Wimbledon 2019: Serena Williams powers past Barbora Strycova to qualify for 11th final
Serena Williams' quest for an eighth Grand Slam win at the All England Club remains intact as the American tennis star dominated Barbora Strycova to breeze in the Wimbledon final, where she will take on Romanian star Simona Halep.
Williams met little resistance against the unseeded Czech on Centre Court, breezing past Strycova in straight sets (6-1, 6-2) under the afternoon sun in London to put her on the verge of what would be a record-equalling 24th Grand Slam victory.
Last year's losing finalist needed just 59 minutes to bypass Strycova, using her incredibly dominant serve to deny her opponent a foundation from which to mount a challenge of her own.
It was a far cry from the stuttering performance Williams showed in her three-set quarter-final against compatriot Alison Riske on Tuesday, who was able to drag Serena into the type of dogfight Strycova - Johanna Konta's conqueror in the quarters - was unable to muster.
The 19 aces Williams managed against Riske were absent today, with just four serves winging past Strycova in the match, but Williams' secondary game was fine-tuned to the point where she won 89% of her service points.
After the first set blowout, Strycova briefly showed renewed vigor in the second as she attempted to gain parity, at least, from the vast array of shots coming her way.
In the end, her resistance lasted for around four games before having the wind taken from her sails after Williams capitalized on a botched chip shot.
From that point, the match appeared little more than a formality, but one suspects that Halep's relentless pace will provide more of a challenge to the American as she attempts to carve out her own piece of history on Saturday.
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