Angelique Kerber wants to be first German to win Wimbledon since Steffi Graf... while stopping Serena Williams from equalling her idol's records | Daily Mail Online
Angelique Kerber wants to be first German to win Wimbledon since Steffi Graf... while stopping Serena Williams from equalling her idol's records
Angelique Kerber beat Venus Williams 6-4, 6-4 to reach Wimbledon final
She will face Serena Williams - bidding for a seventh title at SW19
Kerber wants to become first German woman to lift the title since Steffi Graf in 1996 - while stopping equalling her idol's records 
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Angelique Kerber is determined that she rather than Serena Williams will emulate Steffi Graf in Saturday's Wimbledon final.
German great Graf won Wimbledon seven times and landed an open era record of 22 Grand Slam singles titles, and American superstar Williams would match both tallies should she triumph.
But Kerber's inspiration is to achieve what no German woman has managed since Graf last lifted the Venus Rosewater Dish in 1996, and to get her own name on the women's singles champions' board at the All England Club.
Angelique Kerber celebrates defeating Venus Williams to reach the women's final at Wimbledon
The Australian Open champion will face Serena Williams in her bid to win a second Grand Slam
Kerber wants to become the first German to win the ladies singles since her idol Steffi Graf in 1996
After ending the prospect of a first all-Williams Wimbledon final since 2009 by sinking the hopes of 36-year-old Venus Williams, Australian Open champion Kerber turned her focus towards beating Serena in a grand slam final for the second time in six months.
Kerber's 6-4 6-4 victory over the five-time champion came in an hour and 13 minutes, but if that was a quick match it paled against the 49 minutes that Serena needed to sail past Elena Vesnina.
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Graf won her maiden Wimbledon in 1988, six months after Kerber was born. Much of Kerber's knowledge of Graf's feats has necessarily come through watching and re-watching her great moments on film.
'She was always an idol for me. I always watched a lot of her matches, also on YouTube sometimes,' Kerber said.
'I've met a her few times. She's a great person. When you hit with her, she's still playing really well. When you talk with her, it's always a great honour.'
Kerber's unexpected triumph over Serena Williams in the Melbourne Park final in January gave a player who had flirted with the upper reaches of the game renewed confidence in her ability.
Results have been mixed since then, including a first-round French Open loss to Kiki Bertens, but the 28-year-old has gathered momentum in her Wimbledon run, which began with a comfortable victory over Laura Robson.
Serena Williams celebrates after beating Elena Vesnina 6-2, 6-0 in less than 50 minutes
She feels ready to take on defending champion Serena, who while staking a claim to be the greatest player of all time has also lost two slam finals this year. After falling to Kerber in Australia, Garbine Muguruza took the 34-year-old world number one's scalp at Roland Garros.
'I will go out there with a lot of confidence,' Kerber said. 'She lost the (Australian) final against me, and I know she will go out and try everything to beat me right now.
'I will just try to go out there like in Australia, trying to show her I'm here to win the match as well. I know that I have to play my best tennis to beat her in the final here.'
Venus Williams had enjoyed her best Wimbledon run for seven years but fell painfully short of a ninth Wimbledon final appearance, her serve and forehand misfiring.
Left-hander Kerber sealed victory with a sizzling cross-court forehand pass and has yet to drop a set in the tournament.
Watched from the Royal Box by guests including the Duchess of Cambridge, former Centre Court queen Venus showed flashes of the game that has brought her rich Wimbledon success.
The Duchess of Cambridge watched ladies semi-final day from the Royal Box at the All England Club
Despite suffering from the auto-immune condition Sjogren's syndrome, there are few players quite as athletic as the veteran.
She became the oldest woman to reach the last-four singles stage in SW19 since a 37-year-old Martina Navratilova in 1994, but there was to be no fairytale.
Defeat ended a 100 per cent record in Wimbledon singles semi-finals, after eight previous successes. Given the long wait between the eighth and ninth, it may prove to be her last.