Williams vs Kerber

This is a final worthy of Wimbledon, one of the best players of all time, Serena, up against a former world number one and two-time Slam winner Angelique Kerber.  Let’s talk numbers, Serena will be going for her 24^thSingles Grand Slam title which will equal Margaret Court’s record, the American will also be vying for an 8^thWimbledon title, which will put her one ahead of German Steffi Graf.

What Serena is doing at this event is mind boggling, competing at this level at 36 years of age, and after having a baby a mere 10 months ago.  As Mary Carillo, the American broadcaster said “I wonder when Serena is old and grey and full of sleep that she’ll think to herself if she wins this Wimbledon, it could be her greatest achievement”, maybe so.

 

Why Williams will win

 If Serena plays like she can nobody can beat her, that’s just a fact, so this match is on her racquet, you can see her level rise this tournament with every match, in Serena’s semi final match against Jule Goerges the German played very well and the rallies were electric, the shaky erratic Serena would have lost this match, the focused nimble footwork Serena absorbed the Goerges power and unleashed some of her own in a straight sets win (6,3 6,3), if this Serena shows up tomorrow she’ll win.

Why Kerber will win

 The head to head may be 6-2 in Serena’s favor but one of those two wins came in the Australian Open final of 2016, so Kerber knows she can beat Serena in a Grand Slam final, that’s important.  The German has been the human backboard these two weeks, she absorbs power well and will run down anything, but against Serena she’ll need to take more chances, as being a roadrunner won’t be enough, that Australian Open final was 6-4 in the third, if this match gets into a third set Kerber can grind it out.

Prediction

 After an incredible 2016 when Kerber won the Australian and US Opens and became world number one, 2017 turned into a nightmare, this season she has fought her way back with a 32-12 match record and a run all the way to the Wimbledon final.

Serena eased her way back this season after giving birth last September, the 3 matches she won at Roland Garros were impressive before a 4^thround withdrawal against Maria Sharapova because of a pectoral injury, Serena started looking good in those 3 Paris matches, the grass has only accelerated that progression, the only person she can lose this match to is herself and with Serena in this current form that won’t happen, the American will win an astounding 24^thGrand Slam.