Brilliant Williams halts Ostapenko streak

Venus Williams has taken a step closer to a sixth Wimbledon title after overwhelming the red-hot Jelena Ostapenko at Wimbledon on Tuesday.

Williams dismantled the reigning Roland Garros champion 6-3 7-5 in a cracking display of first-strike, rapid-fire tennis seemingly amplified in both sound and speed under a closed roof on Centre Court.

The win – her 86th in 100 career matches at Wimbledon – sends her through to the semifinals for the second straight year where she will play either second seed Simona Halep or local star Johanna Konta.

The defeat ended Ostapenko’s magnificent 11-match winning streak at Grand Slam tournaments.

By reaching the last eight at Wimbledon, the Latvian was the first first-time Grand Slam champion since Kim Clijsters at the 2005 US Open to reach the quarterfinals at her next major tournament.

But she was taught a tennis lesson against Williams, who served bigger, hit more consistently and played the big points more intelligently.

“I never played her. Watched her. Didn’t really know what to expect. The grass, of course, changes the game,” Williams said. “I was really happy to come out on top.”

Ostapenko was Williams’s third straight opponent – after Naomi Osaka and Ana Konjuh – born in 1997, the year Venus debuted at the All England Club.

And Venus has straight-setted them all.

She began in razor-sharp fashion against Ostapenko, breaking early and opening a 3-0 lead. Ostapenko got on the board in the fourth game but couldn’t make a dent on the Williams serve; Venus smacked four aces, won almost 80 per cent of her first-serve points and didn’t face a break point.

“She was serving really well. It was very tough to break. Because of that I had more pressure because I had to keep my serve,” Ostapenko lamented.

Williams closed out the first set in 29 minutes and broke Ostapenko to love in the third game of the second. Crushing the ball, she clocked a swinging volley forehand winner and an ace en route to a hold for a 3-1 lead.

At this point, Ostapenko found her range, producing a spirited three-game run that featured six winners and an ace. Suddenly, she was ahead 4-3, and the Centre Court crowd had come alive.

Serving to stay in the set at 4-5, Williams lifted.

She trailed 15-30 but produced an ace and landed two well-placed first serves to draw return errors and level scores at 5-5.

Suddenly, Ostapenko couldn’t find the court.

She committed eight straight errors, the last a backhand return poked wide that handed Williams victory in a brisk 73 minutes.

“I love the challenge. I love pressure. It’s not always easy dealing with the pressure. There’s constant pressure. It’s only yourself who can have the answer for that,” Williams said.

“I love the last day you play, you’re still improving. It’s not something that is stagnant. There’s always a reason. You have to get better. I love that.

“I love this game. That’s why I put in the effort and the time. It’s a beautiful game. It’s been so good to me.”