Wimbledon 2008: Rivalries Renewed
Tennis' best rivalries are renewed as the Williams sisters and Federer-Nadal duel
July 4, 2008
By Mike Halford
Bodog Nation Contributing Writer
The gods must be smiling on Wimbledon.
While the All England Lawn and Tennis club has suffered its share of misfortune these last few weeks - rain, lack of excitement, the elimination of Maria Sharapova and local boy Andy Murray - the tournament couldn't have asked for better finals.
The enigmatic Williams sisters, Serena and Venus, will meet for the 17th time in their careers for the women's crown, while on the men's side, Roger Federer and Rafa Nadal will once again battle for top spot in the world.
Given the dearth of compelling storylines in tennis today, you couldn't have scripted two better matchups for the sport's biggest stage.
The history coursing through the veins of each rivalry now represents tennis' lifeblood. Nowhere is this more evident than in Federer vs. Nadal, now ready to join the pantheon of Jimmy Connors vs. Bjorn Borg, Boris Becker vs. Stefan Edberg and Pete Sampras vs. Andre Agassi.
Not to say that the females aren't compelling in their own rights. While Williams vs. Williams sounds more like a custody battle than tennis royalty, Venus and Serena have made it the greatest sibling rivalry in sports. Having already twice battled for Wimbledon supremacy - Serena beat Venus in 2002 and 2003 - the two now prepare to write another chapter of their historic book.
A rundown of the specifics, then:
How They Got Here
Serena: A relatively easy road with some of the top seeds knocked out early. Defeated former No. 1 Amelie Mauresmo in the third round 7-6(5), 6-1 and then cruised past Agnieszka Radwanska and Jie Zheng, a wild-card qualifier who stunned the tourney with a semifinals run.
Venus: Has blown past all comers, not dropping a set thus far. Her toughest match came in the semis against Russian Elena Dementieva, a 6-1, 7-6(7) victory that saw her post a winning percentage of 76 on first serve.
History
The sisters have met at Wimbledon three times before. (AP Images)The sisters have met 16 times before with Serena leading the series 9-7. Their last meeting came in March at the Bangalore Open, where Serena beat Venus in the semifinals 6–3, 3–6, 7–6(4) after Serena saved a match point while trailing 6–5 in the third set.
The last time the pair met in a Grand Slam was at the 2005 U.S. Open, where Venus won a round of 16 match.
At Wimbledon, the sisters have met three times. Serena beat Venus in the 2002 and 2003 finals. Venus beat Serena in the 2000 semifinals.
Looking Ahead
Since neither sister has lost a set, this match has become increasingly difficult to handicap. The choice might come down to history. While Serena has won more grand slams - eight to Venus' six - the elder Williams has had far more success at Wimbledon. She'll be going for her fifth title at the All England Club in her seventh finals appearance.
Pick: Venus Williams
How They Got Here
Nadal: Has swept through the competition, his lone blemish losing a set to Latvia's Ernests Gulbis in the second round. Other than that, he's been brilliant, dispatching No. 27 Nicolas Kiefer, No. 17 Mikhail Youzhny and No. 12 Andy Murray - the latter in front of a partisan English crowd.
Federer hasn't lost a single set so far in the tournament. (AP Images)Federer: The Swiss machine has one-upped Nadal, not losing a single set thus far. Yet he only defeated one ranked opponent - No. 20 Lleyton Hewitt - before running roughshod over Mario Ancic in the quarters (6-1, 7-5, 6-4) and Marat Safin in the semis (6-3, 7-6(7), 6-4).
History
Despite Federer's No. 1 ranking, it is Nadal who has dominated the series. The 22-year-old Spaniard leads 11-6, including a three-match winning streak that began at the Monte Carlo Masters and culminated with a 6-1, 6-2, 6-0 whitewash at the French Open.
Nadal also has the edge in Grand Slams. In all matches, he leads 4-2; in finals, Nadal leads 3-2.
Still, it's hard to ignore Federer's dominance on grass. The pair have met in the last two Wimbledon finals with Federer taking both. Much has been made of Federer's brilliance on the lawn, and rightfully so - he's won five straight Wimbledons and has only once been truly tested (a five-set marathon against Nadal in the 2007 final).
Looking Ahead
Nadal needs clay court skills to translate to grass. (AP Images)There's a reason Federer is still listed as the favorite despite losing three straight matches to Nadal. He's bloody impossible to beat on grass. Nadal has upped his skills on the lawn, but let's be honest, the kid is a clay court specialist first and foremost.
It's a tall order for him to knock off the "King of Wimbledon" at Wimbledon, isn't it? While the rivalry might bring his game to a higher level, it's doubtful Nadal can turn the trick on a surface Federer literally owns on tour.
Pick: Roger Federer
TOP PHOTO: Venus Williams will play her sister Serena for the Women's Singles Championship this weekend. (AP Images)
