Serena's at favourite surface, motivated
Serena's in the zone and motivated for her 22nd Grand Slam title, says our columnist
I am really excited about today's Wimbledon women's singles final between Serena Williams and Angelique Kerber.
It is a rematch of this year's Australian Open final, which the German won, and today's match will be the second time the two will meet in three Grand Slam finals this year.
It is great for the sport because it could potentially start a rivalry between the two, and fans will be on the edge of their seats to see if there will be a different outcome this time.
I know I will.
Wimbledon is Serena's comfort zone - having won six titles at the All England Club - but Angelique is going to be a tough opponent.
The German obviously has the confidence now, having gotten a Grand Slam title under her belt, and she has really refined her game.
The 28-year-old definitely has great movement on the court, has excellent accuracy in her ground strokes, is consistent, and has shown great mental toughness.
I am so impressed with her because she is playing with so much poise and confidence.
While she has gotten the proverbial monkey off her back by winning in Australia and will no longer feel the need to prove herself, she will really want to solidify herself as a consistently performing top player by winning today.
On the other hand, Serena will certainly want revenge for her Australian Open defeat.
She will be more motivated because I don't think Serena wants to lose to anybody twice.
Without a doubt, she is going to be ready for the match, and I am sure she will take the lessons from Australia and apply them in this final.
One area in that defeat by Angelique in Australia was her lower-than-normal first-serve percentage.
If Serena serves well today and has a high first-serve percentage, it will be a lot tougher on Angelique, and that could well impact the outcome of the final.
HUNGER
I could feel that she really wants it this time, judging by her convincing semi-final victory over Elena Vesnina, and the way she is looking mentally on court.
While she hadn't looked like her normal self in recent tournaments, Serena definitely looks like the player that we know and love at Wimbledon.
Also on the line for Serena is Steffi Graf's Open-era record of 22 Grand Slam titles, which the American will tie if she wins today.
Some people may point to the pressure of achieving that, but Serena is a true professional and a champion, and she has shown it through and through over the past two decades.
Tennis is a mental game, and she's so strong in that aspect.
She has achieved so many things - she is the oldest woman to win a Major in the Open era, and the oldest world No. 1 in history, and has been at the top of the rankings since Feb 18, 2013.
Having been the world No. 1 for years now, she knows how to handle pressure, so I don't think this will be a factor in the outcome today.
She is probably ready to win her 22nd Grand Slam title, and get it over and done with, having come close on several occasions in the past year.
So, we are in for an exciting match and, hopefully, a great showcase for women's tennis. A tough three-set match will be awesome for the spectators.
*Canadian Melissa Pine is a former NCAA player and a columnist for The New Paper. She is the vice-president of WTA Asia-Pacific and also the tournament director of the WTA Finals. Held in Singapore from 2014 to 2018, the 10-day tennis extravaganza showcases the world's top-eight singles players and doubles teams competing for a grand prize of US$7 million ($9.6m). For more information on the event, visit www.wtafinals.com
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