15 July, 2017
If Williams, 37, takes home the championship, she'll become the oldest woman to win a Grand Slam title in the Open era - surpassing her sister Serena Williams for the honor. We take a close look at the numbers in today's Tennis Now Statisfaction. The record is now owned by her sister Serena, who won the Australian Open this January at the age of 35. Only Martina Navratilov (9), Serena Williams (7) and Steffi Graf (7) have more. The last time Venus had reached multiple Slam finals in a calendar year was in 2003 (runner-up at AO and Wimbledon). In a tournament that had been blown wide open, not only due to Serena's absence as she awaits the birth of her first child, the absence of Maria Sharapova after her come-back from a drug suspension was hit with injury, the title was for the taking for numerous chasing pack. Her round of 64 match saw the American face off against the unseeded Wang Qiang, while Williams dropped the first set, she came out dominant and continued her Wimbledon campaign in a two to one victory (4-6, 6-4, 6-1).
The American, 37, will overtake sister Serena's record - set when she was aged 35 at the Australian Open in January - by winning her sixth SW19 title. That feat is nearly as rare as becoming No.1.
These two have met in a final before at the WTA Wuhan Draw where Muguruza retired injured back in 2015. If she wins she'll join a list of active multiple major winners that includes Serena Williams, Venus Williams, Maria Sharapova, Petra Kvitova, Svetlana Kuuznetsova, Angelique Kerber and Victoria Azarenka. Williams has hit 26 en route to the final.
All eyes are on centre court as Wimbledon looks to crown a new female champion between Garbine Muguruza and Venus Williams. Muguruza has fired 30 percent unreturnable first serves and 12 percent unreturnable second serves.
"[Cilic and Federer] met in the Wimbledon quarterfinals a year ago, when Cilic took the opening two sets and even held a match point before Federer came all the way back to win, improving to 6-1 head-to-head".
Williams defeated three different players born in 1997 in successive rounds at Wimbledon (Osaka, Konjuh, Ostapenko). She just loves to play and enjoys going out there.
Muguruza was imperious in her semi-final against Magdalena Rybarikova two days ago, taking just over an hour to sweep her opponent aside 6-1 6-1, making for an eagerly-anticipated final with Williams, who ended the dream of Britain's Johanna Konta. The eight-year gap is the longest Open Era gap between final appearances by the same player in Open Era history.
Federer will be playing in his 29th Grand Slam final, tying him with Serena Williams for the fourth-most all-time among the men and women.
The 23-year-old, who is into her third Grand Slam final, is once again facing a Williams.
As for Williams, today will see her attempt to become the oldest victor of the women's singles for more than a century when, in 1908, Charlotte Sterry lifted the trophy aged 37 years and 282 days.
