Keep calm and carry on: Williams serene at Wimbledon

Serena Williams may be on the verge of making history at Wimbledon, but the stress-free former champion insists she doesn't feel under any pressure Williams reached her 35th Grand Slam semi-final with a gritty 3-6, 6-3, 6-4 quarter-final win over Camila Giorgi.

The American star faces German 13th seed Julia Goerges on Thursday hoping to book a 10th final appearance at the All England Club.

Williams, a seven-time Wimbledon winner, was outwardly full of fire as she shrieked her way to victory against the unseeded Italian.

But beneath the surface, the 36-year-old insisted she is feeling unusually calm as she enters the business end of the tournament.

"It's weird. Sometimes I feel, 'Man, I'm in trouble'. Sometimes I feel I can fight. For whatever reason, I was so calm," Williams said of her emotions as she battled back against Giorgi.

"It was just the way I felt. I never felt it was out of my hands. It's weird. I can't describe it.

"I just felt calm. I'm hoping I can channel that all the time, but one day at a time.

"I'm hoping this is like a new thing. Honestly, I highly doubt it!" Serena hasn't won a Grand Slam since the birth of daughter Olympia in September and her last trophy came at the 2017 Australian Open.

Having shaken off the rust following her lengthy lay-off after the complications with Olympia's birth, Serena is on the verge of a 30th Grand Slam final berth.

She is aiming to win a 24th major title, which would move her level with record holder Margaret Court on the all-time list of women's singles champions.

"You're only as good as your last win. It's been a while since I've won a championship," Williams said.

"Everything right now is a little bit of a surprise, to be here, to be in the semi-finals," she said.

"I always say I plan on it. But when it actually happens, it still is, like, Wow, this is really happening." - Upset chance -
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