Serena Williams, Simona Halep Cruise to Semifinal Victories at Wimbledon

Serena Williams and Simona Halep had little trouble with their semifinal opponents and will move forward to meet each other in the women’s final at Wimbledon on Saturday.

Halep won the earlier semifinal over Elina Svitolina 6-1, 6-3, while Williams had an even easier time with Barbora Strycova, finishing her by a 6-1, 6-2 margin.

Halep Reaches First Wimbledon Final

Both matches took just over an hour to complete, which should leave the two former world No. 1 players well-rested for the final.

“It’s very special, this moment,” Halep told reporters in a post-match press conference. “To be able to play a Wimbledon final, it’s pretty amazing. I will enjoy it for sure.”

Halep is entering her fifth Grand Slam final overall, and will be looking to win her second major title, after having won the French Open championship in 2018.

Coming into the tournament as the No. 7 seed, Halep was expected to have a tough contest against eighth-seeded Svitolina. But Halep was able to dominate on her serve, losing only a single service point in the entire second set.

For the 27-year-old, this year’s Wimbledon has been about realizing she can be just as effective a player on grass as on other surfaces.

“Here this week I realized that I have a good chance on grass because I have strong legs, I can open the court,” Halep told reporters. “The court works for me if I play the right tactic.”

Williams Win Would Match Court

Similarly, Strycova provided little resistance in her match vs. Williams. Serena will now look to win her eighth Wimbledon title and her first since 2016, and her 24th Grand Slam title overall, which would tie Margaret Court’s all-time record. Williams is still looking for her first Grand Slam championship since returning from giving birth to her first child, though she came close last year.

“To even be in those two finals last year was unbelievable,” Williams said after her match. “Now, I’m in a different place. Like, I just am more calm. Instead of having nothing to lose, I feel like I have things to lose, but I also have nothing to lose. It’s like I’m in the middle.”

Williams has a 9-1 career record against Halep, including a 3-0 mark in Grand Slams. However, all three of those matches went to three sets, and Williams says she has no reason to think she’ll have an easy time on Saturday.

“There’s so many impressive things about her,” Serena said about Halep. “Can’t underestimate her. She’s like a little powerhouse. Obviously, year, she finished the year No. 1 twice in a row. I feel like she’s back. She wants to prove that she can do it again.”

Williams is considered a clear favorite to win the Wimbledon final, though not overwhelmingly so. According to FanDuel Sportsbook, Williams is a -194 pick to lift the trophy, while Halep is fetching +164 odds of pulling the upset.