LONDON (AP) – Venus Williams is back in the semifinals of a Grand Slam tournament for the first time in six years.
Making another title run at the age of 36, the five-time Wimbledon champion beat Yarsoslava Shvedova 7-6 (5), 6-2 on Tuesday, advancing to the final four at the All England Club for the first time since 2009 and first time at any major since the 2010 U.S. Open.
“I love playing the game, I always have,” the eighth-seeded Williams said. “When you’re winning matches it makes it that much sweeter. I can’t lie about that.”
From 5-2 down in the tiebreaker, Williams ran off five straight points to take the first set, then rolled through the second set on No. 1 Court. She’s one win away from returning to the Wimbledon final for the first time since 2009, where she lost to sister Serena, a six-time champion.
“The wins and the losses they all lead to these big moments,” Venus said. “You can’t always have this big moment. If you’re Serena Williams, I guess that happens a lot. As Venus Williams, this is an awesome day.”