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Resurgent Serena yet to peak as old foe Sharapova awaits
2007-01-26
A resurgent Serena Williams has warned her game is yet to peak as she prepares for Saturday's Australian Open final against top seeded Russian Maria Sharapova. Both players are gunning to rewrite the history books. Sharapova is bidding to become the first Russian woman to claim the title and Williams the only unseeded champion since 1978. Victory would provide seven-time Grand Slam winner Williams, who is producing a movie about her tennis idol Althea Gibson, with a Hollywood ending to her comeback from injury. Unseeded and entering the competition ranked number 81 after an injury-plagued 2006, she was written off as too unfit and unmotivated by many pundits, with ex-Wimbledon champion Pat Cash labelling her "delusional". The 2003 and 2005 Australian champion goes into this year's decider the underdog, a marked contrast to their 2004 Wimbledon final when the American was the heavy favourite against a little known 17-year-old. Sharapova, now 19, scored an upset win and the odds favour her to repeat the feat Saturday. But Williams, 25, has defied expectations to oust five seeded players on her way to the final, twice coming back from a set down and saying she could "see the rust shedding from my game". "I've had a lot of comebacks in this tournament. I went from rock bottom the 'hey, there she is again'," said Williams, adding that she had nothing to lose and was having fun in her remarkable return to Grand Slam tennis. Asked about the reasons for her success, she replied: "My stamina, my mental ability, my sheer desire. I played a couple of good matches but I definitely haven't peaked. "I always say I've got to get into the finals to peak. Hopefully that's what I'm doing." Williams refused to outline her long-term goals because she did not want to "jinx" herself. But her "number one" gestures to the Melbourne Park crowd after her quarter- and semi-final wins are a likely indication of where she believes she should be. The world number one spot is a title that Sharapova has only just reclaimed and she will be out to consolidate it with a win over Williams Saturday. The glamour girl of the women's tour said she felt confident ahead of a match that will pit Williams' serving power against her ability to throw her leggy frame around the court to chase down returns. Sharapova, who came within two points of being eliminated in her opening match, said she felt she had turned around her game in her semi-final win over Kim Clijsters and was ready to face Williams in the final. "I did the right things at the right time and played good tennis, which gives me a lot of confidence going into the final," she said. The reigning US Open champion played down the much discussed "intimidation factor" Williams brings on court, saying she never felt overwhelmed by the Amercian even when she was at the height of her powers. "We've always had pretty good battles, exciting matches. I definitely enjoy the fight against her," she said. "If you've played the opponent before and seen the opponent before you know the strengths and weaknesses. You know what shots work well for you and what shots work well for them." The pair have met four times, the most recent an epic three set semi-final here in 2005 that Williams won after saving three match points.
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