Miami 2014 Semis: Williams vs. Sharapova

[Correspondent Kiu]

It's the #1 seed against the #4 seed.

H2H is 15-2 in favor of Serena.

versus

Who wins?

 

[GameSetAndMath]

I am surprised that there is a poll for this.uzzled

 

[MargaretMcAleer]

Serena in straight sets

 

[my sherona]

Maria in two dominating set.. Exactly a repeat of Wimbledon Finals 2004. Yeah I can't wait for Thursday .

 

[Front242]

Gee, this is a tough one :laydownlaughing:snigger:lolz:

 

[Front242]

This is the safest bet in sports along with Nadal on clay.

 

[jhar26]

This match-up is a nightmare for Maria. I think she's only at about 70% of her best at the moment and she even struggles to give Serena a good match when she's playing at a 100%. So Serena in two easy ones me thinks.

 

[Calvy]

Unlike a lot of others, I wasn't overly impressed with Serena's performance against Kerber. I still believe there is missing a little sting on her groundstrokes, and she isn't moving as fluid as last year.

That being said, the x-factor in this "rivalry" at the moment is, pretty much like Federer vs. Nadal, one player is in the head of the other, and that will probably be the defining factor.

I will go with Serena in two close sets, but, I wouldn't be surprised if it goes three.

 

[Sundaymorningguy]

I will say where Serena is missing the mark on her ground strokes is when she hits it short, boy does she hit it short and with no pop on it what so ever (most of her short shots aren't even approaching the service line or barely reaching past the service line). She definitely has been at her most successful when she decides not to play patty cake with other players.

 

[rugged]

I loved how Serena stepped it up last evening. The foot work was better and so were the ground strokes. Serena remembers last year and the fact that Maria came to her house and played her close (I guess if you consider a bagel in the 3rd set close). Maria will go down in straights and it will not be close. But at least it is the semis and not the finals...so Maria won't have to stand there and watch Serena smiling and twirling with the winner's trophy. Twirl girl, Twirl!!!!!!

Here is an interview that was posted on the WTA site after Serena's win against Kerber. The last paragraph says it all:

Next up is No.4 seed Maria Sharapova, who won her quarterfinal earlier in the day (read more here).

Williams leads Sharapova in their head-to-head series, 15-2, and has won their last 14 in a row.

"When you're playing champions, you have to play your best," Williams said. "She plays her best and her heart out against me - we just have to bring the best because we're both really good players."

But what about winning 14 matches in a row against Sharapova, a fellow Career Grand Slam holder?

"Well, I love playing her, I really do - doesn't matter what surface or anything," Williams said. "She's one of my favorite people to play. And so I think that helps when you're playing against people.

"It just gets you really pumped."

 

[rugged]

Maria in two dominating set.. Exactly a repeat of Wimbledon Finals 2004. Yeah I can't wait for Thursday .

:laydownlaughing :lolz::laydownlaughing:lolz::laydownlaughing:lolz:

 

[Calvy]

Maria in two dominating set.. Exactly a repeat of Wimbledon Finals 2004. Yeah I can't wait for Thursday .

Can it be "exactly a repeat of the Wimbledon Finals 2004" when it's been over 9 years since she's beaten her?

 

[Front242]

^ It'll be a decade soon since she's beaten Serena and the commentators still call it a "rivalry"

 

[GameSetAndMath]

Unlike a lot of others, I wasn't overly impressed with Serena's performance against Kerber. I still believe there is missing a little sting on her groundstrokes, and she isn't moving as fluid as last year.

That being said, the x-factor in this "rivalry" at the moment is, pretty much like Federer vs. Nadal, one player is in the head of the other, and that will probably be the defining factor.

I will go with Serena in two close sets, but, I wouldn't be surprised if it goes three.

Just so that people do not think the two rivalries mentioned are the same,
I do want to point some facts. Fed has a 10-23 record against. That means he
has won 30% of his matches against Rafa.

On the otherhand, Pova has a 2-15 record against Serena which works out
to 13%. I would tend to think that there is a ocean of difference between
13% and 30%.

Finally, one surface played a major role in the R-R rivalry. On the otherhand
the S-S non-rivalry is independent of surfaces. I am glad you bother to put
the "rivalry" in quotes.

 

[GameSetAndMath]

Maria in two dominating set.. Exactly a repeat of Wimbledon Finals 2004. Yeah I can't wait for Thursday .

Big day in Povaville! Let us hope it is a match worth watching. I won't be able to
watch as I will be at work. Too bad that they could not schedule this as a night match.

 

[Front242]

15-0. Sorry my sherona. Almost a decade now.

 

[Calvy]

Unlike a lot of others, I wasn't overly impressed with Serena's performance against Kerber. I still believe there is missing a little sting on her groundstrokes, and she isn't moving as fluid as last year.

That being said, the x-factor in this "rivalry" at the moment is, pretty much like Federer vs. Nadal, one player is in the head of the other, and that will probably be the defining factor.

I will go with Serena in two close sets, but, I wouldn't be surprised if it goes three.

Just so that people do not think the two rivalries mentioned are the same,
I do want to point some facts. Fed has a 10-23 record against. That means he
has won 43% of his matches against Rafa.

On the otherhand, Pova has a 2-15 record against Serena which works out
to 13%. I would tend to think that there is a ocean of difference between
13% and 43%.

Finally, one surface played a major role in the R-R rivalry. On the otherhand
the S-S non-rivalry is independent of surfaces. I am glad you bother to put
the "rivalry" in quotes.

Granted, Fed has won more matches than Maria, the point was/is, one player has a distinct mental advantage, this has led both "rivalries" being lopsided. For example, Federer doesn't even lead Nadal on fast surfaces anymore, so much for that one surface theory.

 

[tented]

Unlike a lot of others, I wasn't overly impressed with Serena's performance against Kerber. I still believe there is missing a little sting on her groundstrokes, and she isn't moving as fluid as last year.

That being said, the x-factor in this "rivalry" at the moment is, pretty much like Federer vs. Nadal, one player is in the head of the other, and that will probably be the defining factor.

I will go with Serena in two close sets, but, I wouldn't be surprised if it goes three.

Just so that people do not think the two rivalries mentioned are the same,
I do want to point some facts. Fed has a 10-23 record against. That means he
has won 43% of his matches against Rafa.

On the otherhand, Pova has a 2-15 record against Serena which works out
to 13%. I would tend to think that there is a ocean of difference between
13% and 43%.

Finally, one surface played a major role in the R-R rivalry. On the otherhand
the S-S non-rivalry is independent of surfaces. I am glad you bother to put
the "rivalry" in quotes.

Granted, Fed has won more matches than Maria, the point was/is, one player has a distinct mental advantage, this has led both "rivalries" being lopsided. For example, Federer doesn't even lead Nadal on fast surfaces anymore, so much for that one surface theory.

I'm glad you're putting the word "rivalry" in quotation marks, because this is a "rivalry" only in the minds of certain Sharapova fans, as well as sports commentators, who are trying to make it interesting.

And I completely agree about the mental factor being a huge part of it, like Federer and Nadal. One player is totally in the head of the other, preventing any substantive changes.

 

[rugged]

Unlike a lot of others, I wasn't overly impressed with Serena's performance against Kerber. I still believe there is missing a little sting on her groundstrokes, and she isn't moving as fluid as last year.

That being said, the x-factor in this "rivalry" at the moment is, pretty much like Federer vs. Nadal, one player is in the head of the other, and that will probably be the defining factor.

I will go with Serena in two close sets, but, I wouldn't be surprised if it goes three.

Just so that people do not think the two rivalries mentioned are the same,
I do want to point some facts. Fed has a 10-23 record against. That means he
has won 43% of his matches against Rafa.

On the otherhand, Pova has a 2-15 record against Serena which works out
to 13%. I would tend to think that there is a ocean of difference between
13% and 43%.

Finally, one surface played a major role in the R-R rivalry. On the otherhand
the S-S non-rivalry is independent of surfaces. I am glad you bother to put
the "rivalry" in quotes.

Granted, Fed has won more matches than Maria, the point was/is, one player has a distinct mental advantage, this has led both "rivalries" being lopsided. For example, Federer doesn't even lead Nadal on fast surfaces anymore, so much for that one surface theory.

I'm glad you're putting the word "rivalry" in quotation marks, because this is a "rivalry" only in the minds of certain Sharapova fans, as well as sports commentators, who are trying to make it interesting.

And I completely agree about the mental factor being a huge part of it, like Federer and Nadal. One player is totally in the head of the other, preventing any substantive changes.

I actually like the way Pete Bodo frames it. He calls it the biggest non-rivalry there is. I think that captures it well.

 

[jhar26]

Unlike a lot of others, I wasn't overly impressed with Serena's performance against Kerber. I still believe there is missing a little sting on her groundstrokes, and she isn't moving as fluid as last year.

That being said, the x-factor in this "rivalry" at the moment is, pretty much like Federer vs. Nadal, one player is in the head of the other, and that will probably be the defining factor.

I will go with Serena in two close sets, but, I wouldn't be surprised if it goes three.

Just so that people do not think the two rivalries mentioned are the same,
I do want to point some facts. Fed has a 10-23 record against. That means he
has won 43% of his matches against Rafa.

On the otherhand, Pova has a 2-15 record against Serena which works out
to 13%. I would tend to think that there is a ocean of difference between
13% and 43%.

Finally, one surface played a major role in the R-R rivalry. On the otherhand
the S-S non-rivalry is independent of surfaces. I am glad you bother to put
the "rivalry" in quotes.

Granted, Fed has won more matches than Maria, the point was/is, one player has a distinct mental advantage, this has led both "rivalries" being lopsided. For example, Federer doesn't even lead Nadal on fast surfaces anymore, so much for that one surface theory.

I'm glad you're putting the word "rivalry" in quotation marks, because this is a "rivalry" only in the minds of certain Sharapova fans, as well as sports commentators, who are trying to make it interesting.

And I completely agree about the mental factor being a huge part of it, like Federer and Nadal. One player is totally in the head of the other, preventing any substantive changes.

I actually like the way Pete Bodo frames it. He calls it the biggest non-rivalry there is. I think that captures it well.

Yes, but to be fair - Bodo is someone with an intense dislike for certain players and he doesn't let an opportunity go by without having a go at them, and Sharapova is one of his favorite targets. Besides - he's a blogger and the only way for a blogger to get attention is by being negative and controversial.

Having said that - he's of course right about this match-up, but it doesn't take Pete Bodo to figure that one out.