Maria Sharapova huffed, puffed, grunted and yelled, but there was never really any doubt about the result – Serena Williams coasting to another Wimbledon final, with the Russian, yet again, failing to matchup to the American.
After Garbine Muguruza and Agnieszka Radwanska served up a cracker of a first women's semifinal, hopes were high for this second, more- high-profile, last four match, but it turned out to be rather one-sided with Serena taking control from the first game to eventually ease to a 6-2, 6-4 victory.
"I'm really excited to be in the final," Serena told the BBC. "I was a little nervous at the start, because it has been a while since I played in the semifinal. I think she [Sharapova] played really well, but I was just able to step up my game when she did, it was really interesting."
It's been well over a decade since Sharapova last beat Serena, and it was pretty obvious that hoodoo would not end on Centre Court on Thursday, as the world number one broke the Russian in the very first game.
After a couple of holds, another break followed and easy-as-pie Serena, who always found that big serve – she had 13 aces -- when there was even the slightest sign of trouble, had a 1 set to love lead in this semifinal.
Sharapova improved her game without a doubt at the start of the second set, serving much better, which was her bane really for much of the match, and going for a lot more winners. Maybe she felt she had nothing to lose, which in turn made her tennis a little more loose.
However, Serena, who had 29 winners in all to Sharapova's nine, you felt, was always in control and it was just a matter of time before that second set break would come. It came in the fifth game, with a Sharapova double fault on break point giving Serena a 3-2 lead.
It soon became 4-2, and nearly 5-2, as Sharapova somehow warded off a couple of break points, before a couple more holds of serves – one in which Sharapova saved a break point -- from the two players took it to 5-4 for Serena.
Serving for a place in the final, the five-time Wimbledon champion belted three big serves to move into another Grand Slam final.
The "Serena Slam" is now just one win away. Muguruza, in her maiden Grand Slam final, stands in the way of that incredible achievement.
"She has actually beat me before, she made me improve," Serena said when asked about playing Muguruza. "She is a great player, and she has what it takes, so it is going to be a good final."
