14 July,2018 08:30 AM IST | London | AFP
Serena Williams during her Wimbledon semi-final on Friday. Pic/AFP
Just 10 months after giving birth, Serena Williams can complete her incredible comeback in Saturday's Wimbledon final against Angelique Kerber as she bids to become the first mother to win the tournament for 38 years. Williams is playing only her fourth tournament since the arrival of baby daughter Olympia in September and is now just one win away from her eighth Wimbledon title.
That would make her the first mother to lift the Venus Rosewater Dish since Evonne Goolagong in 1980. Serena can also equal Margaret Court's record of 24 Grand Slam singles titles if she beats Kerber. Court and Kim Clijsters are the other mothers to have won major titles - making Serena's presence in the final even more incredible given the difficulties she has endured since she last played at Wimbledon in 2016.
Serena, 36, pregnancy ended with an extremely difficult delivery that left her needing several operations to prevent life-threatening blood clots. Williams was forced to stay in bed for six weeks and could barely walk as she recovered from the traumatic experience. "It's no secret I had a super tough delivery. I lost count after, like, four surgeries because I was in so many," Williams said after beating Julia Goerges to reach her 10th Wimbledon final.
If anyone would be able to return from such a debilitating experience, it would be Serena. The American's fiercely competitive streak fuelled her rise from the bullet-riddled courts of Compton in south-central Los Angeles, and she remains as driven as ever. Making a mockery of Wimbledon's decision to seed her a lowly 25th, Williams has powered through the draw, getting stronger with each match. She arrives in her 30th Grand Slam final - her 10th at Wimbledon on a 20-match winning run on the lawns of south-west London.
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