This time, Serena Williams wouldn’t be denied.
Deprived of a record-tying 22nd grand slam title in the Australian Open and French Open finals this year, Williams got to No. 22 Saturday by defeating a dogged Angelique Kerber 7-5 6-3 in a high-quality Wimbledon final.
“I have definitely had some sleepless nights with a lot of stuff, coming so close and feeling it and not being able to get there,”
Williams, who was also foiled in her bid to achieve a calendar-year grand slam at last year’s U.S. Open, told reporters.
When you see your name on the #Wimbledon leaderboard for the seventh time… pic.twitter.com/XZwe22eZun
— Wimbledon (@Wimbledon) July 9, 2016
The 34-year-old struck 39 winners. Williams only faced one break point, at 3-3 in the second, and saved it with one of her 13 aces.
Williams and Kerber’s fellow German Steffi Graf now tally 22 majors, the most in the Open Era of professional tennis. Talk now will surely center on the American attempting to get to Margaret Court’s 24 grand slams, the all-time record. Court was in attendance Saturday.
