Top 5 Photos, July 11: Serena, Halep shine in front of Royal Box icons

Two Grand Slam champions seamlessly won their Wimbledon semifinal matches on Centre Court in front of a star-studded Royal Box on Thursday. These are the Top 5 photos around the grounds of the London major.

1. On Simona Halep's second match point, she stepped into an inside-out forehand return to defeat Elina Svitolina 6-1, 6-3, claiming a spot in her first Wimbledon final. The Romanian counterpuncher revealed a more aggressive style of play and moved freely to advance after 73 minutes. Looking for her first title since triumphing in Canada last August, Halep is hungry to return to the winner's circle. She will look to become the first Romanian woman to capture the Wimbledon crown on Saturday.

2. Former Manchester United and England midfielder David Beckham and Virgin Group founder Richard Branson took in the women's semifinals from the Royal Box. Regular attendees of the tournament, Beckham invited his mom Sandra, while Branson enjoyed the day out with his daughter Holly.

3. Serena Williams hasn't played much tennis this year, but she's used every match at the All England Club to work on honing her game. In her latest win, she posted a dominating 6-1, 6-2 victory over Barbora Strycova to set a Wimbledon final encounter with Simona Halep. The 37-year-old American will aim to lift her 24th Grand Slam trophy on Saturday, which would tie the all-time record set by Margaret Court in 1973.

4. Rafael Nadal hit the practice courts in advance of his highly-anticipated semifinal clash with Roger Federer. The 18-time Grand Slam champion has shown he's in form and ready for the blockbuster after dropping just one set en route to the final four. The Spaniard hasn't faced Federer on grass since their unforgettable 2008 Wimbledon final. (Watch: *Strokes Of Genius*)

5. After Nicole Melichar and Bruno Soares eliminated Serena Williams and Andy Murray from the mixed doubles draw, Matwe Middelkoop and Zhaoxuan Yang upset the top seeds. The unseeded pair defeated Melichar and Soares, 6-4, 6-3, to advance to the semifinals. ​