It’s Ashleigh Barty vs. Karolina Pliskova in Wimbledon Final

Barty, the women’s world No. 1, is aiming for her first Wimbledon singles title and will take on a former No. 1 who is chasing her first Grand Slam title.

WIMBLEDON, England — Centre Court is back to full capacity as England gradually relaxes its pandemic restrictions. The fans merrily quaffing Pimm’s in their expensive seats certainly got two very different matches for their money on Thursday. The first women’s semifinal, between Ashleigh Barty and Angelique Kerber, was a craft fair, full of slice and guile and often lengthy rallies. The second semifinal, between Aryna Sabalenka and Karolina Pliskova, was heavy metal: thunderous serves, big-bang returns and Sabalenka’s shrieks. But the goal was the same for all involved, and when silence finally returned to the closest thing tennis has to a temple, the Wimbledon finalists were the current world No. 1, Barty, and a former No. 1, Pliskova.