LONDON -- In recent years, Serena Williams has been prone to slow starts, particularly against far lesser players. New Balance Shoes Australia . And in some of those matches, she never recovered.On a glorious sunny afternoon at the All England Club, Russian Elena Vesnina stepped onto Centre Court, the latest potential banana peel hoping to trip up the No. 1-seeded Williams.This time, the 34-year-old Serena did not slip. Not even close.With the calm, measured performance of a six-time champion, Williams completely unstrung the unseeded Vesnina 6-2, 6-0 to advance to her ninth Wimbledon final (Saturday, 9 a.m. ET on ESPN/WatchESPN). It was clinical, almost cruel.I felt like I had no chance today, Vesnina said later. She was in a great mood, and her serve was working really well for her. She had a really high percentage of first serves. She was placing it amazingly.Said Serena in her postmatch BBC interview: I was really focused today. ?I was ready. Its never easy out there. Every point you have to fight for.Really? It sure didnt look that way on Thursday.Match time: 48 minutes -- in the semifinal of a Grand Slam, no less. Its been 17 years since a semifinal was over that swiftly.You had to feel for the shell-shocked patrons at Centre Court, who paid 126 pounds ($164) for the privilege of watching. It was over so quickly that organizers delayed the start of the second semifinal to ensure that all spectators had a chance to arrive, causing a murmur to ripple through portion of the crowd already in attendance.The only drama after that emphatic result: Would Serena play her older sister Venus or No. 4 seed Angelique Kerber in Saturdays championship match? It turned out to be Kerber, who had upset Serena earlier this year in the Australian Open final.?I felt like she played great, Serena said of that match. She came out swinging, ready to win. She was fearless. Thats something I learned. When I go into a final, I, too, need to be fearless like she was.The numbers were almost unreal: Serena lost only three points on her serve in the entire match, winning 28 of 31 points. She was a perfect 12-for-12 in the second set. Sixty-one percent of those serves (including 11 aces) did not come back. All told, Serena won 53 of 74 points, a beatdown of ridiculous proportions, considering the stage.This is the best weve seen her from start to finish all year, said U.S. Olympic coach and ESPN analyst Mary Joe Fernandez.Vesnina, to her credit, had been an overachiever here. She began the year ranked outside the top 100 and, just short of her 30th birthday, had climbed back to No. 50 with her best career result in a Grand Slam. Oddsmakers installed her as a 14-to-1 longshot, which in retrospect seems a tad optimistic.Serena has now been the WTAs No. 1-ranked player for 177 weeks in a row and seems destined to break Steffi Grafs record of 186 consecutive weeks on top. The other Graf milestone, however, is the one she really wants.After failing to win the past three majors -- losing in the finals of this years Australian Open and French Open -- Williams still finds herself one victory shy of Grafs Open era record of 22 Grand Slam singles titles.Now shes only two sets away.I think for anyone else in this whole planet, it would be a wonderful accomplishment, Serena observed. For me, its about obviously holding the trophy and winning, which would make it a better accomplishment for me.For me, its not enough. But I think thats what makes me different. Thats what makes me Serena.The fact that shes doing this at 34, closing in on 35, is extraordinary.Shes already the oldest woman to win a major in the Open era, a feat she accomplished here a year ago at the age of 33. And now she can extend that record by another year.In a moment typical of the match, Vesnina was serving at 0-2 in the second set, down a break. Her second serve was clearly wide, but she challenged. Even when the replay showed the ball several inches wide, she seemed perplexed and stood still for a while longer.Afterward, you had to laugh.I think [Vesninas] saving herself for doubles, John McEnroe cracked during the BBC broadcast, referring to the quarterfinal match in which Vesnina and partner Ekaterina Makarova are scheduled to take on the Williams sisters.Serena didnt sound like someone content to merely approach the finish line. Those losses to Kerber in Melbourne and Garbine Muguruza in Paris -- especially now -- are clearly still at the forefront of her mind.Its weird, Serena said. I cant believe Im in the finals again.Obviously, Im 0 for 2 [in major finals this year], so Im determined to get at least one this year.Obviously. New Balance 574 Sweatshirt . Brandon Morrow allowed five runs on six hits over three innings. He struck out two, walked one and hit a batter. Edwin Encarnacion had a two-out, bases loaded two-RBI double in the third inning. Cheap New Balance 574 . Despite dominating possession, Schalke needed an own goal from Nicolas Hoefler for the breakthrough a minute before the interval. The Freiburg midfielder misjudged Jefferson Farfans corner and bundled the ball into his own net. http://www.nbalanceshoesaustralia.com/new-balance-574-black-sale.html . Nine days before the opening ceremony, organizing committee chief Dmitry Chernyshenko said Wednesday that Sochi is "fully ready" and will deliver safe, friendly and well-run games that defy the grim reports that have overshadowed preparations. SAN DIEGO -- Padres starter Paul Clemens briefly wore the wrong uniform but still outpitched Jake Thompson in the Philadelphia right-handers major league debut, and San Diego beat the Phillies 9-7 on Saturday night.Clemens began with his usual No. 47 but was asked to change his jersey by the umpires because it had a foreign substance on it.Clemens switched to No. 91 with Player in the nameplate. He later switched back to his No. 47 before exiting the game after 4 1/3 innings.Thompson (0-1) gave up six runs and seven hits in 4 1/3 innings. He was a key part of last years trade of Cole Hamels to the Texas Rangers.Christian Bethancourt and Yangervis Solarte each had three RBIBuddy Baumann (1-0) relieved Clemens and pitched 1 2/3 innings with three strikeouts to earn the victory.Pinch-hitter Jimmy Paredes hit a two-run homer to highlight a three-run ninth after San Diego went ahead 9-4 in the eighth.The Padres padded their cushion in the sixth on a two-run single by Solarte, forging ahead 8-3.Consecutive doubles in the fifth pushed the Padres in front 5-3, with Wil Myers hit driving in Travis Jankowski. Ryan Schimpf added a sacrifice fly for a 6-3 edge.Ryan Howards second extra-base hit, a booming double, brought in Maikel Franco after he opened the fourth with a single, slicing the Padres advantage to 4-2. Howard came around on Frreddy Galvis groundout, making it 4-3. New Balance 999 Australia. Howard smacked his 16th homer in the second inning, a one-out blast traveling 421 feet to pull the Phillies to within 4-1. It was the sixth homer allowed by Clemens in three starts with the Padres.The Padres ambushed Thompson for four first-inning runs as they sent eight batters to the plate for a 4-0 lead.Jankowski, who scored four runs, extended his five-game hitting streak with three hits and he reached on a walk.TRAINERS ROOMPadres: RHP Tyson Ross (right shoulder, right ankle) threw a bullpen session and reported no pain. He last pitched on opening day. ... CF Jon Jay (right forearm) has yet to be cleared for baseball activities.UP NEXTPhillies: RHP Jerad Eickhoff (6-12, 3.68) seeks his first win since July 4, having three losses and two no-decisions in his last five outings. Eickhoff blanked the Padres over seven innings and struck out nine on April 13 in a win.Padres: RHP Jarred Cosart (0-1, 5.09) makes his second start with the Padres after coming over in last months seven-player deal with the Miami Marlins. 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