Lagos – Five-time winner, Venus Williams on Wednesday became the oldest Wimbledon semi-finalist for 22 years after defeating Kazakhstan’s Yaroslava Shvedova, winning three sets 5-2, 7-6, 6-3 to qualify to the semi-final.

According to an online portal “Insidethegames’’, it said she had joined younger sister Serena in the last four in a comeback victory at the ongoing Wimbledon Tennis Championships.

It said it was not always plain sailing for Venus, who was forced to recover from 5-2 down in a first set tie break against the world number 96 before roaring back to win.

It said that the 36-year-old, who last made it this far at Wimbledon in 2009, would now play Germany’s Angelique Kerber for a place in the final.

Reacting to her game, she said: “This is an awesome day, I love playing the game, I always have.

“Of course when you’re winning matches it’s sweeter but the wins and the losses always lead to this moment.

“I would love to be walking to the final, and progress made today’’.

The portal noted that she became the oldest semi-finalist since a 37-year-old Martina Navratilova reached the last-four in 1994.

Meanwhile, Kerber, the fourth seed, beat Romanian fifth seed Simona Halep 7-5, 7-6 in the first match on Centre Court to qualify.

It said that top seed, Williams (Serena) was similarly impressive in beating Russia’s Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova 6-4, 6-4 to also qualify.

The portal noted that the top seed would also battle Russia’s unseeded Elena Vesnina for final.

Vesnina ended the run of 19th seed Slovakian Dominka Cibulkova 6-2, 6-2 in the remaining quarter-final.

The portal also notes that the Williams sisters also remain in the women’s doubles competition.

It said that the Men’s singles action is due to resume tomorrow with the four quarter-finals.