Wimbledon: Women’s Semi-finals Preview
Posted by Sally on July 2, 2008
[6] Serena Williams v WC Jie Zheng
Zheng’s semi-final showing has made history. Not only is she the first Chinese player to reach the semi-finals of a Grand Slam event, but she is also the first wildcard to reach the semi-finals at Wimbledon. Her match against Nicole Vaidisova in the previous round was a strong indication that trying to hit her off the court is not the way to go, particularly as she has the timing and movement to counteract it. She might be petite, but she can hit the ball pretty hard too when she wants to. One of the main problems that her opponents have faced is the fact that the ball is constantly coming back to them very quickly, sometimes more quickly than they expect. Whether the dream run will continue against Williams is debatable, but having seen off four seeds already, would it really be such a surprise to see her book her place in the final? Despite the ranking difference of well over 100 places, the two have met previously. That was in the first round of Wimbledon four years ago, with Williams winning 6-3 6-1. I expect it to be a lot closer this time around, unless Zheng finally runs out of steam.
Williams in three sets
[7] Venus Williams v [5] Elena Dementieva
Dementieva saw off compatriot Nadia Petrova in the quarter-finals, but it was a very nervy display. She lead by a set and 5-1, but saw her lead evaporate as Petrova won the set in a tie-break. She managed to regain her composure in the third set to seal the win, but she is unlikely to be able to do the same against Williams, particularly if the American brings her A-game to the court. Williams leads the head-to-head series 5-2, but this will be the first meeting on grass. All but one of Williams’ wins have come in straight sets, whereas Dementieva’s have been three set affairs (as you might expect from her excellent record in three set matches).
Williams in two sets
