The women's finals are now set at Wimbledon, as top seed Serena Williams prevailed over Maria Sharapova and Garbine Muguruza downed Agnieszka Radwanska in the semifinals on Thursday. Williams, the top seed, bested Sharapova, the fourth seed, in straight sets, 6-2, 6-4. Muguruza, the tournament's No. 20 seed, bested Radwanska, the No. 13 seed, in three sets, 6-2, 3-6, 6-3.
Sharapova and Williams have one of the most lopsided "rivalries" in tennis history. Despite the fact that they are inarguably the top two women's tennis players of the past decade, Williams came into this match with a 17-2 record against Sharapova, and 16 consecutive wins against her.
The tone of their match was set from the onset, as Williams broke Sharapova's very first serve, thanks in part to multiple double faults from Sharapova. She didn't let up throughout the whole set, breaking Sharapova multiple times to take the first set at 6-2.
Sharapova did play better in the second set, fighting for points much more closely, occasionally threatening Williams' serve and holding her own but it was still not enough. Williams got her breaks in and took the set and a spot in the finals.
Muguruza needed three sets to take down Radwanska, who at one point had won five consecutive games and looked to be taking back control of the match. While Muguruza dominated the first set by a score of 6-2, Radwanska showed flashes of her old dominance by taking that second set 6-3, and then breaking Muguruza to start the third. But Muguruza dug deep and tapped into her reserves, and dominated Radwanska for the victory.
Muguruza advances to her first Grand Slam final, where she'll face Williams. The women's finals are set for Saturday. First, the men's semifinals will take place on Friday, as No. 1 Novak Djokovic takes on No. 21 Richard Gasquet, and No. 2 Roger Federer faces No. 3 Andy Murray.
Women's Semifinals
No. 1 Serena Williams def. No. 4 Maria Sharapova, 6-2, 6-4
No. 20 Garbine Muguruza def. No. 13 Agnieszka Radwanska, 6-2, 3-6, 6-3