Different firsts in store for finalists

Just 10 months after giving birth, Serena Williams can complete her incredible comeback in Saturday's Wimbledon final against Angelique Kerber as she bids to become the first mother to win the tournament for 38 years.

Williams is playing only her fourth tournament since the arrival of baby daughter Olympia in September and is now just one win away from her eighth Wimbledon title.

That would make her the first mother to lift the Venus Rosewater Dish since Evonne Goolagong in 1980.

Serena can also equal Margaret Court's record of 24 Grand Slam singles titles if she beats Kerber.

Court and Kim Clijsters are the other mothers to have won major titles -- making Serena's presence in the final even more incredible given the difficulties she has endured since she last played at Wimbledon in 2016.

The 36-year-old's pregnancy ended with an extremely difficult delivery that left her needing several operations to prevent life-threatening blood clots.

"It's no secret I had a super tough delivery. I lost count after, like, four surgeries because I was in so many," Williams said after beating Julia Goerges to reach her 10th Wimbledon final.

"Because of all the blood issues I have, I was really touch-and-go for a minute. In a way, it's by far the toughest year for me, but in a way it's by far the best. Because I have Olympia. For me, I only see joy out of it."

She arrives in her 30th Grand Slam final -- her 10th at Wimbledon on a 20-match winning run on the lawns of south-west London.

For German 11th seed Kerber, winning Wimbledon for the first time -- at the expense of the woman who denied her in 2016 -- would be a sweet moment.

The 30-year-old has bounced back from a terrible 2017 and is close to the form that brought her the Australian and US Open titles two years ago.

"Wimbledon is a really special place. I think everybody knows this tournament. It would be really special to win," she said.

“With 2016, all the success, 2017, with a few up and downs, to coming back this year, I think I learned so many things about me."