Serena, Venus Williams braced for Wimbledon final push

London: Serena and Venus Williams can book places in the Wimbledon final on Thursday, seven years after they last slugged it out for a Grand Slam title.

For the first time since 2009, both sisters have made it to the Wimbledon semi-finals.

To make the dream final become a reality, defending champion Serena must beat Russian world number 50 Elena Vesnina, while world number eight Venus plays Australian Open champion Angelique Kerber.

Between 2000 and 2010, Serena and Venus won a combined nine Wimbledon titles and made a total of 14 appearances in the final, with four of those being all-Williams affairs in 2002, 2003, 2008 and 2009.

But, just when it seemed the Williams` duopoly in south-west London would never end, in 2011 Venus was struck down by illness and Serena`s win over her sister at Wimbledon in 2009 remains their last title clash.

Now, at an age when most of her contemporaries had long since called it quits, 36-year-old Venus has willed herself back into contention for an eighth Grand Slam crown.

It is a renaissance that makes Serena proud, but even the 34-year-old didn`t expect to still be in which a chance of contesting the sport`s top prizes with her sister at this advanced stage of their careers.

"I`m surprised of the longevity of it. That kind of definitely took me by surprise," Serena said.

"When you`re younger and you have a dream and you say it and you believe it, that`s one thing. But for it to really happen and to come true, it`s just a completely different emotion.

"It means Venus has a lot of perseverance. She`s a real fighter. Like I always say, it`s super inspiring for me. It`s really great.

"With everything she`s been through, I think it`s built a ton of character in her, and in me just by being around her."
World number one Serena, bidding for a record-equalling 22nd major title and seventh Wimbledon crown, appears to have the easier draw against first-time Grand Slam semi-finalist Vesnina, having won all four of their previous encounters.

But five-time champion Venus, who last won a major at Wimbledon in 2008, has a much tougher task against Kerber.

Kerber defeated Serena to win her maiden Grand Slam crown in Melbourne in January and holds a 3-2 edge in her meetings with Venus.

Venus, the oldest women`s Wimbledon semi-finalist since Martina Navratilova in 1994, expects an equally inspired display as the German fourth seed targets a first Wimbledon final.

"Well, clearly it was one of her best days on the court," Venus said of Kerber`s win over Serena.

"I imagine that she will try to recreate that. Who wouldn`t?"

Kerber, 28, lost her only previous Wimbledon semi-final in 2012, but she enjoyed a victory over Venus at the same venue in the Olympics just weeks later.

"I played against her a lot of tough matches. She`s always dangerous on grass, especially here in Wimbledon. She has a lot of confidence right now," Kerber said.

"But I`m playing like in Australia,really high-class tennis. I will just try to play aggressive."

If Vesnina beats Serena, it would count as one of the all-time great upsets, but the 29-year-old sounds more like an adoring fan than a player who believes she can spring a surprise.

"Nothing can be better than playing against Serena in a semi-final at Wimbledon," she said.

"Serena, I`m admiring her. She`s best player in the world. It will be big challenge for me."