Wimbledon: Will Simona Halep prevent Serena’s date with history?
Simona Halep and Serena Williams won their semifinal matches in commanding form on Thursday. They each are gunning for their own slice of history on Saturday.
Serena Williams booked her spot into the Wimbledon final, going for her eighth title and a record 24th slam, hoping to tie Margaret Court for the most in the history of the sport. Wimbledon is the 37-year-old’s most successful slam and grass fits her like a glove. All the stars seem to be aligning for the legend, who defeated Barbora Strýcová in ruthless fashion, 6-1, 6-2.
But Simona Halep will try to ruin the party on Saturday. Will she be able to stop Serena’s freight train to destiny?
Halep possesses abundant tennis gifts. What she sometimes lacks is the mental fortitude and belief. Those are two assets that Williams can call on at any moment. That’s the hallmark of the greatest players to grace the game, such as Williams and the Big 3 on the men’s side (Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic). Halep will do everything she can to channel the kind of inane conviction that the sport icons retain in excess.
Ten years Serena’s junior, Halep only dropped one set all fortnight long, to compatriot Mihaela Buzărnescu in the second round. She didn’t look back since, dispatching several top players along the way, including former No. 1 Victoria Azarenka, teenage sensation ‘Coco’ Gauff and the breezy semifinal win over the only other top seed left in that section, Elina Svitolina, 6-1, 6-3.
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Saturday will be the first Wimbledon final for the Romanian. Out of the four finals she has progressed to, Halep has locked in only one win, her maiden title at the French last year. However, she is a more recent grand slam winner and achieved the No. 1 spot of late than the 23-time slam champion. She will need to hold on to that belief if she wants to have any chance against a resilient Serena at the All England Tennis Club in the ladies’ final.
“It is an amazing feeling. I am very excited and nervous. It was one of the best moments of my life,” said Halep after the semifinal win, according to Yahoo.
"“I played many matches against [Williams]. Many of them were very close. Now, if I face her, I will believe that I have my chance to win … Of course, I respect a lot what she has done and what she’s doing. But now I feel stronger mentally facing her. It’s just a big challenge for me.”"
In her fifth final, Halep is eager for a second slam title, her first SW19 trophy, and a second grass WTA title.
But does she really have a chance against the greatest? Serena may have played a tepid year, with several early-round exits. But she managed to pour on the juice once she arrived at the grass slam. Halep will be the highest seed she has faced this tournament. The current world No. 10 has lost only two sets all tournament, taking out the player who’s won the most grass court wins this season, Alison Riske. Serena has looked fit, efficient and unstoppable in all her matches.
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The head-to-head stats also favor the American over Halep, with the 27-year-old only clinching two wins in their 11 total matches. The last time they played each other at Wimbledon, Williams won, a second-round match in 2011. That is the only time the two players have met on grass. Halep hasn’t won a matchup between the two since 2015, on hard court in Cincinnati.
“She’s tough. She played unbelievable today. We’ve played on grass before and we’ve always had good matches. I look forward to it,” said Williams about facing the world No. 7.
Winning an eighth Wimbledon would be her first slam trophy as a mom, making it perhaps the most meaningful one of all. Only a very few women have won a slam as a mother. In fact, you can count them on one hand.
Williams is likely to join that very select league of badass moms on Saturday.
The ladies’ final takes place on Saturday, at 9:00 a.m., ET, viewable on ESPN.
The incredible semifinal lineup of gentlemen commences on Friday, including Federer, Nadal and Djokovic. Roberto Bautista Agut is hoping to shake up this Big 3 party. Matches begin at 8:00 a.m., ET.
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