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With one more victory at Wimbledon, Serena Williams would link Margaret Court, the only player in history with 24 Grand Slam singles titles. In Saturday's final, Williams, 37, will face Simona Halep, winner of the French Open last year but never won a title at Wimbledon. Williams seems to have shaken the rust of the beginning of the season and finally seems to be back in her place as the most dominant player in the history of tennis.
There is only one problem: Williams' incredible service is always a bit fragile.
"I do not know if I've had the best service of this tournament," Williams said. "I'm just starting to use my legs again."
On Thursday, Williams defeated Barbora Strycova, a 33-year-old woman who had never reached the semifinals of the Grand Slam. Strycova, who has an excellent double track record, reaching the semi-finals of every major event, could not control Williams, who won 6-1, 6-2.
But Williams has never played against Halep, 27. She is good at receiving services and sometimes jumping on them too. Halep earned 53% of the points back – and that includes the first and second services. Williams, known as the all-time return player, won 43%.
Halep seems equally eager and hungry. "I feel stronger mentally in front of her," she said. "We'll see what happens."
Williams has not yet faced the top 15 players in this tournament. According to the WTA, Williams' opponents so far had an average rank of 75.2, and only two of them were seeded (No. 30 Carla Suarez Navarro in the fourth round and No. 18 Julia Goerges in the third ). A similar scenario took place a year ago, when Williams qualified for the final with his even lower ranked opponent at 80, until she faced Angelique. Kerber in the final. Kerber, who has a style of attack similar to that of Halep, beat Williams 6-3, 6-3.
Williams must serve as best as possible to link the Court's record and, so far, his service seemed vulnerable. Throughout the event, Williams won 54.2% of the second service points, which is solid and consistent with his career at Wimbledon. But the first service counts the most and Williams was not his best. She won 74% of her first service in her six games. It's less than all his winnings at Wimbledon; her previous lowest in a Wimbledon in which she had won was 75.8% in 2003. Her share of the first services earned was much higher for her last match, at 89%, so maybe she's started to find his balance.
Williams's services were efficient and brutal. In 2010, she won 87.5% of the points for which she earned her first serve, the highest of her career at Wimbledon. (That year, Williams earned 23.5% of his total points and aces.) Williams did not lose a heat that year (she also lost no heat in 2002) . In 2012, Williams had almost as impressive statistics: 20.9% of his points earned him ace. This is the only time Williams hits more than 100 points as ace (102 total) at Wimbledon.
Williams played Halep 11 times, including three at a Slam. Halep won only one win in 2014. But she played against Williams at the Australian Open this year and won a set of her at Wimbledon in 2011, in their first match. Williams knows it will be her biggest test and she knows Halep is ready.
"The biggest key of our matches is the defeat I've had. I never forgot it played incredibly, "Williams said. "It lets me know how much she has played, she can do it again. So I must be better than that.
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