E-Paper
‘It’s crazy’: Serena Williams shocked after reaching 10th Wimbledon final
Serena Williams reached her first Grand Slam final after giving birth as the seven-time champion marched into her 10th Wimbledon title match with a 6-2, 6-4 rout of Julia Goerges on Thursday.
Serena Williams said “it’s crazy” that she has managed to reach a 10th Wimbledon final, 10 months after life-saving surgery which followed her pregnancy.
The 36-year-old American eased past Germany’s Julia Goerges 6-2, 6-4 and will face another German, Angelique Kerber in Saturday’s final, her 30th Grand Slam championship match.
“It’s crazy. I don’t even know how to feel because I literally didn’t think I’d do this well in my fourth tournament back,” said Williams.
Victory on Saturday will give her an eighth Wimbledon title and 24th Grand Slam crown, taking her level with Margaret Court’s all-time mark.
It’s a staggering achievement for Williams, who defeated Kerber in the 2016 final before sitting out the 2017 tournament to prepare for parenthood.
Her daughter Olympia was born in September but Williams then underwent emergency surgery to prevent life-threatening blood clots.
She was bed-ridden for six weeks and only returned to the tour in March.
“This is not inevitable for me, I had a really tough delivery and multiple surgeries and almost didn’t make it to be honest,” said Williams after her semi-final victory on Thursday.
“I couldn’t even walk to my mailbox, so it’s definitely not normal for me to be in a Wimbledon final. I’m just enjoying every moment.”
Seeded 25 this year and with a world ranking of 181, Williams insists she will be the underdog against Kerber on Saturday despite boasting a 6-2 career lead over the 30-year-old left-hander.
“I don’t have anything to lose and I feel I can play so free. That’s what I’m doing,” said Williams.
dj/smg
