Serena Williams Wins Record-Tying 22nd Grand Slam Title

She's now even with Steffi Graf
By Newser Editors and Wire Services
Posted Jul 9, 2016 10:55 AM CDT
Serena Williams Wins Record-Tying 22nd Grand Slam Title
Serena Williams holds up her trophy after winning the women's singles final Saturday at Wimbledon.   (AP Photo/Tim Ireland)

Serena Williams won her record-tying 22nd Grand Slam title by beating Angelique Kerber 7-5, 6-3 in the Wimbledon final on Saturday, the AP reports. Williams pulled even with Steffi Graf for the most major championships in the Open era, which began in 1968. Now Williams stands behind only Margaret Court's all-time mark of 24. This was Williams' seventh singles trophy at the All England Club and second in a row. Her victory at Wimbledon a year ago raised her Grand Slam count to 21, but while she came close to adding to that total since, she couldn't quite do it.

In the rematch against the fourth-seeded Kerber, who beat Williams at the Australian Open in January, the No. 1-ranked Williams came through after a year of tough losses. The 34-year-old American did it, as she often does, with nearly impeccable serving. She slammed 13 aces, including at least one in each of her first eight service games. She won 38 of 43 points when she put a first serve in. There was more that Williams did well, though. Facing the left-handed Kerber's reactive, counter-punching style, Williams was by far the more aggressive player, trying to make things happen. And she did, compiling a big edge in winners, 39-12. It was breezy, but that didn't seem to hamper Williams, whose older sister Venus sat in her guest box, a couple of seats over from music's power couple of Beyoncé and Jay Z. (More Serena Williams stories.)

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