Serena Williams has scrapped her way through to a 12th Wimbledon semi-final as she continues to close in on a record-equalling 24th Grand Slam singles crown.
On Thursday (NZ time), Williams ended the brilliant grasscourt run of fellow American Alison Riske with a rollercoaster 6-4 4-6 6-3 victory.
With a tour-best 14 grasscourt wins over the past month, Riske posed a serious danger and threatened to continue her giant-killing run after taking the second set from the seven-times champion.
After twice needing to rally from a service break down in the opening set, Williams had to pull out all stops to deny the 55th-ranked Riske, who was anything but overawed contesting her maiden Grand Slam quarter-final.
Seeded 11th this year after losing the 2018 final to Angelique Kerber, Williams needed 18 aces, and six services breaks to finally finish off the 29-year-old underdog after two hours and one minute.
"I was really pumped. It's for a place in the semis at Wimbledon. That doesn't happen every day," Williams said.
"I was really satisfied. I wouldn't have won that match a couple of weeks ago. I, glad I was able to come through.
"She was playing so great, beat so many great players and, my god, she was so close to taking the win today."
Desperate to match Margaret Court's record 24 singles majors, the 37-year-old Williams will play Unseeded Czech Barbora Strycova for a place in Sunday's (NZT) title decider.
Strycova crushed British hopes with a plucky 7-6 (7-5) 6-1 win over Johanna Konta in the day's last quarter-final.
Williams' fellow former world number one Simona Halep earlier became the first woman into the semis after ending Zhang Shuai's great run.
Halep, the seventh seed, fought back from a service break down in the opening set to win 7-6 (7-4) 6-1 to advance to the last four for the first time in five years.
Ranked 50th in the world, Zheng had never previously won a match at Wimbledon, losing in the opening round five times.
But the Chinese flew out of the gates and threatened to take the first set.
"I fought hard in the first set, even if I knew I was 4-1, and she was hitting hard, I knew she would hit with a lot of power. I knew I would have to play aggressively and I did it great," Halep said.
"I have energy, I feel fresh and confident, and I am perhaps playing my best tennis on grass."
Halep took control of the match in the second set, surging 5-1 ahead with two breaks and serving it out after one hour and 27 minutes.
The 2018 French Open champion will continue her campaign for a second grand slam title Ukrainian eighth seed Elina Svitolina, a 7-5 6-4 winner over Czech Karolina Muchova.
"I will try to be my best version of myself in the semis," Halep said.
AAP
