New Delhi: American veteran Venus Williams was sharpening her reactions for the barrage of big serves she can expect in her Wimbledon semi-final against British favourite Johanna Konta on Thursday, going through a relentless practise routine on the eve of battle.


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The 37-year-old spent 45 minutes on the dusty Aorangi Park practise courts on Wednesday, hitting back serves delivered at high velocity by a male hitting partner.


Williams sent many returns whistling back to the baseline, occasionally getting a thumbs up from her coaching team, while others sailed way beyond the margins of the court.


Konta tops the ace leaderboard in the women`s singles with 28, one more than Williams who is the oldest woman to reach the Wimbledon semi-finals for 23 years.


Against Simona Halep on Tuesday, Konta offered up only two break points in a match lasting two hours and 38 minutes.


"Johanna`s serve is a massive weapon," her coach Wim Fissette told Reuters this week. "Most woman players would like a first serve as good as Jo`s."


Following her quarter-final victory over Jelena Ostapenko, Williams told a news conference that she would be expecting a close battle with her British opponent.


"I think we play a very similar style," she said. "Aggressive, serve well, return well, very solid off the ground. So really it`s just about playing that game better and see where you find openings on that day."


Williams is bidding to win her sixth Wimbledon singles title and eighth grand slam -- nine years after last lifting the aptly-named Venus Rosewater Dish on Centre Court.


Konta, who will be playing in her first Wimbledon semi-final, is attempting to become the first British winner of the women`s singles since Virginia Wade in 1977.