SERENA’S READY FOR REAL SCRAP
Feisty Williams sets up battle royale with old rival Sharapova
MIKE TYSON was in the crowd supporting Serena Williams at the French Open last night and he would surely want a ringside seat for her next contest — a rematch against old adversary Maria Sharapova.
The clash that all tennis has been waiting to see is on tomorrow after the two bitter rivals both won through to the last 16.
The term ‘rivalry’ should be used advisedly as Williams has won 19 of their 21 meetings, but they remain the biggest names in the women’s game, and there is not a lot of love lost.
That much was reinforced in the American’s pointed postmatch comments about her next opponent’s recent autobiography, in which she provocatively described Williams as having ‘thick arms and thick legs’, among other things.
Williams is clearly unhappy that Sharapova reported how she cried in the locker room at Wimbledon after losing to the Russian in the 2004 final.
‘I think what happens there should definitely stay there and not necessarily talk about it in a not-so-positive way in a book,’ said the American. ‘You know, I have cried in the locker room many times after a loss, and that’s what I have seen a lot of people do. I think it’s normal. I think if anything, it shows the passion and the desire. I am human.
‘I think the book was 100 per cent hearsay, at least all the stuff I read and the quotes that I read, which was a little bit disappointing.
‘I don’t have any negative feelings towards her. So I have always, especially having a daughter, felt like negativity is taught. One of the things I always say, I feel like women, especially, should bring each other up.
‘If anything, I feel like we should encourage each other, and the success of one female should be the inspiration to another. Before her incident of drugs or not, I just feel like she was, you know, doing good before that.’
Williams was scornful about how much she features in the book, entitled ‘Unstoppable’.
‘The book was a lot about me. I was surprised about that, to be honest,’ she said.
‘You know, I was, like: “Oh, OK. I didn’t expect to be reading a book about me, that wasn’t necessarily true.”
‘So I was, like, this is really interesting. I didn’t know she looked up to me that much or was so involved in my career.’
Williams maintains that she is the underdog in their latest meeting: ‘We are both on a comeback for two totally different reasons, and she’s been on her journey for over a year and I just started mine a couple months ago. She’s probably a favourite in this match.’
The two have not met since the 2016 Australian Open, where Sharapova tested positive for meldonium which led to her receiving a 15-month ban. It would have been impossible, because by the time Sharapova returned a year last April Williams was on maternity leave, eventually giving birth on September 1.
They kept their eagerlyanticipated appointment after both knocked out players with a technically higher ranking. Sharapova impressed in disposing of No 6 seed Karolina Pliskova 6-2, 6-1 in just 59 minutes, while Williams further shook off some of her ringrust by beating No 11 Julia Goerges 6-3, 6-4.
Sharapova was first one through and, not knowing her next opponent at the time, opted for general diplomacy.
‘I think any time you play against Serena you know what you’re up against,’ she said. ‘You know the challenge that is upon you. You know, despite the record that I have against her, I always look forward to coming out on the court and competing against the best player.’
Sharapova did concede that over the years Williams has caused her particular problems in their match-up.
‘There are a lot of things in her game that she’s done much
better than I have. The numbers don’t lie. I’ve been able to put myself in this position of playing better tennis. That’s what I continue to work for. You don’t put those hours on the back courts in Bradentonfricking-Florida to just show up at events like this and not bring it,’ she added, referring to her training base in America. Two months ago it appeared that Sharapova’s comeback from her doping suspension was in danger of fizzling out into mediocrity.
She was hammered by Angelique Kerber at January’s Australian Open and it turned out to be the start of a run of four successive defeats. Not only that, but she parted company with her loyal coach Sven Groeneveld, who had stuck with her throughout the ban.
But the arrival of the outdoor clay court season heralded a revival, coinciding with her turning back to a former coach, Sweden’s Thomas Hogstedt, who has reinvigorated her game. She started to gain some momentum coming into Roland Garros, a place where she has often performed strongly.
In her five appearances in Paris leading up to the hiatus in her career she won the title twice, made another final and a semi-final too.
Given Williams’ lack of play coming in here, Sharapova will surely see this as a chance to score a rare victory.