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2008 Wimbledon Semifinals Preview

Posted by Aaress Lawless on Jul 2, 2008 | Print | Email | Bookmark | Free Subscription

Only two women can stop Venus and Serena Williams from meeting in the championship match of a Grand Slam for the seventh time in their careers.

Elena Dementieva and Jie Zheng have a monumental task ahead of them on Thursday in the semifinals at Wimbledon.

(5) Elena Dementieva vs. (7) Venus Williams
Venus Williams feels so at home on Centre Court that she has stopped just short of calling it her house. Wimbledon is the site of some of her fondest tennis memories, and now she is only one match away from playing her seventh final at the Championships–one that will be even more special if she plays her sister.

Venus avoided a semifinal meeting with the highest seed in the top quarter of the draw, but Maria Sharapova’s countrywoman might be even more dangerous. At least with Sharapova, Venus would have known what to expect, but against Dementieva it is anyone’s guess. The Dementieva who sets foot on Centre Court might be confident and aggressive–or nervous and erratic.

Either way, I don’t expect this to be a cakewalk semifinal for Venus. For all Dementieva’s faults, she does have an aggressive baseline game and will make Venus hit extra balls from angles all over the court. The serve will be crucial for both women, especially if Dementieva starts to feel the pressure of the moment.

If Dementieva is going to reach her first major final in four years, she has to play one of the best matches of her career.
Venus Williams in three sets

(6) Serena Williams vs. Jie Zheng
“Grass is a great equalizer,” former No. 1 Ivan Lendl said. “On a bad day, you can lose to anyone.” Justine Henin learned this lesson the hard way in the semifinals last year against Marion Bartoli, and Serena Williams will do well to remember that those who don’t learn from history are doomed to repeat it.

At this stage, Jie Zheng is playing with nothing to lose. Her ranking was so low that she needed a wild card just to enter the singles event, but she has knocked out three seeds in succession, including world No. 1 Ana Ivanovic. The past ten days have been a modern Cinderella story for the Chinese 24-year-old, who had never before gone past the third round at the Championships.

Unfortunately for her, the next seed in her path will be the steeliest one yet. Serena Williams has hit her groove, which she proved by dismissing the hard-hitting Agnieszka Radwanska in straight sets to reach the semifinals. Williams’ serve is winning her more free points than anyone else at Wimbledon, as she leads the field with thirty-four aces in just five matches.

It was a huge surprise when Marion Bartoli reached the final last year, but that will pale in comparison if Zheng ousts Serena Williams on Thursday. While I agree that grass is the great equalizer, the scales are not as evenly balanced when the No. 133rd-ranked player in the world has to face an eight-time major winner on one of her best surfaces for a spot in a Grand Slam championship match.
Serena Williams in two sets