Its Ashleigh Barty vs. Karolina Pliskova in the Wimbledon final

WIMBLEDON, England The center court got two very different tennis games on Thursday for their money.

The first women’s semi-final, between Ashleigh Barty and Angelique Kerber, was a craft fair, full of slices and cunning and often long rallies. The second semi-final between Aryna Sabalenka and Karolina Pliskova was heavy metal: thunder, big-bang return and Sabalenkas screams.

But the goal was the same for all participants, and when the last back hand was chipped and the last palm crushed, the Wimbledon finalists were current No. 1, Barty and former No. 1, Pliskova.

Barty, who won Kerber 6-3, 7-6 (3), is aiming for his first Wimbledon singles title. Pliskova, who gathered to defeat Sabalenka, 5-7, 6-4, 6-4, is aiming for her first single in the Grand Slam.

I wasn’t sure if that would ever happen, honestly, Barty said he would make it to the Wimbledon singles final. I think you have to constantly put yourself in position. I think Wimbledon has been a great place to learn for me.

She won the girls title in 2011 at the age of 15, making it clear that she had the potential to be a star in the women’s game. But while his entire field game seems appropriate behind a slice of grass running, great service, sharp Volleyball that has taken him another 10 years to make a serious run in the title.

In 2018, Daria Kasatkina won her in the third round. In 2019, weeks after his victory first big single In the French Open, Alison Riske bothered her in the fourth round. Last year, Wimbledon was canceled due to a pandemic.

Probably 2018, 2019, was one of my hardest weeks, he said. I’ve learned a hell of a lot of those two times. I think most of your growth comes from your darkest times. I think that’s why this tournament has been so important to me.

Eighth-ranked Pliskova has had good grass field results all the way to Wimbledon, but she never managed to reach her peak at the All England Club. She is still the most successful active female player who did not win the Grand Slam doubles. But after a quiet season, he’s back in shape and will return to the top ten on Monday.

I played well over the last couple of weeks, but sometimes you just need a little luck or a little something that snaps together, he said in an interview. Because I’ve really felt good, too, in previous tournaments. But somehow I really didn’t manage to get profits there.

Ben Rothenberg participated in the reporting.