Angelique Kerber into Wimbledon semi-finals
Kerber defeats Daria Kasatkina 6-3 7-5
Tuesday 10 July 2018 18:11, UK
Angelique Kerber, the highest remaining ladies' seed at Wimbledon, is safely into the semi-finals.
No 11 seed Kerber defeated Daria Kasatkina 6-3 7-5 on Centre Court in Tuesday's last-eight tie.
The draw opened up when the top 10 ladies' seeds were eliminated before the quarter-finals, so Kerber will next face 12th seed Jelena Ostapenko, who beat Dominika Cibulkova 7-5 6-4.
Germany's Kerber stands on the brink of her second Wimbledon final after finishing as runner-up in 2016, the same year that she won the Australian Open and US Open, her two Grand Slam titles to date.
The result against No 14 seed Kasatkina never looked in doubt from when Kerber quickly won the first three games of the match.
Kasatkina narrowly avoided the concession of her serve, which would have put her 2-5 behind, and then broke Kerber in a brief reprieve.
Kasatkina was more competitive in the second set but Kerber broke to go 6-5 up, then was made to work hard in order to get over the finish line.
"I was expecting a close match. We've played so many tough matches," Kerber said after she sealed the win on her seventh match point.
"We both played on a really high level. I was just trying to stay focused on my serve. It's great to be in the semis. She was moving me very much. I was not thinking too much about the match points. I was just trying to push myself until the limits actually."
Meanwhile, 2017 French Open champion Ostapenko made light work of Cibulkova who hadn't previously lost a set throughout her Wimbledon campaign.
In the quarter-final, the 21-year-old Latvian continued her excellent form and after highlighted how she is approaching this competition with a real freedom of expression.
"I think it's maybe one of a couple of times that I feel really like I don't feel any pressure. I'm just going out there and enjoying it," said Ostapenko
"Probably because at the French Open a couple weeks ago I had so much pressure. It's now all gone. I'm just enjoying the moment. You play on a big court, in a great place, on grass, which is one of my favourite surfaces. It's just so much fun."
In the last four, it will be a maiden meeting between Ostapenko and Kerber with the former expecting a considerable challenge.
"Of course, she's a great player. It's going to be a battle. It's going to be a tough match," the 21-year-old said. "But I'm going to prepare well for it, there are going to be probably long rallies. I have to be very confident, aggressive, and consistent."
Serena Williams, a seven-time Wimbledon champion, came from a set behind to beat Italy's Camila Giorgi 3-6 6-3 6-4.
The 25th seed at this year's Championships is through to an 11th semi-final at the All England Club.
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Our next tennis action comes from the German Open in Hamburg. Watch the action live on Sky Sports Arena from Monday, July 23 from 10am.
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