Wimbledon 2016: Defending champion Serena Williams trounces unfancied Russian Elena Vesnina… but Venus is out
HOPES of another all-Williams final dashed as the elder sister loses 6-4, 6-4 to German ace Angelique Kerber
3.46pm: Says Kerber: "It was amazing. The last shot, too. She is playing well so I was trying to move and go for it. It worked. I have a lot of experience on tour and I am really enjoying myself now. A repeat of Australian Open final against Serena? It's a completely new tournament on a new surface and I will go out with a lot of confidence and give everything I can."
3.44pm: Kerber sets up two match points at 40-15., And what a way to win. A cracking rally ends with a monstrous cross court forehand just over the net. Venus could never get get her game going, but Kerber will never forget this 72-minute victory on the Centre Court. 6-4, 6-4.
3.40pm: Proceedings are prolonged as Williams holds serve. 5-4.
3.42pm: So cool under pressure. Kerber inching her way towards the ladies' final and a date with Serena Williams after holding serve comfortably. 5.3
3.34pm: Williams' best service game so far. Waltzes through the game to the delight of a Centre Court crowd desperate for her to really hit her straps. 4-3.
3.32pm: Williams establishes a 3-0-love lead on the Kerber serve but a rebound off the net favours the German who goes on to win the game. 4-2.
3.25pm: But Kerber sets up another set point and Venus is saved by a disputed line call. Venus saves the point with a volley at the net but then nets a simple forehand. She just can't put Kerber away during a prolonged rally and another faulty forehand gives the German break point. But Venus pulls it back to deuce with a deft drop shot. Advantage again, though, to Kerber...Williams saves with an awesome twisting backhand on the run. Kerber finally hits long and a tired looking Williams just about holds serve. 3-2.
3.22pm: Fair play to Venus. She is trying any number of different tactics. She's come to the net 15 times already!
3.20pm: Back comes Kerber. Her forehand definitely is on fire. 3-1.
3.15pm: Much better from Williams in the next game, which she wins to love. That came out of the blue.
3.12pm: Venus has to find something from somewhere in her first major semi-final in six years. Kerber launches into a 2-0 second set lead with the Williams' forehand letting her down time and again. The emphasis on excessive top spin is not working and eight unforced forehand errors tell their own tale.
3.07pm: Two set points for Kerber. Venus saves the first but nets with a forehand to end the longest rally of the match so far. 6-4 in 36 minutes.
3.03pm: It's been a great spectacle so far. Can Venus hold? Yes...as another Kerber backhand thuds into the net. 5-4.
2.59pm: Stunning returns from Williams give her 30-love lead. Unlucky with net cord on next points but then sets up game point when Kerber finds the net. Finally, Kerber goes long and Williams pulls a game back. Seven of the eight games have featured breaks of serve. 5.3.
2.56pm: Williams strugles on her serve again...and loses. She just can trust herself while Kerber is enjoying enormous success with a variety of shots running in from the baseline. 5-2.
2.52pm: At last we have a hold as Kerber keeps a grip on her serves. 4.2.
2.49pm: Kerber on the prowl. Here attacking left-handed forehand is proving to be a formidable weapon. Guess what? She breaks for 3-2.
2.46pm: Williams breaks straight back. So still no fluency on either serve. 2-2.
2.43pm: Williams has so far spent more than 10 hours on court at this year's tournament; Kerber just six. Could be a telling statistic.
2.40pm: And it's a struggle for Venus in the third game. She twice double faults to allow Kerber to pull back to deuce. And Kerber takes the game after terrific inter-reaction at the net. 2-1.
2.35pm: The second semi-final is up and running and the first two games go against the serve.
2.31pm: Can't imagine Venus Williams and Angelique Kerber expected to be walking out on Centre Court so early. But they'll be on soon. Kerber has a decent 3-2 record against Venus and won this year's Australian Open.
2.25pm: Top seeds and defending champions Martina Hingis and Sania Mirza have fallen at the quarter-final stage of the women's doubles. Timea Babos and Yaroslava Shvedova, the fifth seeds, won 6-2, 6-4. Hingis and Mirza had won three of the past four majors, falling in the French Open third round in their bid for a non-calendar year Grand Slam.
2.20pm: In a nutshell...Serena Williams dropped only three points on her serve. She dropped only one point on her first serve. Enough said. Williams won 25 out of 43 points on the Vesnina serve, while her opponent won only 3 out of 31.
2.03pm: Says Serena: "Really happy. She's had a lot of tough matches and could really bring it to me. It's never easy. Every point you have to fight for. My ninth Wimbledon final? It's weird. Obviously I am determined to win this year. If it's Venus it will be great. That's the ultimate goal for both of us. I want her to win and do well. Either way I look forward to it."
1.54pm: Serena serves for the match. Same old story. An 11th ace secures three match points and a volley at the net completes a ruthless, relentless victory. One match away from equalling Steffi Graf's record of 21 Grand Slam wins. It's over in 48 minutes 6-2, 6-0.
1.52pm: Talk about stress free. A blistering shot down the line from Serena makes it 5-0. The final beckons - it's surely just a couple of minutes away.
1.55pm: Now 4-0 down, Vesnina finally decides to use the drop shot. This is hardly sporting brilliance, more like sporting dominance. But surely not worth the entrance money.
1.50pm: If this was the proverbial boxing match the ref would be thinking of calling a halt. Poor Elena is on the ropes and Serena has scarcely broken sweat. 3-0.
1.45pm: Vesnina broken at start of second set. The sheer weight of shot from Serena is making it hard for the Russian to get any sort of leverage in the rallies.
1.40pm: First set captured by Serena in just 28 minutes. Her serve is simply too strong and concentrated and the aces continue to whistle past Elena Vesnina. 6-2.
1.37pm: Elena at least in her stride now, holding nicely and provoking a couple of unforced errors from her illustrious opponent.
1.33pm: Undeterred, Serena produces those trademark booming serves to take the sixth game. 5-1.
1.30pm: Well played, Elena. The underdog finally gets on the board as a series of commendable ground strokes prove too much for Serena. 4-1.
1.22pm: Just 13 minutes on the clock and Serena already leads 3-0. Vesnina got to deuce in her latest service game but a rasping crosscourt winning return from Serena brought her a break point which she won when the Russian netted.
1.17pm: Feature of the match so far is Serena's fiercesome backhand.
1.15pm: Serena storms into 2-0 lead after breaking her overawed opponent in the first game.
1.05pm: They last met in the Wimbledon final in 2009, having previously played each other in 2002, 2003, and 2008.
1.00pm Celebrated sisters Serena and Venus Williams meet separate opponents today. Defending champion Serena is up against unseeded Russian Elena Vesnina in first semi-final, while Venus follows on Centre Court against German Centre by Angelique Kerber.