Early in her impressive career, the ultra-competitive Maria Sharapova declared she hates to lose to the same player twice in a row. Stints at world No.1 and 29 career titles – including each of the four Grand Slams – point to Sharapova’s success in avoiding that scenario.
The one exception, though, has been against Serena Williams. As a fearless 17-year-old, Sharapova outclassed Serena in the final to claim Wimbledon. She repeated that performance in the final of the WTA Championships the same year – but has since lost each of the 11 matches she’s contested against the world No.1.
It makes Friday’s Brisbane International 2014 semifinal showdown between two of the biggest stars in world sport all the more intriguing.
In the past decade, Serena has in fact surrendered just three sets to Sharapova, the most recent of those occasions occurring in the Miami 2013 final, when she took just over two hours to claim a 4-6 6-3 6-0 win. The so-close-yet-so-far result at least some encouragement for Sharapova, who surmised: “It was a step in the right direction and there’s no doubt that we’ll be playing many more times.”
Far from dreading such encounters Sharapova relishes the chance to compete against the most prolific player of her generation. “There is no substitute for getting ready for at Grand Slam by competing against the best,” she said in Brisbane yesterday.
“You know that you have to raise your level in order to beat her. That’s the excitement you feel, is you know have you to step up on the line and expect yourself to raise that level.”
There could be optimism in the fact that Sharapova had to fight hard in the quarterfinal, eventually overcoming 2012 Brisbane champion Kaia Kanepi 4-6 6-4 6-2 in just her second match after a long lay-off due to injury. “It was important for me to get through a match like this because I haven’t had those moments where you’re down and you have to get yourself back up again and find a way to win,” she said.
Serena, who overcame Dominika Cibulkova 6-3 6-3 in the quarterfinals, also understands when it’s time to lift a level. “When you’re playing anyone in the top five or top 10, for me, I approach that match different because they know what that takes to win,” she said ahead of tonight’s semifinal. “Some of them have won Grand Slams so they know what it takes to go even further. You definitely can’t underestimate those players.”
> Purchase Brisbane International 2014 tickets
That match won’t be the only one to keep fans on the edge of their seats on Friday. In the other women’s semifinal, the third match of the day session, Victora Azarenka meets Jelena Jankovic, who continued her career resurgence with a win against Angelique Kerber. Having temporarily dropped outside the top 20, the Serbian returned to the top 10 after winning more than 40 matches in 2013. One of them was against Azarenka at the prestigious season-ending WTA Championships. They enter today’s semifinal with the Belarussian holding a narrow 5-4 lead in their head-to-head record.
In men’s quarterfinal action, top seed Roger Federer faces Marinko Matosevic in the first match of the night session at Pat Rafter Arena. The Swiss star has never played a match against the Australian, who having claimed his first two main draw matches on home soil is quickly finding his way into the hearts of local supporters.
Still, Federer says that even if the most support belongs to the home favourite, he’s overwhelmed with the reaction from Brisbane fans. “I go to the match and try to play a good match. I’m already very thankful that I always get a chance to play in front of a sell‑out crowd usually, and all the support I do get is so appreciated,” he said. “This week it’s a very special experience for me.”
The other men’s quarterfinals will be fought out earlier in the day. First up on Pat Rafter Arena will be second seed Kei Nishikori and danger man Marin Cilic. Despite being unseeded, Cilic is a former top 10 player and has already ousted fifth seed Grigor Dimitrov and talented Uzbekistani Denis Istomin.
Following that match will be Lleyton Hewitt and qualifier Marius Copil. Both Hewitt and Copil upended seeded players to join the tournament’s final eight club. Despite knowing little about Romanian Copil, Hewitt has vowed not to take his 147th-ranked opponent lightly but will be favoured to move through to the semifinals.