![Reigning champion Serena Williams proved far too strong for world No. 50 Elena Vesnina, requiring just 48 minutes on court to triumph 6-2 6-0 in Thursday's opening women's semifinal.](https://media.cnn.com/api/v1/images/stellar/prod/160707135726-serena-williams-serves-vesnina-semifinal-wimbledon.jpg?q=w_2523,h_1682,x_0,y_0,c_fill/h_447)
Imperious Serena —
Reigning champion Serena Williams proved far too strong for world No. 50 Elena Vesnina, requiring just 48 minutes on court to triumph 6-2 6-0 in Thursday's opening women's semifinal.
![Vesnina, a doubles specialist, was appearing in her first grand slam singles semifinal. Underlining her dominance, world No. 1 Williams lost just one point on her first serve.](https://media.cnn.com/api/v1/images/stellar/prod/160707135757-elena-vesnina-wimbledon-semifinals.jpg?q=w_2437,h_1625,x_0,y_0,c_fill/h_447)
A stretch too far —
Vesnina, a doubles specialist, was appearing in her first grand slam singles semifinal. Underlining her dominance, world No. 1 Williams lost just one point on her first serve.
![Seven breaks of serve in the first eight games suggested the second semifinal could go either way, as 36-year-old Venus Williams took on world No. 4 Angelique Kerber.](https://media.cnn.com/api/v1/images/stellar/prod/160707135758-venus-williams-semifinals.jpg?q=w_2437,h_1625,x_0,y_0,c_fill/h_447)
Sister Act? —
Seven breaks of serve in the first eight games suggested the second semifinal could go either way, as 36-year-old Venus Williams took on world No. 4 Angelique Kerber.
![But an all-Williams Wimbledon final wasn't to be, as Kerber took the first set 6-4 and broke immediately in the second. Instead, the All England Club will stage a repeat of <a href="index.php?page=&url=http%3A%2F%2Fedition.cnn.com%2F2016%2F01%2F30%2Ftennis%2Faustralian-open-tennis-serena-williams-angelique-kerber%2F" target="_blank">this year's Australian Open final. </a>](https://media.cnn.com/api/v1/images/stellar/prod/160707150936-angelique-kerber-semifinals-wimbledon.jpg?q=w_2372,h_1625,x_0,y_0,c_fill/h_447)
But an all-Williams Wimbledon final wasn't to be, as Kerber took the first set 6-4 and broke immediately in the second. Instead, the All England Club will stage a repeat of this year's Australian Open final.
![The German won her first slam in January, beating the six-time Melbourne champion. As Serena chases Steffi Graf's <a href="index.php?page=&url=http%3A%2F%2Fedition.cnn.com%2F2016%2F04%2F20%2Ftennis%2Ffrench-open-arantxa-sanchez-vicario%2F">record</a>, can Kerber do it again?](https://media.cnn.com/api/v1/images/stellar/prod/160707152439-kerber-australian-open-serena-williams.jpg?q=w_2920,h_2087,x_0,y_0,c_fill/h_447)
The German won her first slam in January, beating the six-time Melbourne champion. As Serena chases Steffi Graf's record, can Kerber do it again?
![After a short break, the Williams sisters were back out on court for the women's doubles, beating Vesnina and fellow Russian Ekaterina Makarova -- last year's losing finalists -- 7-6 (7-1) 4-6 6-2 to reach the semis. The Americans next face Julia Gorges and Karolina Pliskova, the eighth seeds.](https://media.cnn.com/api/v1/images/stellar/prod/160707203050-serena-venus-williams-doubles.jpg?q=w_2437,h_1625,x_0,y_0,c_fill/h_447)
After a short break, the Williams sisters were back out on court for the women's doubles, beating Vesnina and fellow Russian Ekaterina Makarova -- last year's losing finalists -- 7-6 (7-1) 4-6 6-2 to reach the semis. The Americans next face Julia Gorges and Karolina Pliskova, the eighth seeds.
![Sania Mirza (pictured) won the women's doubles title last year with Martina Hingis, but the top-ranked duo were shocked in Thursday's quarterfinals by fifth seeds Timea Babos and Yaroslava Shvedova, who will next play American No. 10 pairing Raquel Atawo and Abigail Spears.](https://media.cnn.com/api/v1/images/stellar/prod/160707204931-sania-mirza-wimbledon.jpg?q=w_2523,h_1682,x_0,y_0,c_fill/h_447)
Sania Mirza (pictured) won the women's doubles title last year with Martina Hingis, but the top-ranked duo were shocked in Thursday's quarterfinals by fifth seeds Timea Babos and Yaroslava Shvedova, who will next play American No. 10 pairing Raquel Atawo and Abigail Spears.