Spain’s Garbine Muguruza thrashed unseeded Slovakian Magdalena Rybarikova to set up a Wimbledon final against either Britain’s Johanna Konta or five-time champion Venus Williams of the US.
Muguruza, 23, won 6-1 6-1 in just 64 minutes on Centre Court to advance to her second Wimbledon final.
The 2016 French Open champion will try to win her second major title in Saturday’s final.
Konta hopes to become Britain’s first women’s singles finalist since 1977.
The Briton, seeded sixth, is up against a Wimbledon legend in Williams, seeking her first Grand Slam title for nine years at the age of 37.
Muguruza strode onto Centre Court with heavy strapping on her left thigh, but appeared anything but restricted as she reeled off the first five games in 25 minutes.
Rybarikova, ranked 87th, went into the match with an 18-1 record on grass this season but the 28-year-old appeared nervous in her first Grand Slam semi-final.
A sympathetic round of applause greeted her first game at 5-1 down.
Rybarikova won just 10 points on serve in the entire set as Muguruza attacked off the return and was confident enough to dominate from the net.
When Muguruza crushed a backhand winner off a 79mph second serve to lead 3-0 with a double break in the second set, Rybarikova was reeling.
There was more appreciation from the crowd when Rybarikova held on in a long service game to get on the scoreboard for just a second time, but Muruguza was in a ruthless mood and confidently served out the match.
“I think I played very well, for sure,” said the Spaniard.
“It was a tricky match, she is a very talented player. She was playing very good during the tournament and I think today I stepped up on the court super-confident, and everything went well.”
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(Via: CitiFM Online Ghana)
