81136270-7AC9-440D-A4C7-C8C47DA921A9
By Richard Pagliaro
© Susan Mullane/Camerawork USA
(July 1, 2010) Serena Williams knows the ropes when it comes to winning Grand Slam championships. At her best, Williams brings a bit of the ring to the tennis court.
The woman who refuses to back down from a baseline brawl displayed the ferocity of her fighting spirit and potent punch of her serve in rallying from a 2-4 deficit to pound out a 7-6(5), 6-2 victory over a tenacious Petra Kvitova to advance to her sixth Wimbledon final.
"I definitely worked really hard," Williams said. "I didn't expect to get as far at the beginning of the tournament. It's such a blessing to still be in the tournament."
Continuing her quest for a fourth Wimbledon crown and 13th Grand slam championship, the reigning Wimbledon champion will take on 21st-seeded Vera Zvonareva in Saturday's final. Williams has won five of six meetings with the 25-year-old Moscow native though they have yet to face off on grass.
"Vera's a great player who I had some unbelievable matches against her so she's really tough," Williams said. "I feel like I have nothing to lose going into the final and she doesn't either so it will be good."
It marks the 10th time in the last 11 Wimbledon finals a Williams sister will play for the title.
Serena has registered a 12-3 record in Grand slam finals with two of her three losses coming at Wimbledon: she lost to Maria Sharapova in the 2004 final and to older sister Venus in the 2008 final. Given the fact Zvonareva and Elena Vesnina upset the Williams sisters in yesterday's doubles quarterfinal, destroying their dream of a single season Grand Slam doubles sweep, it's highly unlikely Serena will underestimate Zvonareva and may well take the court in a vendetta state of mind.
"It's going to be a tough challenge, for sure. Serena is great player, defending champion, and very tough to play against," said Zvonareva. "But, you know, I always believe in myself. I think I will just have to go out there and try to play my best, like I did in previous matches. We will see what's going to happen then."
Williams believes pressure may be her biggest opponent.
"Just putting too much pressure on myself, I think. On paper it looks like I should win," Williams 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. She never gives up. So I think that will be the biggest thing, is for me to stay positive and not put too much pressure on myself."
Though Kvitova displayed rousing resilience in fighting off five match points and roaring back from a 0-4 deficit to defeat Estonian qualifier Kaia Kanepi, 4-6, 7-6(8), 8-6, in the quarterfinals, the 62nd-ranked Czech was given little more than a puncher's chance against the World No. 1.
Past experience — Kvitova was winless at Wimbledon prior to this year and had absorbed a 6-2, 6-1 beating at the hands of Williams in the Australian Open second round in January — contributed to the feeling the perception that the underdog would be overwhelmed on Centre Court as well as Kvitova's own less than optimistic outlook.
The blonde with the shy smile that reveals braces wasn't exactly brimming with confidence when asked if she believed she would beat Williams and win Wimbledon.
"No, I don't think so," Kvitova said with a laugh. "So maybe it's too much, but maybe I can lose to Serena. I don't think so."
But in the space of five games, Kvitova showed she belonged.
The 6-foot-1 left hander used her reach to return a stinging Williams serve than channeled another Czech southpaw, Martina Navratilova, in caressing an exquisite backhand drop volley to earn her third break point of the match. Pushed backward by a crunching Kvitova blast, Williams lined an off balance forehand into net as Kvitova broke for 3-2.
Staring down the sight of Serena creeping forward to pounce on her second serve, Kvitova unleashed a 103 mph second serve to erase it. She unleashed successive stinging serves to win her third consecutive game and seize a surpring 4-2 lead.
"I always think I have to break back, hopefully sooner than later. I think, 'Well, should have held. I had a chance. I screwed it up myself.' " Williams said.
Williams wasted little time getting the break back. Kvitova sailed a forehand long then lined a flat forehand off the tape as Williams broke back for 4-all.
It was the last break of the opening set. In the tiebreaker, Williams, who entered the match with a Wimbledon women's record 73 aces, unloaded two unreturnable serves to build a 4-0 lead. Kvitova wasn't done yet, curling a crunching forehand crosscourt and following it to net for a forehand volley. she followed it up with her third ace for 2-4.
One point from leveling at 4-all, Kvitova missed the mark with a forehand and squealed in frustration. Williams banged a big serve down the middle to open a 6-3 lead.
Finishing with a fist-pumping flourish, Williams whipped a service winner to take the first set in 58 minutes.
Neither woman was willing to back off the baseline in the early stages of the second, but Williams continued to pound away and the pummelling eventually took a toll on Kvitova, who had to be weary from the draining battle with Kanepi. When Kvitova slapped a backhand into the net to drop serve and fall behind 2-3, the end was in sight.
The pair produced an electrifying 19-shot exchange later in the second set that roused even the staid crowd. Kvitova won that rally, but would not prevail in the battle.
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