Maria Sharapova celebrates her French Open semi-final win against Victoria Azarenka. Photograph: Yoan Valat/EPA
Vitas Gerulaitis famously said after beating Jimmy Connors in
1980 to end a run of 16 defeats against the American: "Nobody beats
Vitas Gerulaitis 17 times in a row."
It was oft-quoted here on Friday, as we contemplated the fate of Maria Sharapova against Serena Williams in the final of the French Open on Saturday. But the Russian's mien rarely encourages levity, so she goes to the scene of her daunting examination not with a light step but more like a stubborn Marie Antoinette, determined rather than buoyant about her chances of prevailing against the odds. She wants not only to keep her crown but to end a sequence of 12 losses against the world No1. It is the most unenviable assignment in tennis.
Sharapova was guarded on Friday but did admit she is trying not to think about her history against the most formidable presence in the women's game.
Her debut slam win as a teenager over Williams at Wimbledon in 2004 seems a long time ago. "If I was thinking about it, that wouldn't be a great mindset, to go into a match like that," said Sharapova. "But, yeah, despite that record and despite me being unsuccessful against her, I believe that I'm happy to be setting up chances to be going out and facing her, someone who's been playing and dominating tennis for almost a year now.
"Her success has been incredible. But going into a French Open final, that doesn't matter. It all starts from zero. You've got to play until the last point, and believe in yourself."
Williams maintained the practised response, too. Was she not encouraged by having not lost to Sharapova in nine years and allowing her just three sets from 27 in all that time? "Not really," she said, "because it's a different time, a different era, a different match."
It's hard to accept either of them believe exactly what they're saying. There has to be trepidation, or at least doubt, mingling with determination in Sharapova's mind, and considerable confidence welling up in Williams. Yet they must honour the ritual – understandably, perhaps. "It doesn't matter," Sharapova added, "because you're at the French Open final. No matter how good she's playing, you also have to give yourself a bit of credit for getting to that point and doing a few things right to be at that stage and giving yourself an opportunity. Whether you take it, that's another story."
It could be a tale of woe in two acts, or it could be drama on a grand scale. The kindest fate for Sharapova would be the latter, and she will unquestionably give it everything she has got, even after an exhausting campaign. Sharapova has never lacked for self-belief. She is a walking paradox, calm and insular in interviews, a tigress on the court – and that is clearly where she intends to best use her energy. She feels better able to back up after hard matches now, as well, as she pointed out after her three-set struggle to see off Victoria Azarenka in the semi-finals.
While Williams was gunning her down – from the semi-finals in Melbourne in 2005 all the way through a dozen matches up to Madrid this year – Sharapova did not flinch once. And she has grown stronger.
"I don't think maybe five, six, seven years ago I would have felt as fresh," she said – although nobody in any of the myriad draws at these championships can be fresher than Williams. Before dismissing poor Sara Errani in 46 minutes on Thursday, she had spent a minute over six hours on court in five matches. Sharapova's court time reaching the semis was nearly eight and a half hours before Azarenka detained her a further two hours and 10 minutes. So the champion has spent nearly four hours more getting to the final than the challenger over the past fortnight.
Sharapova has a lot of time to ponder her fate, work out a strategy, gather her resolve. "Right now I'm pretty hungry," she said, a quick smile playing on her lips. "Might go take a walk. I don't think I'll be doing any shopping."
What we never remember about Gerulaitis is how many times he went into a match with Connors laughing at his fate, with the resignation of a condemned man. It got him through the ordeal and his eventual victory can hardly have been sweeter. If she defies the odds, Sharapova could hardly be happier than Vitas was that night at Madison Square Garden.
It was oft-quoted here on Friday, as we contemplated the fate of Maria Sharapova against Serena Williams in the final of the French Open on Saturday. But the Russian's mien rarely encourages levity, so she goes to the scene of her daunting examination not with a light step but more like a stubborn Marie Antoinette, determined rather than buoyant about her chances of prevailing against the odds. She wants not only to keep her crown but to end a sequence of 12 losses against the world No1. It is the most unenviable assignment in tennis.
Sharapova was guarded on Friday but did admit she is trying not to think about her history against the most formidable presence in the women's game.
Her debut slam win as a teenager over Williams at Wimbledon in 2004 seems a long time ago. "If I was thinking about it, that wouldn't be a great mindset, to go into a match like that," said Sharapova. "But, yeah, despite that record and despite me being unsuccessful against her, I believe that I'm happy to be setting up chances to be going out and facing her, someone who's been playing and dominating tennis for almost a year now.
"Her success has been incredible. But going into a French Open final, that doesn't matter. It all starts from zero. You've got to play until the last point, and believe in yourself."
Williams maintained the practised response, too. Was she not encouraged by having not lost to Sharapova in nine years and allowing her just three sets from 27 in all that time? "Not really," she said, "because it's a different time, a different era, a different match."
It's hard to accept either of them believe exactly what they're saying. There has to be trepidation, or at least doubt, mingling with determination in Sharapova's mind, and considerable confidence welling up in Williams. Yet they must honour the ritual – understandably, perhaps. "It doesn't matter," Sharapova added, "because you're at the French Open final. No matter how good she's playing, you also have to give yourself a bit of credit for getting to that point and doing a few things right to be at that stage and giving yourself an opportunity. Whether you take it, that's another story."
It could be a tale of woe in two acts, or it could be drama on a grand scale. The kindest fate for Sharapova would be the latter, and she will unquestionably give it everything she has got, even after an exhausting campaign. Sharapova has never lacked for self-belief. She is a walking paradox, calm and insular in interviews, a tigress on the court – and that is clearly where she intends to best use her energy. She feels better able to back up after hard matches now, as well, as she pointed out after her three-set struggle to see off Victoria Azarenka in the semi-finals.
While Williams was gunning her down – from the semi-finals in Melbourne in 2005 all the way through a dozen matches up to Madrid this year – Sharapova did not flinch once. And she has grown stronger.
"I don't think maybe five, six, seven years ago I would have felt as fresh," she said – although nobody in any of the myriad draws at these championships can be fresher than Williams. Before dismissing poor Sara Errani in 46 minutes on Thursday, she had spent a minute over six hours on court in five matches. Sharapova's court time reaching the semis was nearly eight and a half hours before Azarenka detained her a further two hours and 10 minutes. So the champion has spent nearly four hours more getting to the final than the challenger over the past fortnight.
Sharapova has a lot of time to ponder her fate, work out a strategy, gather her resolve. "Right now I'm pretty hungry," she said, a quick smile playing on her lips. "Might go take a walk. I don't think I'll be doing any shopping."
What we never remember about Gerulaitis is how many times he went into a match with Connors laughing at his fate, with the resignation of a condemned man. It got him through the ordeal and his eventual victory can hardly have been sweeter. If she defies the odds, Sharapova could hardly be happier than Vitas was that night at Madison Square Garden.
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