LONDON: Simona Halep is the last woman standing between Serena Williams and achieving her long held ambition of equalling Margaret Court’s Grand Slam title record after both recorded easy victories in their Wimbledon semi-finals on Thursday (Friday in Manila).

Seven-time champion Williams made short work of plucky unseeded Czech Barbora Strycova, whose experience of her first ever Grand Slams singles semi-final in her 53rd campaign lasted just under an hour as she lost 6-1, 6-2.