Wimbledon final preview - Serena Williams vs Vera Zvonareva
World No. 1 Serena Williams will enter the Wimbledon ladies singles final as the overwhelming favourite to win the title. But make no mistake about it, in the first Grand Slam final of her career, Vera Zvonareva will be playing to win.
In what has proved to be a tournament of upsets – Kim Clijsters and Venus Williams ousted in the quarter-finals in the ladies draw and last year’s men’s Wimbledon finalists Roger Federer and Andy Roddick also making premature exits from the competition – defending champion Serena has been the one big name to emerge unscathed. So far, at least.
It’s Zvonareva’s job to ensure that when the final point is played on Saturday, she wins it.
“I know if I play my best tennis I can beat anyone on the other side of the net,” the Russian said after booking her place in the decider in SW19. “That's what I'm gonna try to do on Saturday. I never look at any odds or comparisons. It's not important to me.”
In truth, it’s the only mindset Zvonareva can afford to take into this match against the world’s best player and an opponent who has mastered the art of saving her best for the Grand Slams, and the best of her best for the final.
At Wimbledon this year, Serena has taken a serve that was already widely regarded as the best in women’s tennis to almost a whole new level. So far, 80 aces have flowed from the American’s racquet in six matches and that’s not to mention all the free points the power and placement of her serve have gifted the top seed.
Zvonareva will know that, if, in the final, Serena serves like she has been doing, there will be limited opportunities to break serve and she’ll need to pounce whenever the opportunity to take a swing at a second serve arises. And then hope yet another Williams ace doesn’t bring all her good work undone.
Matching Serena in the rallies then will be crucial and that’s something the 21st seed should feel confident of doing after the way she’s played so far at the All England Club.
Zvonareva has, in six matches so far, produced an all-court game where she’s been unafraid to trade blows from the baseline; has timed her runs to the net to her best advantage, and volleyed confidently once she was there; and against a baseline-hugging opponent in the semis, executed her drop shots to perfection.
“I don't think she [Zvonareva] does anything terrible,” Williams said of her next opponent. “I think that's the best way to describe her game. She does everything good, so...It's tough playing a player like that who doesn't really have one real weakness and everything pretty much is a strength, from her forehand to her backhand to her movement.”
That’s not to mention the fighting spirit the former top-five player, who has in the past been known for her tears and racquet smashing antics, has showed to come back from a set behind in each of her last two matches.
For all the positives Zvonareva has shown this tournament, however, her track record against Serena does not make for encouraging reading, with the 12-time Grand Slam singles champion winning five of the six matches they’ve played.
“On paper it looks like I should win,” Serena said. “But Vera, I've played her several times; she's beaten some good people. Her last two matches she's been down a set, so she's obviously a fighter...the biggest thing, is for me to stay positive and not put too much pressure on myself.”
For all the reason’s she’s mentioned, Serena is right to be wary of the final opponent who stands between her and a fourth Wimbledon crown. But it’s still hard to believe the defending champion won’t be holding the Venus Rosewater Dish aloft on Saturday afternoon.
Prediction: A 13th Grand Slam title for Serena.
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