Serena Williams surprised with Wimbledon semi-final appearance
Seven-time champion will meet maiden Grand Slam semi-finalist Julia Goerges in the last four on Thursday.
Wednesday 11 July 2018 12:44, UK
Serena Williams admits she is surprised by her run to the semi-finals of Wimbledon, in only the fourth tournament of her comeback.
The 23-time Grand Slam champion was given her sternest test of the Championships against Camila Giorgi as Williams recorded a comeback 3-6 6-3 6-4 victory to maintain her hopes of an eighth singles title at the All England Club.
Williams was forced to withdraw from the fourth round of the French Open with a pectoral injury but has impressed in her bid to equal Margaret Court's record of 24 major triumphs.
"I think everything right now is a little bit of a surprise. To be here, to be in the semi-finals," Williams said.
"I mean, I always say I plan on it, I would like to be there, have these goals. But when it actually happens, it still is, wow, this is really happening."
The 36-year-old lost her first set of this year's event against the hard-hitting Giorgi, world No 52, who matched the American for aggression on serve and from the baseline.
Sometimes I feel I am in trouble. Sometimes I feel, I can fight. For whatever reason, I was so calm.
Williams showed her champion mentality to break once in both the second and third sets before securing passage to her 11th Wimbledon semi-final on her first match point.
"Sometimes I feel I am in trouble. Sometimes I feel, I can fight. For whatever reason, I was so calm," Williams said.
"Even when I was down the first set, I thought she's playing great. I'm doing a lot of the right things."
The former world No 1, who only returned to competitive tennis in March says this sense of calmness may be new-found.
"Just to be clear, that was just today. I mean, I'm hoping this is like a new thing.
"Honestly, I highly doubt it. It was just the way I felt today. I never felt it was out of my hands. It's weird.
"I can't describe it. I just felt calm. Hoping I can channel that all the time, but one day at a time."
Williams, seeded 25th, will now face maiden Grand Slam semi-finalist Julia Goerges, one of two German semi-finalists, on Thursday.
Goerges, like Williams, recovered from falling a set behind against good friend and occasional doubles partner Kiki Bertens to record a landmark win.
"I don't have many words today to describe the moment I'm going through right now. It's pretty unreal for me at the moment to get to that stage at a Grand Slam," Goerges, who has lost both her previous matches against Williams, said.
"It's been obviously always a dream for every player, to be in a semis in Wimbledon. I'm just very glad the way I handled everything today because it wasn't an easy match at all.
"I thought I was maybe the better player in the first set but didn't actually take the chances I would have loved to take. But still I found a way to somehow come back and close out that match."
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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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