Venus Williams and Garbine Muguruza In Wimbledon Final

Source: Pool/Getty Images Europe via zimbio.com

Even with the absence of Serena Williams and Maria Sharapova, Wimbledon women's singles spotlight still shine with Venus Williams and Garbine Muguruza in the final.

Williams, 37, who is a winner of seven major tennis tournaments managed to beat Britain's top female player Johanna Konta to guarantee a place for her ninth Wimbledon final. The American will be seeking a whooping sixth Wimbledon singles title and her first since 2008, when she defeated her younger sister, Serena. A year later, she lost the final to Serena.

It has been a tough two weeks for Williams who came into the tournament after involving in a fatal car crash incident, which eventually saw new evidences that pointed out she had drove lawfully.

Williams who is currently world's no. 11 will play no. 15 Garbine Muguruza of Spain, who cruised into her second Wimbledon final by ousting Magdalena Rybarikova, 6-1, 6-1, in slightly more than an hour.

Source: Pool/Getty Images Europe via zimbio.com

Muguruza, the French Open champion last year, reached the final at Wimbledon in 2015, when she lost to Serena Williams in straight sets. At this point of time, Muguruza could be playing her best tennis and on top of her game. She has lost only one set in the tournament, and that was during her upset match of the world's no. 1, Angelique Kerber, in the fourth round. She was back in the game after that and dismissed Svetlana Kuznetsova in straight sets in the quarterfinals.

Both Williams and Muguruza will go into the final with a 3-1 head-to-head with them. In their last encounter, Muguruza defeated Williams in three sets in their quarterfinal match in Rome, Italy. The rest of the previous matches were on hardcourts with the last one in Wuhan final back in 2015. Williams certainly comes in with an advantage playing at Wimbledon final but Muguruza has already sent out an early warning saying that she has learned from her Wimbledon heartache two years' ago to beat Williams in Saturday's final.

WTA Malaysian Open 2010: Day 4 Results & OOP for Day 5

Magdalena Rybarikova outplayed young Thai star, Noppawan Lertcheewakarn 6-4, 7-5 to book her place in the quarterfinals.

In another match, Tatjana Malek, who pulled off an upset by defeating Li Na on Tuesday, lost to Channelle Scheepers in three sets 4-6, 6-2, 6-3.

In doubles, sisters Anastasia Rodionova and Arina Rodionova pulled off an upset by defeating first seeds Alisa Kleybanova and Yan Zi in two sets 6-3, 7-6 (5).

Here's the complete results for Day 5.

Singles
Sybille Bammer (AUT) def. Akgul Amanmuradova (UZB) – 6-3, 6-0
Chanelle Scheepers (RSA) def. Tatjana Malek (GER) – 4-6, 6-2, 6-3
Magdalena Rybarikova (SVK) def. Noppawan Lertcheewakarn (THA) – 6-4, 7-5
Chang Kai-Chen (TPE) def. Zheng jie (CHN) -6-2, 6-3

Doubles
Anastasia Rodionova (AUS) & Arina Rodionova (RUS) def. Alisa Kleybanova (RUS) & Yan Zi (CHN) - 6-3, 7-6 (5)
Alla Kudryavtseva (RUS) & Galina Voskoboeva (KAZ) def Sarah Borwell(GBR) & Kops-Jones (USA)
Ekaterina Dzehalevich (BLR) & Tatjana Malek (GER) def Akgul Amanmuradova (UZB) & Darya Kustova (BLR)

Tomorrow’s singles feature match will see Rybarikova take on first seed Elena Dementieva at 6pm on Centre Court.

Another match worth watching for is the one between up and coming Chinese Taipei player Chang Kai-Chen who will be meeting Sybille Bammer.

In the doubles match, Vitalia Diatchenko and Chanelle Scheepers will take on Chan Yung-Jan and Zheng Jie.

Here's the OOP for tomorrow.

(Via Carbon Media)

TENNIS WATCH: What's up Down Under?

• Earlier this week, Andy Roddick and wife Brooklyn Decker visited the Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary in Brisbane.

But guess who steal the show?

Roddick tweeted about two koalas making love that stole the limelight during his visit.

• The protest at Israeli Shahar Peer's match ended with an arrest today. The demonstrators belonged to local activist groups opposed to Israel's treatment of Palestinians.
  

Peer said the noise was disruptive but only increased her determination to win. She won 6-0, 6-1 against Magdalena Rybarikova.

More protests are planned for tomorrow. I guess this will continue until the Australian Open later this month.

• The recently retired Fabrice "The Magician" Santoro may play in Australian Open. If he does, he'll be the only player to have played Grand Slam events across four decades. He first made his Slam debut at the French Open in 1989.

• Now all top players want to participate in the Kooyong exhibition, including Robin Soderling who confirmed his presence after losing in the first round of Chennai.

Novak Djokovic, Juan Martin del Potro, Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, Fernando Verdasco, Fernando Gonzalez, Tommy Haas are also booked for the eight-player round robin event.

One last spot is currently being held for Roger Federer who's in taking part in the Qatar Open this week.

Andy Murray and Andy Roddick also have indicated that they may want to play at Kooyong if they do not get sufficient preparation this week.

Magdalena Rybarikova bagels Li Na to win in Birmingham

Li Na might look tough with that tattoo but it wasn't helping anyway.

In fact she let Magdalena Rybarikova bageled her in the first set before going down 0-6, 6-7 (2-7) at the Aegon Classic.

This is Rybarikova's first WTA Tour singles title. She earned a first prize of $37,000 and a trophy that almost look like an Aladdin lamp.

To tell you the truth, I'm not really good in remembering women's players especially those with long names and fresh faces like Rybarikova.

So I made an effort to look for her info and to my amazement I found some pretty memorable photoshoot of her.


(Via miamiherald.com; Images by Andrew Yates/AFP/Getty Images, magdalenarybarikova.blogspot.com)

Li Na ends Maria Sharapova's run at Aegon Classic

Maria Sharapova crashed out of the AEGON Classic at Edgbaston, going down 6-4, 6-4 in the semifinals to Li Na.

Sharapova will now spend next week practising at Wimbledon SW19 as she continues to rebuild her career following a serious shoulder injury.

"After such a long layoff, every match and every situation is a different test to the body," said Sharapova, the 2004 Wimbledon champion.

"I still felt like I had many chances in this match, but I have played five matches in the last six days and after that you just hope you wake up with that intensity you need. Against her you need that."

Li will play Magdalena Rybarikova at the final after defeated Sania Mirza 3-6, 6-0, 6-3.

(Images by Matthew Lewis/Getty Images)

Sania Mirza right on track to be back in top 30

Suddenly Sania Mirza is in the final at the Pattaya Open and is ready to take on top seed Vera Zvonareva!

Unranked Sania had to pull off a tough fight before overcame eighth-ranked Magdalena Rybarikova 6-4, 5-7, 6-1 in the semifinal.

Sania was once ranked as high as 27th, before she fell to no. 126 due to a long-term wrist injuries last year.

Pattaya is her first trip to a singles final since Stanford in 2007.

Her only WTA-level singles title was way back in 2005!

It's a tough match up in the final tomorrow but who knows what's going to happen. I can only wish Sania all the best!

More good news about Sania.

She has been granted a wild card entry for this week's Barclays Dubai Tennis Championships.

"Sania Mirza has a huge fan following here and we have seen the stadium packed to capacity each time she has come here," said tournament director Salah Tahlak.

Updates:
Sania started off strong but Vera played better to win 7-5, 6-1 at the Pattaya Open.


(Image by Christophe Archambault/AFP/Getty Images)