Potential Sharapova/Serena match intriguing
After taking a look at the draw for the Family Circle Cup in Charleston, one thing stands out. That is a potential (and pretty likely) quarterfinal between Maria Sharapova and Serena Williams. Both girls are coming off of titles, Sharapova at Amelia Island, and Serena at Miami. On one hand, Sharapova has been the best player on the WTA Tour this season, with a 22-1 record and three titles (including the Aussie Open). On the other, Serena was dominant in Miami, blowing by world #1 Justine Henin en route to the title.
Taking a look back at their previous matches, Williams is 4-2 against Sharapova lifetime. The last time they met was in Miami in 2007, with Williams winning that match very easily. However, that was over a year ago and Sharapova’s shoulder was hurt and her serve was non-existent.
This would be the first time they would face each other on clay, and that would add a new element to the mix. Of the two, Serena has had more success on clay than Sharapova. The best example of this is that Serena has won the French Open in the past, and Sharapova just won her first clay court title last week! To me, it would seem that Sharapova’s game would translate better than it has on clay. She has the big groundstrokes, but if anything could improve it would be her movement.
Sharapova still would need to win two matches to get to this match, but they are both very winnable. She has Bethanie Mattek today, and then either Tatiana Perebiynis or Julia Schruff in the third round. Meanwhile, Serena already won her second round match against Gisela Dulko and will face either Katarina Srebotnik or Barbora Zahlavova Strycova in the third.
Sooooo, who do you think will win? I know that Serena won easily over her in 2007 but you could make the same excuse for Serena in 2004, coming off of knee surgery and a premature return to the tour. Both times Maria has won over Serena, she was injured or clearly out of shape. Who is your pick?
This is a tough one. Serena has the ability to wear anybody down, but she also has a tendency of making too many mistakes at times. I’m going to lean slightly towards Sharapova, just because she has been on a roll the entire year. It’s going to be close though!
[...] showdown set After much speculation (from us), Maria Sharapova and Serena Williams will meet in the quarterfinals of the Family Circle Cup in [...]