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By Tom Fordyce
BBC Sport at Wimbledon |
Serena 6-6 Sharapova
Screeching first serve from Maria - hotter than July, and Serena counter-punches long. Is that on the line from Serena with the cross-courter? Nope, but it had to be close. Breaker o'clock, and this is the first the two have ever contested in their eight meetings.
Screeching first serve from Maria - hotter than July, and Serena counter-punches long. Is that on the line from Serena with the cross-courter? Nope, but it had to be close. Breaker o'clock, and this is the first the two have ever contested in their eight meetings.
Serena 6-5 Sharapova *
Fancy-pants of a different sort from Serena, flicking a return off a fault from behind her back straight to the ball-boy. Wonderful backhand return cross court from Maria, and now a brutal battle of forehands - flashing duel, the pace increasing with each ping off the racquet - wide from Maria. Another stunning backhand return brings up deuce, but the serve clicks into gear - that's not coming back, and that will but avec too much moutard - long. Tremendous battle now.
Fancy-pants of a different sort from Serena, flicking a return off a fault from behind her back straight to the ball-boy. Wonderful backhand return cross court from Maria, and now a brutal battle of forehands - flashing duel, the pace increasing with each ping off the racquet - wide from Maria. Another stunning backhand return brings up deuce, but the serve clicks into gear - that's not coming back, and that will but avec too much moutard - long. Tremendous battle now.
* Serena 5-5 Sharapova
Serena crouches, treating Sir Trevor McDonald and Sir Clifford of Richard in the Royal Box to an eyeful of red knick-knacks. She's still pushing this a little too hard here, crunching a meaty forehand long and snatching at another. "Come on!" screams Maria, and fist-clenches with slightly frightening intensity.
Serena crouches, treating Sir Trevor McDonald and Sir Clifford of Richard in the Royal Box to an eyeful of red knick-knacks. She's still pushing this a little too hard here, crunching a meaty forehand long and snatching at another. "Come on!" screams Maria, and fist-clenches with slightly frightening intensity.
Serena 5-4 Sharapova *
At 15-30 Serena looks troubled, Maria shouting out for a Hawk-Eye challenge and being backed up by two millimetres. That's a sweet cross-court angle from Serena, followed by ace no.14. Champion. Tweaks at the changeover - Serena is switching shoes, taking the insoles out of one pair of shoes and wedging them into another. Probably unnecessary detail, but still. Shara to hold to save the set.
At 15-30 Serena looks troubled, Maria shouting out for a Hawk-Eye challenge and being backed up by two millimetres. That's a sweet cross-court angle from Serena, followed by ace no.14. Champion. Tweaks at the changeover - Serena is switching shoes, taking the insoles out of one pair of shoes and wedging them into another. Probably unnecessary detail, but still. Shara to hold to save the set.
* Serena 4-4 Sharapova
Ah, shot de jour from the fierce-faced Shara, opening her body up for the forehand down the line before pulling a whipper cross court instead. First ace of her day for 40-15, and Serena then backhands just beyond the baseline off a feisty second serve. Hardly a bare-headed spectator out there, which makes perfect sense in these sizzling conditions. Civil servants at the Dept of Health, your messages are hitting home.
Ah, shot de jour from the fierce-faced Shara, opening her body up for the forehand down the line before pulling a whipper cross court instead. First ace of her day for 40-15, and Serena then backhands just beyond the baseline off a feisty second serve. Hardly a bare-headed spectator out there, which makes perfect sense in these sizzling conditions. Civil servants at the Dept of Health, your messages are hitting home.
Serena 4-3 Sharapova *
She's always got that thrashing serve to fall back on, though - wide and flat, wide and flat again. Beautifully poised now, and the pair of Florida residents return to their chairs with applause pouring into their ears.
She's always got that thrashing serve to fall back on, though - wide and flat, wide and flat again. Beautifully poised now, and the pair of Florida residents return to their chairs with applause pouring into their ears.
* Serena 3-3 Sharapova
Shara, hair pulled tight into plaited pigtail, narrows her eyes and stares across the net, her long gold earrings swaying. Better serving, and Serena's almost forcing this too much - five unforced errors already, and another sending a backhand long allows Shara to pull level. Intriguing.
Shara, hair pulled tight into plaited pigtail, narrows her eyes and stares across the net, her long gold earrings swaying. Better serving, and Serena's almost forcing this too much - five unforced errors already, and another sending a backhand long allows Shara to pull level. Intriguing.
Serena 3-2 Sharapova *
Murmurs of disquiet around the re-filling Centre as Serena's first double fault brings up 30-30. Hello - what was that? Reenie's at the tape, the ball waiting to be dispatched, and she sends it straight to no.1 Net Towers. Break point. First serve long. Second serve a touch feeblish - Shara's on it, the return is deep, and Serena can only push into the divider. She's lost a game in the first set of a match for the first time at this Wimbledon.
Murmurs of disquiet around the re-filling Centre as Serena's first double fault brings up 30-30. Hello - what was that? Reenie's at the tape, the ball waiting to be dispatched, and she sends it straight to no.1 Net Towers. Break point. First serve long. Second serve a touch feeblish - Shara's on it, the return is deep, and Serena can only push into the divider. She's lost a game in the first set of a match for the first time at this Wimbledon.
* Serena 3-1 Sharapova
Squeaks and squeals from Shara, and Serena is hitting her returns like howitzers - she's barely through her service return before the blurring ball is past her. Desperate backhand into the net for three break points - taken, with blistering power off the forehand. The overall record between these two: Serena leads 5-2, and she's come out top in the last four meetings.
Squeaks and squeals from Shara, and Serena is hitting her returns like howitzers - she's barely through her service return before the blurring ball is past her. Desperate backhand into the net for three break points - taken, with blistering power off the forehand. The overall record between these two: Serena leads 5-2, and she's come out top in the last four meetings.
Serena 2-1 Sharapova *
Crunching serving from Serena take her to 30-15. Mmm, super point - Shara flicks up a spot-on lob, Serena sprints back to overtake it and whip a forehand back, Shara dinks the dropper and Serena rumbles in like a runaway train to sway away the winner. Good opening.
Crunching serving from Serena take her to 30-15. Mmm, super point - Shara flicks up a spot-on lob, Serena sprints back to overtake it and whip a forehand back, Shara dinks the dropper and Serena rumbles in like a runaway train to sway away the winner. Good opening.
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* Serena 1-1 Sharapova
Promising start, this - Shara, face hidden by white golf visor, rakes two long-limbed forehands back at Serena, has them returned with interest and then spanks another that's too hot to handle. My mum used to claim that a hot cup of tea on a summer's day was the ideal way to cool down. Having just taken two gulps of a scalding coffee and felt my ears begin to melt, I'm thinking of sending her a punchy text.
Promising start, this - Shara, face hidden by white golf visor, rakes two long-limbed forehands back at Serena, has them returned with interest and then spanks another that's too hot to handle. My mum used to claim that a hot cup of tea on a summer's day was the ideal way to cool down. Having just taken two gulps of a scalding coffee and felt my ears begin to melt, I'm thinking of sending her a punchy text.
Serena 1-0 Sharapova *
Big start from Reenie, clumping down an ace out wide and following up with another down the middle. Watching these two punchers out there, thoughts turn back to that scorching Saturday six years ago when the 17-year-old Shara snatched the title from Serena's grasp. Six years! (pauses to shake head, grimace in mock horror)
Big start from Reenie, clumping down an ace out wide and following up with another down the middle. Watching these two punchers out there, thoughts turn back to that scorching Saturday six years ago when the 17-year-old Shara snatched the title from Serena's grasp. Six years! (pauses to shake head, grimace in mock horror)
* denotes next server
1440: Next on Centre Court it's Serena Williams v Maria Sharapova. The fans take a quick breather after watching Roger Federer see off Jurgen Melzer in under an hour and a half.
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