Venus Williams through to Wimbledon semis – along with sister Serena
Five-time champion beats Yaroslava Shvedova to become oldest semi-finalist at a grand slam since 1994
Venus Williams has progressed to the semi-finals at Wimbledon for the first time in seven years, after a dominant 7-6, 6-2 victory over Yaroslava Shvedova of Kazakhstan.
"What's transpiring now for Venus at Wimbledon is historic," says CNN. By beating her "explosive, but inconsistent" opponent, the 36-year-old player has become the oldest semi-finalist at a grand slam since Martina Navratilova, then 37, played at the All England Club in 1994.
William's sister, defending champion Serena, has also progressed to the next stage, confidently beating Russian Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova 6-4, 6-4.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
The wins set up the possibility of an all-Williams women's final if Serena defeats Elena Vesnina on Thursday and her elder sister, a five-time Wimbledon champion, triumphs over Australian Open champion Angelique Kerber.
Following their singles wins, the sisters returned to the court to beat Andrea Hlavackova and Lucie Hradecka of the Czech Republic 6-4, 6-4 and move into the next round of the women's doubles.
"It has been a bumpy five years for Venus Williams since she was diagnosed with Sjogren's syndrome, an autoimmune disease causing chronic fatigue and muscle soreness," reports the LA Times. "Part of her treatment involved adopting a vegan raw food diet to help reduce inflammation and the energy-draining symptoms of the ailment."
Nevertheless, she has refused to walk away from her tennis career. "Retiring is the easy way out," she has said. "I don't have time for easy."
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
-
Today's political cartoons - November 2, 2024
Cartoons Saturday's cartoons - anti-fascism, early voter turnout, and more
By The Week US Published
-
Geoff Capes obituary: shot-putter who became the World’s Strongest Man
In the Spotlight The 'mighty figure' was a two-time Commonwealth Champion and world-record holder
By The Week UK Published
-
Israel attacks Iran: a 'limited' retaliation
Talking Point Iran's humiliated leaders must decide how to respond to Netanyahu's measured strike
By The Week UK Published
-
Andy Murray: Britain's greatest sportsperson?
Talking Points Injury denies Scot a final singles appearance at Wimbledon but his place in history is assured
By Richard Windsor, The Week UK Published
-
Serena Williams and her ‘evolution’ away from tennis
Why Everyone’s Talking About The 23-time grand slam champion is set to retire after the US Open
By Mike Starling Published
-
Nick Kyrgios: a foul-mouthed bully or tortured genius?
Why Everyone’s Talking About The Australian has thrilled and appalled on his run to the Wimbledon final
By The Week Staff Last updated
-
Novak Djokovic vs. Cameron Norrie: Wimbledon semi-final preview and predictions
feature Can the British No.1 stun the defending champ and reach Sunday’s final?
By Mike Starling Last updated
-
What has Serena Williams been doing?
Why Everyone’s Talking About The tennis great made a surprise return to the court this week after a year away
By Richard Windsor Published
-
Wimbledon 2022: Friday’s order of play
feature British hope Norrie takes on defending champion Djokovic on Centre Court
By Mike Starling Last updated
-
‘Outright civil war’ in tennis as Wimbledon faces up to Putin
Talking Point Furious tennis authorities condemn ‘discriminatory and unfair’ ban of Russian and Belarusian players
By The Week Staff Published
-
Mason Greenwood: footballer arrested on suspicion of rape and assault
Speed Read Man Utd confirm the striker will not train or play until further notice
By The Week Staff Published