Kerber ends Konta's valiant charge

Angelique Kerber ended Johanna Konta's fairytale run at the Australian Open with a 7-5, 6-2 victory on Thursday to earn a place in her first Grand Slam final.

Kerber, the first German woman to reach the Melbourne final in 20 years, subdued the British main draw debutante in 82 minutes to set up a meeting with reigning champion Serena Williams.

Konta, Britain's first women's semifinalist at the Australian Open in 39 years, recovered from a nervous start to take the match to the seventh seed in a tight first set.