Top seed Ashleigh Barty became the first Australian woman to reach the Wimbledon singles final for 41 years after beating former champion Angelique Kerber of Germany 6-3 7-6(3) on Thursday.

The 25-year-old will now aim to emulate compatriot Evonne Goolagong who won the second of her two Wimbledon crowns in 1980.

After saving a break point in a nervy opening game on a sunny Centre Court, women's tennis world number one Barty was supreme in the first set as her all-court game flowed on the grass.

The 33-year-old Kerber used all her experience on the surface to hit back in the second set and looked poised to take it into a decider when serving at 5-3.

But Barty got back in the groove and broke to love.

Kerber's game went off in the tiebreak and Barty surged into a 6-0 lead, and despite missing out on three match points she was never going to let her opportunity slip.

A netted backhand from Kerber sent Barty through to her second Grand Slam final, having won the French Open in 2019.

"Angie brought the best out of me today and it was a hell of a match right from the first ball and I knew I would have to play that well just to compete. Very proud of myself and my team and now we get a chance to win the childhood dream," Barty said after the match.

Barty will face Karolina Pliskova in Saturday's showpiece after the Czech beat Aryna Sabalenka – the first time since 1977 that both finalists are in their maiden Wimbledon final.

Former Wimbledon junior champion Barty was forced to pull out of the French Open because of a hip injury that needed intensive rehab in the build-up to the Championships.