Serena Williams Will Return To Semi-Finals After Defeating Alison Riske At Wimbledon

Serena Williams

Serena Williams Will Return To Semi-Finals After Defeating Alison Riske At Wimbledon

The former Wimbledon champion, Serena Williams, 37, battled through another victory on Tuesday as she scored her 97th victory at the All-England Club, defeating Alison Riske in 3 sets, 6-4, 4-6, 6-3 . Williams, says after her match-up, she had to fight and take her win as the former No. 1 ranked star was slowed by a previous ankle injury. Following her win, the seven time Wimbledon title holder says:

“I just needed to just fight. Alison, I mean, she played great throughout the whole tournament. She’s beaten so many amazing players, players that have had great years.”

“She was not giving it to me. I needed to step up and take it. That’s what I had to do.”

It's fair to say @serenawilliams gave it everything to get to the semi-finals…#Wimbledon pic.twitter.com/IHtpbzcQ3z

— Wimbledon (@Wimbledon) July 9, 2019

She continues,

“I had to just button up and play hard. She was playing her heart out.”

Serena touched on her prior ankle injury explaining,

“This is the first time since Australia that I actually felt, like, good. It’s been a really, really long year for me already, and hard year, because I’m usually not typically injured.

“I don’t know where I am. I do know I feel good. Now that I feel good, I can actually focus on training and technique and practice, something that I just literally haven’t been able to do a lot of.”

Riske, 29, made her first major debut in the Wimbledon quarterfinal on Tuesday while the tennis veteran Williams, appeared in her 51st. Riske spoke on her match with Williams saying,

“I definitely thought maybe I had a peek here and there at a couple openings, but Serena really upped her level, as only a champion would.”

After being on the opposite end of Williams comeback, the tennis star ripped a 19th ace at 121 mph during her last serve. Riske opened up on how intense Williams became after beating her in the first set.

“It was really, actually, very interesting for me to be on the opposite end, because I felt her up her game and her intensity. Yeah, I hope she takes the title now.”

Serena comes through an almighty test…

Winning a hard-fought quarter-final against compatriot Alison Riske, @serenawilliams reaches her 12th #Wimbledon singles semi-final pic.twitter.com/UYHmxO0nuP

— Wimbledon (@Wimbledon) July 9, 2019