By Chris Oddo | @TheFanChild | Tuesday July 9, 2019
Semi-finals here we come! The last four is set on the Ladies Singles side at Wimbledon and we’re here to break down the matchups.
By The Numbers:
23 - Number of Grand Slam titles that Williams has won, compared to just one for the other three semi-finalists.
41 - Number of aces that Serena Williams has hit through five rounds at Wimbledon; the rest of the semi-finalists have hit 29 combined.
53 - Number of Grand Slam appearance that it took Strycova to reach her first major semi-final. At 33, she is the oldest WTA Grand Slam semi-final debutante in the Open Era.
0 - Number of unseeded Wimbledon finalists in the Open Era; Strycova will bid to become the first against Serena Williams on Thursday.
83 - Percentage of service games won at Wimbledon by Barbora Strycova, which leads all semi-finalists.
51 - Percentage of return games won at Wimbledon by Simona Halep, which leads all four semi-finalists.
Serena Williams v Barbora Strycova
Barbora Strycova has completed a remarkable run to the semi-finals, reaching the last four at a major for the first time in her 53rd Grand Slam appearance, but the Czech’s next test will be much sterner than any of the five she has faced thus far at Wimbledon.
Seven-time Wimbledon and 23-time Grand Slam champion Serena Williams is waiting.
The American edged Alison Riske in a tight tussle on Tuesday, and her legendary serve played a large part as she was able to crank 19 aces and rain down 36 percent unreturned serves.
Williams was far from perfect in the match, but her serving has progressed nicely, as she nearly doubled her ace output of the previous four rounds on Tuesday against Riske.
But the cagey Strycova, despite her 0-3 lifetime record against Williams, might be able to cause problems if she can get into points and move the American around.
The Czech will also have to be tidy with her serve, perhaps tidier than she has been in her previous four matches. Strycova has been broken nine times so far in the tournament, but does lead all semi-finalists in percentage of service games won.
“If she serves well, you have really no chance to kind of return the serve,” Strycova said. “I will just try to put as much as I can in because when we get to the rally, it's good way for me. When she has a good day of serving, then I have really no chance to put some returns in. I have to just be focusing on my serve, not really on the return.”
This could be a very interesting contrast of styles, but if Strycova isn’t able to protect her serve as she alluded to, things could get away from her quickly.
Simona Halep v Elina Svitolina
Simona Halep snapped a three-match losing streak against Elina Svitolina in Doha in January, but it is the Ukrainian that owns the 4-3 head-to-head advantage.
In reality it’s hard to say which player will come through this evenly matched semi-final between two world-class players who aren’t necessarily known for their grass-court prowess.
Halep certainly has the right mindset and says she feels great about playing on Wimbledon’s grass at the moment. When she was asked about her previous run to the semi-finals at Wimbledon in 2014, she told reporter that she’s a totally different person and player now.
“I'm a different person,” she said. “Everything changed. I have a lot of experience now. I'm more confident. I love grass. … I think it's a big challenge for me, next match. But I will take it like I took every match since I'm here. I'm relaxed. I'm happy. I'm motivated to win.”
Halep is a confident player and she showed that in her straight-set takedown of Zhang Shuai on Tuesday. She hit 17 winners against 13 unforced errors and made 76 percent of her first-serves.
“I try just to adjust myself, my body, to this court,” she said. “I feel more confident now. Every time the ball comes to me, I feel like I know what to do with it, which is important.”
Svitolina could be motivated by another Grand Slam memory on Thursday. She blew a set and 5-1 lead before being bageled in the third set against Halep in the 2017 Roland Garros quarter-finals. The Ukrainian doesn’t want to remember the match, but reporters didn’t give her a chance on Tuesday in press.
“We played also many times after that quarterfinal,” Svitolina said. “I don't really want to think about that one because it didn't go my way. It was quite long time ago now. … I think I'm a little bit different player now.”