(Photo credit: Katherine Shann) In what promises to be an exciting clash, Angelique Kerber, twice a Grand Slam champion and a finalist at the Championships in 2016, takes on the rising star from Russia Daria Kasatkina, who earlier this season reached the final in Indian Wells and also made the last eight in Paris. After Pliskova’s exit on Manic Monday, Kerber finds herself the highest seed left in the tournament and with a real chance of winning the title. But the outcome of her match with Kasatkina is far from a given. Advertisement History Kerber and Kasatkina have developed a fine rivalry over the past two years, with their head-to-head tied at three wins apiece. Their first meeting went the way of Kerber as she won 6-2 6-2 in the quarterfinals at the Canadian Open in 2016. Kasatkina had her revenge a year later, defeating Kerber in straight sets in the second round in Sydney 7-6 6-2, and beat her again shortly after in Doha again in straight sets. But Kerber won their third meeting of 2017 in Tokyo 7-6 6-3. They have met twice so far this year, with Kasatkina winning the first clash in Indian Wells in the quarterfinals 6-0 6-2 during her magical run to the final in the California desert. Their most recent meeting came in the quarterfinals in Eastbourne, and it was a thriller, which may bode well for this match. Kerber made a fast start, winning the first set 6-1, and then survived a spirited comeback from Kasatkina to triumph 6-1 6-7 7-6. Path to the quarterfinals Kerber began her Wimbledon campaign against another former finalist, Vera Zvonareva, the first time two runners-up had clashed in the first round. Kerber came through fairly comfortably, winning 7-5 6-3, before rallying from a set down to oust 2017 junior champion Claire Liu 3-6 6-2 6-4. She then dismissed the challenge of Japan’s 18th seed Naomi Osaka with surprising ease, winning 6-2 6-4 to set up a clash with Switzerland’s Belinda Bencic, who she beat 6-3 7-6 to reach the quarterfinals. Kasatkina, the 14th seed, opened her Championships with a 6-2 7-5 victory over Croatia’s Jana Fett. That set up a clash with Kazakhstan’s Yulia Putintseva, who also came into Wimbledon off the back of a run to the Roland Garros quarters but offered little challenge to Kasatkina, losing 2-6 3-6. The Russian then bested 17th seed Ashleigh Barty 7-5 6-2 to reach the second week. On Manic Monday she overcame Muguruza’s conqueror Alison Van Uytvanck from a set down 6-7 6-3 6-2. How do they match up? Both Kerber and Kasatkina are dangerous baseliners, who though amongst the biggest hitters are formidably accurate off both wings. They also both move well, and excel at turning defence into attack, particularly when pushed out wide on their forehand sides. Kasatkina also has excellent feel, and look for the Russian to look to bring the drop shot into play often on her backhand side, which could serve her well by disrupting Kerber’s rhythm from the back of the court. Prediction There looks to be very little to separate this pair, and all of their matches bar their first and Kasatkina’s crushing Indian Wells victory have been competitive. But in Kerber’s favour is her greater grass court experience and a slightly better serve. That does not give her much of an advantage, but in a sport where the margins between victory and defeat are often razor thin, it will be enough. Just as she did in Eastbourne, expect Kerber to win through after a tight three-set battle.<doc-sep>ANGELIQUE KERBER proved she has the mental toughness to take her recovery mission all the way. The former Wimbledon finalist is making up for a terrible 2017 with her second Grand Slam semi-final of this year. 3 Angelique Kerber lets out a roar as she seals a place in the semi-finals of Wimbledon by beating Daria Kasatkina Credit: EPA But the 11th seed needed seven match points to see off spirited young Russian Daria Kasatkina in just under an hour and a half with a winning scoreline of 6-3, 7-5. Kerber, 30, now plays Jelena Ostapenako for a place in her second Wimbledon final in three years. Kerber said: “I was expecting a tough and close match. I have had so many tough battles with her in the past. “In the end I was pushing myself to the very limit if I’m honest. She was moving me all over the court and I was running everywhere. 3 Kerber will face Jelena Ostapenko in the last four after she beat Dominika Cibulkova Credit: AFP or licensors 3 Former world number one Angelique Kerber was back on top form as she saw of Kasatkina on Centre Courtin straight sets Credit: Reuters "I forgot where we were in the match I was just focused on playing and winning the next point.” Kerber is the highest seeded player left in the ladies’ singles and is well on her way back after struggling to cope with the pressure of being at the top of the game last year when she was world no1. The 2016 Aussie and US Open champ managed the fourth round at SW19 last year but seeing off Kasatkina, 21, who is emerging as a precocious talent, will have boosted her self confidence. Kerber added: “I’m having my ice bath and some treatment and a day off tomorrow. I don’t care who I play now. They are all tough opponents.” more from wimbledon 2018 RETURN GAME Carla Suarez Navarro to play at French Open just a MONTH after cancer all-clear BABY JOY Andy Murray’s wife Kim gives birth to fourth child after secret lockdown pregnancy NEW HALLS PLEASE Federer's £6.5m home features stunning views of Lake Zurich & massive pool ONE LOVE Who is Xisca Perello? The wife of Spanish tennis star Rafael Nadal GRAND GLAM Meet the Australian Open tennis Wags - from OnlyFans model to circus performer Pictured 'SO AGGRESSIVE' Ex-Wimbledon junior champ says topless pictures caused 'avalanche' of hate In fact she will come up against 12th seed Ostapenko, who was toasting her victory over Dominika Cibulkova out on Court One almost exactly at the same time Kerber had finished. Cibulvoka had looked a threat as she came through the field as a dangerous unseeded player having seen Serena Williams seeded on the eve of the tournament. But Ostapenko proved too strong with her ground strokes, with the Latvian winning a tight match in straight sets, 7-5 6-4.<doc-sep>Last updated on .From the section Tennis Wimbledon 2018 on the BBC Venue: All England Club, Wimbledon Dates: 2-15 July Coverage: Watch live on BBC TV, BBC iPlayer, BBC Red Button, Connected TVs and the BBC Sport website and app; Live Radio 5 live and 5 live sports extra commentary; Text commentary online. Eleventh seed Angelique Kerber reached the Wimbledon semi-finals with a 6-3 7-5 win over Russia's Daria Kasatkina. Two-time Grand Slam winner Kerber, the highest-ranked seed left in the women's competition, dominated the first set as Kasatkina struggled with nerves. Fourteenth seed Kasatkina, 21, grew in confidence but Kerber came through to win on her seventh match point. The German, 30, will face Latvian 12th seed Jelena Ostapenko on Thursday after she beat Dominika Cibulkova 7-5 6-4. In the other half of the draw, Serena Williams is through to her 11th Wimbledon semi-final after beating Camila Giorgi in three sets and she will face Julia Gorges, who beat Kiki Bertens 3-6 7-5 6-1 to reach her first Grand Slam semi-final. After taking the first set, Kerber broke to go 3-1 up in the second before Kasatkina levelled for 3-3 only for another double fault to put the German back in control. quote You feel you get a little bit tight, especially if you have your third or fourth match point Angelique Kerber The Russian, who thrilled the crowd with some superb returns and passing shots, broke back again for 4-4 but her opponent replied immediately. With Kerber serving for a place in the last four, Kasatkina earned two break points with a forehand and levelled the scores before again failing to hold her serve. Kasatkina then saved five match points before surviving yet another thanks to Hawk-Eye, with Kerber's lob landing just beyond the baseline. The 2016 Wimbledon runner-up finally secured her place in the semis when Kasatkina's return found the net. "Of course, it's not so easy because you feel your nerves," said Kerber. "You feel you get a little bit tight, especially if you have your third or fourth match point. "We both played at a really high level, starting from the first point. The last game showed how good we both played and how she was fighting until the end." Ostapenko, last year's French Open champion, already has a good pedigree on grass and has reached this year's semi-final without dropping a set. She won the junior title in 2014 and was the only Wimbledon quarter-finalist from last year to reach the last eight this year. The Latvian struck 32 winners to just six from her opponent and Cibulkova, who had won both of their previous meetings, could do nothing but watch the ball fly past her and hope her opponent would start to miss. Ostapenko did that enough in the second set to keep it competitive but Cibulkova could not find a way to disrupt her rhythm and the Latvian clinched victory with a final backhand winner. "At the French Open a couple weeks ago I had so much pressure. It's now all gone. I'm just enjoying the moment," said Ostapenko. "You play on a big court, in a great place, on grass, which is one of my favourite surfaces. It's just so much fun." Wimbledon 2018: Julia Gorges beats Kiki Bertens - best shots Gorges, who was making her 42nd Grand Slam appearance, had suffered five successive opening-round defeats at the All England Club before this year. It is the first time two German women have made the semi-finals of a Grand Slam since Steffi Graf and Anke Huber at the 1993 French Open. Bertens, who was contemplating retirement last year after losing her enthusiasm for the sport, had beaten five-time Wimbledon champion Venus Williams and Czech seventh seed Karolina Pliskova on her way to the last eight. But she failed in her bid to become the first Dutchwoman to make the Wimbledon last four since Betty Stove in 1977. "I don't have many words today to describe the moment I'm going through right now," said Gorges. " "It's pretty unreal for me at the moment to get to that stage at a Grand Slam. It's been obviously always a dream for every player, to be in a semi-final in Wimbledon."<doc-sep>
On she goes, largely out of sight and the majority of minds but now within reach of a title that most bookmakers believe is someone else's for the taking. Maybe it is, because who would ever set their money against Serena Williams? But to watch Angelique Kerber this fortnight, and indeed this year, is to buy into an alternative argument. She is scrapping her way through this draw, harrying and chasing and scuffling. No big serves, not a huge amount of winners, just an impressive ability to absorb pressure and keep the ball in play until it stops coming back. Angelique Kerber celebrates during her win over Russian talent Daria Kasatkina at Wimbledon Kerber won in straight sets despite a scare in the second set to book her spot in the semi-final Kasatkina has been tipped for big things in tennis, but she could not overcome Kerber It's not always a pretty kind of art, but there is certainly an art in it and Kerber used it to break the exciting game of the 14th seed Daria Kasatkina on Tuesday, with the German winning a minor thriller 6-3, 7-5. She will next face Jelena Ostapenko in the semi-final after the Latvian beat Dominika Cibulkova and while the broader focus will centre on Williams's tussle with Julia Goerges, it is entirely possible the eventual tournament winner will come from the lesser watched pairing. Ostapenko, in her favour, has the credentials of a 2017 French Open win, but Kerber is building a serious head of steam in 2018 year having gone to the semi-finals at the Australian Open and the last eight at Roland Garros. It remains a mystery that her 2017 season saw her drop outside the top 20, but as a winner of two Slams in 2016 and a finalist here that same year, the former world No 1 is closing in on her best again. Kasatkina stares at the ball as she plays a forehand return during her quarter-final match Kerber celebrates after winning the final point to book her place in the last four of the draw At the very least, she is the highest seed left in the draw, even if she is shying away from any bold predictions. On her status as favourite, derived partially from the suspicion that Williams's body might struggle with the rigours of this cluttered second-week schedule, Kerber spoke as she played – with a simple straight shot back into the court. 'I think there are no favourites any more,' she said. 'We are in the semis and I'm not looking left or right. I'm not looking at the others. I'm really taking care about my game, about how I play.' Ostapenko ought to present a stronger challenge than 21-year-old Kasatkina, who had sublime skill and forced four breaks but lacked consistency. Kerber said: 'It's a big challenge. But the pressure is not all on my side - she has won a Slam as well.'