguruza faces shock defeat in second round of Wimbledon

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