Serena Williams played down the prospect of facing her sister Venus in the final, saying that both are “just happy to be in the semi-finals.”

Serena will face Russian Elena Vesnina, the world number 50, who had only once before gone past the third round at Wimbledon but dismissed Slovakian Dominika Cibulkova 6-2 6-2.

The 21-time major champion looked ominously untroubled during her 6-4 6-4 win over Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova but insists she is not yet thinking about a showdown with her older sister.

“It was good. I am excited to be able to win and get through, it felt really good.

“I knew Venus was up 5-1 and then I saw on the court so I was like ‘yay’.

“I am just trying to win my match. I knew I had a tough opponent and one thing I have learnt this year is just to focus on the match.

“We (her and Venus) don’t really talk too much about it but we are playing doubles later so we are just happy to be in the semi-finals.

“It will be great (if they are both in the final). Venus is such a tough opponent I want her to win so bad, not in the final if I am there, but if I am not I do.”

Serena leads 16-11 overall and 4-2 at Wimbledon against her sister.

Venus beat Serena in the 2000 semi-finals en route to her first title and again in the 2008 final. Serena has beaten Venus in the 2002, ’03 and ’09 finals, and in the fourth round last year.