Sport

Wimbledon women's singles semi-finals

Compiled by JOHN O’SULLIVAN

Thu Jul 05 2012 - 01:00

Compiled by JOHN O'SULLIVAN

Serena Williams won her 40th career title in Charleston this season and her 41st in Madrid where she beat today's opponent in the final. Back and ankle injuries have forced her out of a couple of tournaments this season but she has lost just three matches. The four-time Wimbledon champion lost in the fourth round of this year's Aussie Open and for the first time fell in a first-round Grand Slam match at Roland Garros.

Victoria Azarenka started the season with a 26-match winning streak, the best run of results since Martina Hingis went 37-0 in 1997. Included in that run was her first Grand Slam title, the Australian Open where she beat Maria Sharapova in the final. That victory saw her ascend to the number-one ranked player in the world, where she stayed until the middle of last month. She has won four singles tournaments this season.

VERDICT

Williams has been serving brilliantly and it’s been lucrative in terms of cheap points. In beating defending champion Petra Kvitova in the last round there was a noticeable improvement in her return of serve. Azarenka must serve well but the key is going to be how she fares against the Williams serve. The American has come through some tough matches and that should stand to her in edging this one.

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Agnieszka Radwanska won the junior Wimbledon title in 2005, the only woman left in the tournament who can claim that honour. This season she has won in Dubai, Miami and Brussels and her place in today's semi-final is the first time she has made this stage of a Grand Slam tournament. She has won the last five finals on the tour. The Pole has a chance to take over as world number one next Monday.

Angelique Kerber has enjoyed a massive improvement in the last 12 months since losing to Britain's Laura Robson in the first round at Wimbledon last year. She has won twice this season in Paris (indoors) and Copenhagen. She lost in the final of Eastbourne to Tamira Paszek. One interesting statistic is that she is 15-1 in terms of winning three set matches and six career wins against players ranked in the top 10.

VERDICT

Kerber is a fine athlete and that mobility will be important in a contest that is likely to feature long rallies. Matches between the pair have been tight in the past and there’s nothing to suggest in their respective paths to this point in the tournament that will change. They both demonstrated grit and determination in the quarter-finals. Close but a tentative nod to Radwanska.