Serena Williams will have to pull her tired frame through one last test today if she is to equal Steffi Graf’s tally of 22 Grand Slam titles.
Having played for the last three days in succession she will have to come out for a fourth when she has a French Open rematch of last year’s Wimbledon final, up against world No 4 Garbine Muguruza.
Under more charcoal skies at Roland Garros, Williams eventually saw off the game challenge of Kiki Bertens to win their semi-final 7-6, 6-4, but not before she had needed to save two set points in the opener.
And afterwards she conceded that her somewhat sluggish movement may have been to do with strained muscles in her lower stomach.
‘I have had some issues, but, you know, it is what it is,’ said Williams. ‘I think it’s survival of who can do the best.’
Just like last year she has had to find her way out of some very difficult spots and, at 34, that does not get any easier.
Muguruza, still only 22, will make it hard and when they met at this event two years ago she inflicted Williams’s worst ever loss at a Grand Slam, winning 6-2, 6-2.
‘I learned so much from that match,’ said the American.
‘I hate to lose, but when I do I always hope it was worth it. That match was definitely one of those that was kind of needed. I don’t really want to elaborate, but it was a really unbelievable lesson for me. It propelled me to many, many wins after that.’
Williams will also need to have learned the lessons from her last two Grand Slam defeats. She imploded against Roberta Vinci in the US Open semi-final and then lost to Angelique Kerber in the Australian Open final five months ago.
On both those occasions the less fancied player was inspired, and Muguruza should also have gleaned something from her final at the All England Club last summer.
She will go in buoyed by her 6-2, 6-4 victory over Samantha Stosur, and whatever happens today it looks a question of when, not if, she wins one of the majors.Unlike the Australian’s previous opponents Muguruza, representing Spain but with a strong Venezuelan heritage, had the power to trade from the back in the initially sluggish conditions. She should be the fitter of the two today and played an impressive match, only tightening up when she tried to serve it out at 5-2 in the second.
Williams might be vulnerable, and was fortunate that world No 58 Bertens — wearing Leggings to protect against the cold and her own calf problem — slightly lost her nerve when serving for the first set at 5-4. She had two set points in the tiebreak after some nervy volleys from Williams, whose great experience told in the end and she claimed it 9-7.
That is what you acquire from so many big titles. Among active players she has 14 more than anyone else — the next in line being sister Venus with seven. – Daily Mail