Serena Williams continues her quest for history as she approaches the semifinals of Wimbledon. The tennis star is looking to complete the year grand slam and winning Wimbledon would be icing on the cake. However, there is one competitor that is considered to have the best chance at upsetting her attempt at history and it is Maria Sharapova who will face Williams in the semis.
Sharapova's history against Williams is not positive. She has 16 straight losses to the American which does not bode well for her chance to upset the star on Thursday. According to Williams' coach Patrick Mouratoglou, Sharapova does not have a mental block against the American, she just simply lacks what it takes to beat her.
"She does not have a mental block against Serena," Mouratoglou said, via the New York Times. "Serena simply plays tennis much better than she does. For me, [Victoria] Azarenka [whom Williams defeated in a three-set quarterfinal Tuesday] is much better than Sharapova. There's no discussion. Sharapova is a great champion. She has great qualities. She fights incredibly and has tremendous mental strength. But at some stage, her level of play hits a ceiling. That said, Serena is not immune to a bad match, right?"
For Williams, she is looking for her second "Serena Slam" after starting the run with a win at the US Open last September. That last woman to complete the task of the calendar Grand Slam was Steffi Graf in 1988. If Williams were to join her, she would also officially hold 22 career slam titles which is just two short of the all-time record currently held by Margaret Court. Williams has been in some tight matches during this Wimbledon run, but she has thrived with her razor-accurate serve and ability to simply tire out opponents.
Sharapova has beaten Williams once before. When she was 17 she topped the American on her way to winning Wimbledon, but since then it simply has not happened. The rivalry between the two tennis stars has been one sided, but not for lack of trying on Sharapova's end. She has the confidence entering the semifinals, but does she have the shots to shock Williams and win? The winner of the match gets a spot in Saturday's finals.
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