Wimbledon 2102 Update: Serena Advances to Finals With Win Over Azarenka
July 5, 2012 | By Long Island Tennis Magazine Staff
Photo credit: Kenneth B. Goldberg
The 13-time Grand Slam champion reached her seventh Wimbledon final on Thursday, smacking 24 aces to beat Victoria Azarenka 6-3, 7-6(6) in the semifinals. Serena will meet Poland’s Agnieszka Radwanska on Saturday. The previous Wimbledon record of 23 aces was also set by Serena, in a three-set victory over Zheng Jie earlier in the tournament.
"I’ve been working so hard, and I really, I really wanted it," said Serena. "I got a little tight in the second set. I couldn’t relax. I was like, looking too far in the future and she came back. But I’m glad I was able to get through."
Serena controlled the play against Azarenka in the first set with her service game, winning 20 of the 24 points she started. She then went up an early break in the second set, but Azarenka responded to make it 3-3. They held the rest of the way, and Williams picked up her final three aces in the tie-breaker. The final point of the match was a record-breaking ace against Azarenka.
