Serena Williams, 2012 Wimbledon | featured news

Seventeen months after a life-threatening blood clot in her lungs almost ended her glittering tennis career, Williams blotted out the mental and physical scars to climb back into the grand slam winner's circle by snuffing out Agnieszka Radwanska 6-1 5-7 6-2.

Williams, seeking a fifth Wimbledon singles title, defeated Petra Kvitova, 6-2, 7-5, to advance to the semifinals.

During her walk to the locker room following a victory that sent her into Wimbledon’s final eight on Monday, Serena Williams was engulfed by a horde of fans who snapped photos, begged for autographs and clamored for a glimpse of the most dominant player of her generation.

Serena Williams hit 23 aces, held every service game and barely escaped an upset bid by Zheng Jie, winning 6-7 (5), 6-2, 9-7 Saturday in the third round at Wimbledon.