Sharapova, whose service toss was an issue throughout the match, hit only 2 of 8 first serves and double-faulted three times.
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That came shortly after she stunned the American to clinch the Wimbledon title as a teenager earlier that year.
In beating Sharapova for the 17th straight time, Williams won her 27th consecutive Grand Slam match and will now be playing for a fourth straight major title – a “Serena Slam” – and the third leg of a calendar-year Grand Slam.
“I mean, listen, that’s one of her biggest strengths”, Sharapova said later. “I know that that’s what keeps me going forward”.
The Russian rival of Serena has been not much of an issue for the world’s No. 1 player throughout their history, and now Williams could grab a win to put her in position to hold all four major women’s tennis titles at once.
If Williams can beat Sharapova, then beat either No. 13 Agnieszka Radwanska of Poland or No. 20 Garbine Muguruza of Spain in Saturday’s final, the 33-year-old American would be three-quarters of the way to a true Grand Slam. The Spanish men, led by Rafael Nadal, have no such drought. It was made all the more dramatic by rumors that Dimitrov had briefly dated Williams beforehand. Only two other Spanish women, Arantxa Sanchez-Vicario and Lili de Alvarez – in the 1920s – have ever contested the final at tennis’ most prestigious event. Serena has never lost to anyone born after 1987 in a Slam final (Muguruza was born in 1993). It was a very tough match and I am just so excited.
Radwanska said in a press conference: “I don’t think she can beat Serena in the final”. And, at 5-3, she had her chance to close out the match.
Asked what she needs to do to be competitive against Williams, Sharapova responded: “A lot more than I’m doing”.
But with rackets in their hands, this has been a one-way street: Williams has won 17 of their 19 career meetings, including the past 16 in a row.
She didn’t face a break point.
“I was praying it was on the line”, Muguruza said of the challenge which took her to match point.
To complete a career-first feat of winning all four majors in the same year, Williams would then need to retain her USA Open title later this summer.
Muguruza has a promising future.
She attacked Radwanska’s modest serves, drilled balls in the corners and didn’t give the Pole any time to work her off-speed magic. Muguruza sprinted out to an easy first set victory before the cunning, smaller Radwanska started moving Muguruza around, playing the angles better.
The pressure apparently didn’t get to Muguruza.
Muguruza broke through Radwanska’s defences for a 4-2 lead, putting away a powerful backhand into the corner after a tame smash was returned to mid court.
“I didn’t feel so good”.
“What I felt from her moving around in between my serving motion was not, I don’t think, sportsmanlike”.
While the American had her family in the crowd, Muguruza’s family remains in Barcelona at her orders because of a reluctance to change what has been a winning formula. If she could rediscover her form, Radwanska would find it hard. “She’s stronger, good mentally, good shots, power, confident”. On the first, a Williams like serve paved the way for a drive volley victor. “She does this to most of the top 10 players”. She had a 29-9 edge in winners.
After the match, Muguruza admitted that nerves played a factor during that set.
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“Unfortunately, I did, but it was really an experience that helped me say, “Okay, Serena, you want to be the best, you’re going to have to do certain things and you’re going to have to improve certain things””. “I chose to challenge”, Radwanska said.
