Serena powers into final

Serena Williams got past unseeded Kvitova in straight sets and will meet Zvonareva for third straight title.

Serena Williams defeated unseeded Petra Kvitova in straight sets on Thursday to reach her third straight Wimbledon final and sixth overall.

The top-ranked Williams overcame a stiff challenge in the first set from the 62nd-ranked Czech player,then pulled away for a 7-6 5 6-2 victory. She is now one win away from her fourth Wimbledon title and 13th Grand Slam championship.

She advanced to Saturdays final against 21st-seeded Russian Vera Zvonareva,who rallied to beat Tsvetana Pironkova 3-6 6-3 6-2 in the days first match on Centre Court and reached her first major title match. Its the 10th time in the last 11 years that at least one of the Williams sisters has advanced to the final.

Veras a great player who I had some unbelievable matches against her so shes really tough, Williams said. I feel like I have nothing to lose going into the final and she doesnt either so it will be good.

Williams,who came into Thursdays match with a Wimbledon womens record of 73 aces,had only seven aces but came up with big serves when she needed them.

Kvitova,playing in her first Grand Slam semi-final,went for broke and had more winners 24 to 19 than Williams but also more unforced errors 20 to 14. It definitely wasnt easy, Williams said after the 93-minute match. I definitely had to work really hard. I didnt expect to get this far the way I started at the beginning of the tournament. I just felt off but Im just happy to still be here. Its such a blessing to be able to still be in the tournament.

The 20-year-old Kvitova who had lost in the first round in the previous two Wimbledons pushed Williams to the limit in the first set,often controlling the play with her groundstrokes and pinning the champion behind the baseline. Kvitova broke for 3-2,saved a break point in the next game and held to go up 4-2. But Williams broke back in the eighth game after Kvitova,holding a point for 5-3,missed three straight forehands to lose serve.

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Williams finished the match with a backhand that hit the net cord and dropped over for a winner. The match was highlighted by the point of the tournament,a 19-stroke rally in the sixth game of the second set that left both players gasping for breath. The point featured great gets,lobs,volleys and finally a forehand volley winner by Kvitova. Two points later,she double-faulted for the break.

In the first match,Zvonareva came from a set down to beat the 82nd-ranked Bulgarian. The Russian became the second-lowest ranked player to make the Wimbledon womens final. In the process,she prevented Pironkova from becoming the first ever unseeded womens singles finalist at Wimbledon.