The Latest: Rapper Drake ‘just like family,’ Williams says

LONDON (AP) — The Latest from Wimbledon (all times local):

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8:50 p.m.

The rapper Drake has taken flack for appearing to be a front-runner when it comes to choosing sides in sports. So maybe it’s fitting that he’s in Serena Williams’ corner at Wimbledon.

Drake has been sitting in or near Williams’ guest box during her matches at the All England Club this year as she has made her way to the final.

On Thursday, when Williams beat Maria Sharapova in the semifinals, Drake was at Centre Court. Then he showed up at Williams’ news conference, too.

So a reporter asked Williams whether Drake might be a “lucky mascot.”

Williams rolled her eyes. Drake laughed, leaned forward and covered his face.

“We’ve been friends for, like, so many years,” Williams said. “Just like family.”

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5:05 p.m.

Serena Williams is back in the Wimbledon final, and still on target for a calendar-year Grand Slam.

The top-seeded American beat Maria Sharapova 6-2, 6-4 Thursday in the semifinals on Centre Court, putting the five-time champion in the final at the All England Club for the eighth time.

Williams has already won the Australian Open and the French Open this year, and another win on Saturday would give her four majors in a row — a streak that includes last year’s U.S. Open. But a win over Garbine Muguruza in two days would also be a big step toward winning all four Grand Slam tournaments in the same season, something that hasn’t been done since Steffi Graf in 1988.

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4:19 p.m.

Serena Williams is one set away from an eighth Wimbledon final.

The top-seeded American won the first set 6-2 against Maria Sharapova on Thursday, pushing her ever closer to a calendar-year Grand Slam.

Williams is a five-time Wimbledon champion, and she has already won the Australian Open and the French Open this year — all after winning last year’s U.S. Open. A fourth major in a row would equal her feat from 2002-03, when she completed a “Serena Slam.”

The last player to win all four majors in the same season was Steffi Graf in 1988.

Sharapova won the title at the All England Club in 2004, and reached the final one more time but lost to Petra Kvitova in 2011.

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4:10 p.m.

Novak Djokovic will be first up on Centre Court to face Richard Gasquet in the men’s semifinals on Friday. Roger Federer and Andy Murray will meet in the second match on the same court.

Djokovic, Federer and Murray are the top three seeded players at the All England Club and were expected to get this far. But Gasquet, seeded 21st, is something of a surprise after beating French Open champion Stan Wawrinka 11-9 in the fifth set in the quarterfinals.

The first match is expected to start shortly after 1 p.m. The second match will follow.

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3:15 p.m.

With Garbine Muguruza through to the Wimbledon final, it’s time to find out who she will play in Saturday’s championship match.

Serena Williams, a five-time Wimbledon champion who is going for a calendar-year Grand Slam, will soon be on Centre Court to face 2004 champion Maria Sharapova.

Williams has already won the Australian Open and the French Open this year, all after winning last year’s U.S. Open. A fourth major in a row would equal her feat from 2002-03, when she completed a “Serena Slam.”

The last player to win all four majors in the same season was Steffi Graf in 1988.

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3:05 p.m.

Garbine Muguruza has made it to the Wimbledon final.

The 21-year-old Spaniard advanced to her first major final by beating Agnieszka Radwanska 6-2, 3-6, 6-3 Thursday on Centre Court.

Muguruza had been playing in the semifinals at a Grand Slam tournament for the first time after reaching the quarterfinals at the last two French Opens.

Radwanska, who has twice before played in the Wimbledon semifinals, lost in the 2012 final at the All England Club.

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2:19 p.m.

Agnieszka Radwanska is back in it.

The 2012 Wimbledon runner-up evened her semifinal match against Garbine Muguruza on Thursday by winning the second set 6-3.

Radwanska, who won five straight games after trailing 3-1, followed up her run to the final at the All England Club with another semifinal appearance in 2013.

Muguruza, who won the first set 6-2, is playing in a major semifinal for the first time.

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1:43 p.m.

Garbine Muguruza easily won the first set in her Wimbledon semifinal match against Agnieszka Radwanska, 6-2.

Muguruza, a Spaniard seeded 20th at Wimbledon, is playing in a major semifinal for the first time. Radwanska has been at this stage twice before at the All England Club, including in 2012 when she reached the final.

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11:35 a.m.

It’s women’s semifinals day at Wimbledon. Play is due to start at 1 p.m. Here’s the lineup on Centre Court:

No. 13 Agnieszka Radwanska vs. No. 20 Garbine Muguruza

No. 1 Serena Williams vs. No. 4 Maria Sharapova

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