Serena powers past young star to set up thrilling final
The coronation is almost complete.
Serena Williams came back to the ASB Classic determined to prove a point, after her unhappy time in 2017 when she lost in the second round, then labelled the windy conditions the worst she had faced.
Now Williams is one match away from lifting the trophy, after a remarkably one-sided semifinal yesterday.
She was facing world No 25 Amanda Anisimova, who had impressed this week with her clean hitting, and is seen as a youngster with unlimited potential.
But the 38-year-old Williams, two decades older than Anisimova, made no race of it, winning 6-1 6-1 in just 45 minutes.
At times it was brutal, and Williams admitted she was “in the zone” as everything she tried turned to gold.
Williams will be the almost unbackable favourite today against compatriot Jessica Pegula, the world No 83 who shocked Caroline Wozniacki at her farewell Auckland appearance.
Pegula, who is now coached by the former long-time mentor of Venus Williams (David Witt), was very impressive, and has improved steadily across the week.
But facing Serena, especially as she is coming into real form, is another matter, and Pegula admitted she was going to “just enjoy the occasion, and see what happens”.
Williams looks full of confidence, a far cry from her uncertain start to this week.
It helped yesterday that the conditions were much improved. There was hardly a breath of wind, and plenty of sun, allowing Williams to find her timing.
When she does that, she is almost unstoppable, and that turned Anisimova’s day into a nightmare.
The 18-year-old was incredibly emotional after her semifinal win on Friday, admitting it had been a longheld dream to face the 23-time grand slam winner before she retired.
But it’s always hard to face your idols, as Anisimova discovered yesterday.
The top seed made the most of Anisimova’s serving woes, dispatching a number of second serves as the teenager only managed to put 61 per cent of her first serves in play. Against a hard-hitting opponent like Williams, the young American’s second offerings were cannon fodder, sitting up nicely for Williams to lace into the corners.
Anisimova did show glimpses of her potential, winning a few points by moving Williams around the court and waiting for the right opportunity. However, the good moments were few and far between.
She was broken three times in the first set alone, constantly under pressure on serve, and twice more in the second, as Williams exhibited
impressive control and shot selection.
It was the end of an era for
Wozniacki.
After losing finals in 2015 and 2018, the Dane was hoping to make a third title decider, but was outclassed by Pegula, who came back from a set down to win 3-6 6-4 6-0 in just under two hours.
Wozniacki, appearing in Auckland for the final time before she retires after next month’s Australian Open, was hoping for the perfect sendoff, but it wasn’t to be.
Pegula took an aggressive approach, constantly pinning Wozniacki behind the baseline, and it worked to perfection.
The European is a counterpuncher, but couldn’t get any momentum and was almost helpless in the third set, always one step behind.
Before that things had started promisingly for the Dane, as she edged the first set, with Pegula struggling to cope with the pace and accuracy of her ground strokes.
Wozniacki has played more than 900 matches on the WTA tour, and her efficient, clean hitting is usually a challenge for most opponents.
After both players exchanged early breaks, Wozniacki went ahead in the sixth game, to take a 4-2 lead. She consolidated, then converted the first of three set-point chances at 5-3, when Pegula sent a forehand long.
The second set was a much tighter affair. Both players exchanged early breaks, before Wozniacki found herself in a hole in the 10th game.
She served one set point at 15-40, working Pegula around the court, but couldn’t retrieve the second, as the American levelled up the match.
Pegula carried that momentum into the third set, going 2-0 up after a weak second serve from Wozniacki on break point.
You sensed it might not be the Dane’s day in the next game, when she netted a simple backhand volley at deuce.
Pegula couldn’t miss, going 4-0 up with another break. There was no way back for Wozniacki. She saved one match point at 0-5, but Pegula converted the second to claim a career-defining victory.