Brilliant Nadal and Serena will head to Wimbledon as favorites – By: Matt Cronin

Written by: Staff on 9th June 2013

Brilliant Nadal and Serena will head to Wimbledon as favorites - By: Matt Cronin |

PARIS – Roland Garros champions Rafael Nadal and Serena Williams will go into Wimbledon as the favorites to win their 13th and 17th Grand Slam titles respectively and there should be little doubt that they deserve that status.

Williams has won the Wimbledon titles on five occasions including in 2012 and is on a 31-match win streak. Nadal has won seven of the nine tournaments he’s entered this year.

Both of came though in the clutch in Paris; Nadal on a court he has owned foes during the past nine years, and Serena in a locale that has troubled her over the past decade.

Nadal managed to best world No. 1 Novak Djokovic 9-7 in the 5th set even though the Serbian had been gunning for him and the French Open title all year and then pulverized his friend David Ferrer in the final for his eight crown in Paris. No man has ever won eight titles at one Grand Slam before and even though its is played on his favored clay, that the Spaniard has been able to come through year after year against one and all is testimony money to his greatness.

“If he continues that way, who is to stop him?” Ferrer asked. “But if someone can do this, it’s good if it’s Rafa.”

He has beaten every other member of the so-called Big 4 there: Djokovic, Roger Federer and Andy Murray. Coincidentally, in the past month he managed to score his 20th win over Djokovic, Federer and Ferrer, whom he is a combined 60-29 against. He is also 13-5 against Murray, whom he could face again at the All England Club, which might be very bad news for the Scot, considering that Nadal has taken him out at there on three occasions.

He is always looking to better himself and has done so since he won his first Slam title at 2005 Roladn Garros. His serve is much bigger, his lethal forehand is more well rounded, his net game is almost airtight and his backhand has better depth on it. He never sits on his laurels and has a deep understanding of his own strengths and weaknesses as well as that of others.

“If you don’t feel that you can improve, you don’t know nothing about life, because nothing is perfect in this life,” said Nadal. “You can improve always in every way. And in tennis for sure you can keep improving. But if you keep improving doesn’t mean you will win more. Win or lose depends on different facts, mental facts, lucky, fresh mentality. I go to practice with a goal, things that I think I need to do better to keep being competitive against the best players. But sure I will keep practicing with the same passion and intensity to bring my tennis to the highest level possible. As I always say, I don’t know if I can do it, the only thing I am sure is I will try; and I will.”

No player is unbeatable, but Serena’s ability to win four straight tournaments (Charleston, Madrid, Rome and Roland Garros) says that if she stays healthy, it will take an extraordinary effort for any player to even win a set off her on grass. The reason for that is because she has by far the biggest and most accurate serve in the game, as well as one of he most lethal returns of serves.

In the Roland Garros final against Maria Sharapova, Williams was untouchable in her last three service games, booming one ace or service winner after another. She seemed to innately sense that if she focused hard enough she could kiss the line and take the play away from Sharapova’s racket.

“Obviously it’s a little bit of confidence but we know she’s going to be able to hit a big serve,” said Sharapova, who added that Williams serves faster than David Ferrer.. “I mean, I think if I was built like Serena I hope I’d be able to hit a big serve like that, too. “

Williams is only one of four players in the Open Era to win more than one Grand Slam title at every major, joining a heady group that includes Chris Evert and Martina Navratilova (who both won 18 Slams in singles) and Steffi Graf, who won 22.

Since she returned from a life-threatening incident in 2011, Williams has been super- committed. She is also more settled than she once was off court, partly because she gets a long so well with her coach of one year and her ‘special friend’ Patrick Mouratoglou.

Her French coach would be stunned if she didn’t tie Evert and Navratilova. That could happen this year if she goes back to back at Wimbledon and the US Open.

“She needs two more titles and, yes, I think she’s going to get them,” he said. “When she is in the right state of mind, she is unbeatable. She is a huge champion, what more can I say? It will only happen if her level of motivation goes down, and that is not the case today.”

Serena did not appeared tired at all after her title run. In fact, her mind was still on the court. But that one had grass blades sprouting form it.

“Wimbledon,” she said. “I’m already thinking about it. That’s absolutely next for me. Hundred percent.”

Topics: French Open final, Rafael Nadal, Roland Garros, Serena Williams, Tennis News