Serena targets Grand Slam history

Serena Williams has history in her sights as the defending champion plots to avenge one of the most painful defeats of her career by beating Angelique Kerber in today’s Wimbledon final.

Williams suffered a stunning loss against Kerber in the Australian Open final in January and the rivals will face off for the first time since then when they slug it out for the Wimbledon title.

There was further frustration for Williams when she lost the French Open final to Garbine Muguruza last month.

But the 34-year-old has been revitalised at the All England Club and, after taking just over 48 minutes to crush Elena Vesnina in Wimbledon’s quickest-ever semifinal, she has the chance to finally equal Steffi Graf’s Open era record of 22 major titles by lifting the Venus Rosewater Dish for a seventh time.

Making history at Kerber’s expense would be especially sweet, even more so after the fourth seed defeated Serena’s sister, Venus, in the semifinals, and Williams says she has learnt the lessons of Australia.