Wimbledon 2012 - Serena Williams vs. Victoria Azarenka (14:30 BST)

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by Crunch Sports Staff

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Serena Williams celebrates after her women's singles quarter-final victory over Czech Republic's Petra Kvitova on day eight of the 2012 Wimbledon Championships tennis tournament at the All England Tennis Club in Wimbledon, southwest London, on July 3, 2012 (credit: Miguel Medina/AFP/Getty Images)

Serena Williams takes on Victoria Azarenka this afternoon in the semi-finals at Wimbledon 2012 (14:30 BST start).

Four-time champion Serena rolled back the years on Tuesday, advancing from the quarter-finals in style with a 6-3 7-5 win over defending champion Petra Kvitova.

After scares in her previous two matches, the manner in which the American won the contest indicated that another Grand Slam success could be on the cards this weekend.

"You can't play a defending Wimbledon champion or Grand Slam champion and not elevate your game. I had to weed out the riffraff and get serious," said Serena after the win.

"It's not easy to defend your first Grand Slam title, either. I think when I defended my first one I didn't win - but she did great. She held herself in ultimate class and played her heart out. I don't think I've seen her play that well."

Azarenka fought off a fierce fightback from the unseeded Tamira Paszek to clinch a 6-3 7-6 success on Tuesday.

Williams holds a 7-1 head-to-head record against the world No. 2, though the bulk of these wins took place when Azarenka wasn’t in her prime. The American seems wary of this, and if her comments are to believed, she won’t be underestimating the Australian Open champion.

"Victoria's playing unbelievable. She's played so well this year," Serena told reporters.

"Already having a Grand Slam under her belt is really great. She did it in such style, so it's not going to be easy if I play against her."

Prediction: Williams in three.

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