Angelique Kerber, who beat Venus Williams to advance to her first Wimbledon final, is a member of a very exclusive club. She's one of a few women to beat Serena Williams in a Grand Slam final.
Venus Williams (2001 US Open, 2008 Wimbledon), Maria Sharapova (2004 Wimbledon), Samantha Stosur (2011 US Open), Garbine Muguruza (2016 Roland Garros) and Kerber (2016 Australian Open) are the only women to defeat Serena in a Grand Slam final.
More: Kerber Conquers Venus, Will Play Serena In Wimbledon Final
Beating the world No. 1 in a major final is the most monumental challenge in tennis. Kerber says there are three keys to beating Williams: Serve with ambition, return with accuracy and cover the court with all-out commitment.
"I think my serve will be really important, that I really start from the first point to serving very well," Kerber said. "Also the return. Then I think my movement will be also very important."
Confidence can come into play, too.
The fourth-ranked German will carry the confidence that comes from her 6-4, 3-6, 6-4 win over Williams in Melbourne and caution knowing Williams, who served 11 aces and won 23 of 24 first-serve points in her 6-2, 6-0 semifinal obliteration of Elena Vesnina, is even more lethal on grass.
"I think for sure I will go out there with a lot of confidence," Kerber said. "At the end it's a completely new match. We are playing on grass court. She lost the final against me, and I know she will go out and try everything to beat me right now. I will just try to going out there like in Australia, trying to show her, okay, I'm here to win the match, as well. I know that I have to play my best tennis to beat her in the final here."
The reigning Wimbledon champion carries a 21-6 Grand Slam finals record into her ninth Wimbledon final. Williams is playing for her 22nd career Grand Slam championship to equal Steffi Graf's Open Era record.
Kerber grew up looking up to Graf and cites a hitting session with the Hall of Famer in Las Vegas last year for reinforcing the self-belief she showed winning her first major title.
The last time the same two women squared off in the Australian Open and Wimbledon finals the same season came a decade ago when Amelie Mauresmo defeated Justine Henin in both title matches.
Kerber, whose second serve is her weakest shot, believes the low bounce off the lawn adds some sting to her serve. Williams has not faced a left-hander in singles play since losing to Kerber in the Melbourne final. She gained some practice against the lefty spin serve against Ekaterina in today's doubles quarterfinal.
"I think, which is for me really good, that I'm a lefty. When I have not too many nerves, I can serve a little bit better," Kerber said "This makes me much more dangerous than on hard. Also I'm feeling good for my movement on grass court. I mean, I'm really like to move on grass, yeah, and just go for it when I have the chance going down the line."
Photo credit: Stephen White/CameraSport