Sharapova ahead of their Wimbledon semi-final
clash, as the world No. 1 admitted she saves her
best performances for clashes with her fiercest
rival.Sharapova caused one of the greatest
Wimbledon shocks 11 years ago when, aged just
17, she defeated Serena in the final to claim her
first Grand Slam title.
The duo's relationship has remained frosty ever
since, occasionally turning nasty - as it did two
years ago when they traded barbs about
Sharapova dating Williams' ex-boyfriend Grigor
Dimitrov and the American's own relationship
with her French coach Patrick Mouratoglou.
But while Sharapova has won five Grand Slam
titles and built a global brand that makes her the
world's highest-paid female athlete, the 28-year-
old has been left trailing in Williams' wake and
has not beaten the American since 2004.
The 33-year-old American has a 17-2 lead in
their head-to-head record, winning their last 16
meetings and depriving Sharapova of three major
titles - in the 2007 and 2015 Australian Open
finals as well as the 2013 French Open final.
Williams has also won all four of her semi-final
meetings with Sharapova, defeating the Russian
in their previous Wimbledon clash in the last 16
in 2010 and routing her in the 2012 Olympic final
at the All England Club.
After battling back to defeat Victoria Azarenka
3-6, 6-2, 6-3 in the last eight - extending her
winning run at Grand Slams to 26 matches and
her 2015 record to 37-1 - she said she cannot
wait to take on Sharapova again.
"I love playing Maria. I think she brings out the
best in me. I thought we had a wonderful final in
Australia. It was very entertaining," said
Williams, who remains on course to hold all four
major titles at once and is in the hunt to clinch
the first calendar Grand Slam since 1988.
"For me, I don't feel like I have any pressure
going into this match. I don't have anything to
prove.
"I won all the Grand Slams, multiple times. Now,
it's just I am here just to enjoy it.
"It's actually making me play better, which is
crazy."
Sharapova is in her fifth Wimbledon semi-final,
and her first since 2011, thanks to a hard-fought
6-3, 6-7 (3-7), 6-2 last-eight victory over Coco
Vandeweghe.
Asked if her lack of success in the Williams
match-up would be weighing on her mind,
Sharapova gamely insisted she still relishes the
challenge of playing the American.
"I haven't had great success against her. I
would love to change that around. That's how I
look at it," the world No. 4 said.
"Definitely no secrets between each other's
games, but it will be an incredible moment for
me to step out on Centre Court against her
again," she added.
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