Tennis: Serena Williams reaches 11th Wimbledon final today

United States' Serena Williams returns to Czech Republic's Barbora Strycova in a Women's semifinal singles match on day ten of the Wimbledon Tennis Championships in London, Thursday, July 11, 2019. (Hannah McKay/Pool Photo via AP)

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Williams stands one win away from a record-equalling 24th grand slam title after powering past Barbora Strycova 6-1, 6-2

Serena Williams will play in the Wimbledon final for the 11th time and will be looking for her eighth title at the All England Club.

The 23-time Grand Slam singles champion beat Barbora Strycova 6-1, 6-2 in the semifinals on Centre Court.

Williams converted four of her five break points, while Strycova failed on all three of her chances.

The 11th-seeded American, who lost in last year’s final, will face Simona Halep in Saturday’s championship match.

Williams needs one more major title to equal the all-time record of 24 set by Margaret Court.

3:30 p.m.

Serena Williams has won the first set 6-1 in her Wimbledon semifinal match against Barbora Strycova.

Williams converted both break points she earned, taking a 3-1 lead and then a 5-1 lead.

She saved three break points while serving for the set and finished it with an ace.

2:20 p.m.

Simona Halep has reached her first Wimbledon final.

The former No. 1 advanced to Saturday’s championship match at the All England Club by beating Elina Svitolina 6-1, 6-3 on Centre Court.

Halep broke Svitolina three times in the first set, and then again to take a 4-3 lead in the second. She won the match with another break in the final game.

The seventh-seeded Romanian won the French Open last year, and has reached the final at Roland Garros on two other occasions. She also reached the Australian Open final in 2018, but her previous best at the All England Club had been a spot in the semifinals in 2014.

Halep will face either seven-time Wimbledon champion Serena Williams or Barbora Strycova in the final.

1:40 p.m.

Rafael Nadal’s run to the Wimbledon semifinals has allowed him to qualify for the ATP Finals for a record 15th consecutive year.

Nadal is the first man to clinch a spot in the season-ending tournament, which will be held Nov. 10-17 in London.

Novak Djokovic can also put himself in the field if he repeats as Wimbledon champion.

Nadal carries a 17-match winning streak — which includes his 12th French Open title — into his semifinal against Roger Federer at the All England Club on Friday.

Djokovic faces Roberto Bautista Agut in the other semifinal.

1:10 p.m.

Play has started in the first women’s semifinal on Centre Court between No. 7 Simona Halep and No. 8 Elina Svitolina.

Halep is a former No. 1 who won the French Open last year.

Svitolina is making her debut in a Grand Slam semifinal.

United States’ Serena Williams returns to Czech Republic’s Barbora Strycova in a Women’s semifinal singles match on day ten of the Wimbledon Tennis Championships in London, Thursday, July 11, 2019. (AP Photo/Ben Curtis)

8:10 a.m.

Back on Centre Court and back in the semifinals of a major tournament, Serena Williams will take on Barbora Strycova at Wimbledon.

Williams is trying to win an eighth title at the All England Club and a 24th Grand Slam trophy overall — an achievement that would equal Margaret Court’s all-time record.

The 33-year-old Strycova had been pondering retirement this year but now is the oldest first-time major semifinalist in the professional era. It took her 53 major tournaments to get this deep.

In the first semifinal, also on Centre Court, former No. 1 Simona Halep will face Elina Svitolina.

Like Strycova, Svitolina has never before been to the final four at a major tournament.

Halep won the French Open last year and is trying to reach her fifth major final.

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