By Matthew Marolf
A year ago at The All England Club, Serena played in her first Major final in 18 months, in just her fourth tournament after a life-threatening child birth. She was outplayed on that day by Angelique Kerber. Two months later in New York, she again reached the final. But in highly controversial fashion, she went down in defeat again to Naomi Osaka.
As usual, Serena did not play for the rest of 2018. And she spent the first six months of this season battling injuries, only playing 12 matches ahead of this fortnight. But as she has so many times, Serena has rounded into form as Wimbledon progressed. This is the moment of redemption she’s been waiting for since last September’s US Open, where she feels she was treated unjustly.
Despite cutting her 2018 season short due to a back injury, Halep ended the year as the world No.1 for the second consecutive time. And after Darren Cahill stepped down as her coach in the offseason, she went without a title for the first six months of this year, and dropped to No.7 in the rankings.
Now on her worst surface, she’s into her fifth Major final. Simona only dropped one set on the way to this championship match, and has spoken of how she finally feels fully comfortable on the grass.
Simona Halep (7) vs. Serena Williams (11)
Serena has owned Halep throughout their careers. Their head-to-head is 9-1 in Serena’s favour, with Simona’s only victory coming in the round robin phase of the 2014 WTA finals on an indoor hard court. It’s worth noting that just a few days later, Serena avenged that loss in the final, dropping just three games. Their only match on grass was their first, here at Wimbledon in 2011. Serena took that in three sets over a young and undeveloped Halep.
Their most recent meeting was six months ago in the fourth round of the Australian Open, which Serena also won in three. As with so many of her matches, if Serena plays her best, it’s hard to imagine her losing. Her movement, which was so hampered at Roland Garros due to her knee, has improved as this fortnight has progressed.
But Halep won’t be overwhelmed by this moment or this opponent, and has the consistency and movement to push Serena, especially if the GOAT gets tight. Simona will desperately need to get in a high percentage of first serves, as Serena will crush her soft second ones. While the nerves will certainly be present for Serena, I think her determination will defeat her nerves in the end, as she will Halep.
Other notable matches on Day 12:
In the gentlemen’s doubles final, Juan Sebastian Cabal and Robert Farah (2), easily the best doubles team in the world this year, vs. the French team of 37-year-old Nicolas Mahut and 35-year-old Edouard Roger-Vasselin (11).
In the ladies’ doubles final, singles standouts Su-Wei Hsieh and Barbora Strycova (3) vs. Gabriela Dabrowski and Yifan Xu (4), who upset the defending champion in the semi-finals. Singles semi-finalist Strycova would become the new doubles No.1 with a win today.
