Head-to-Head: Tied 2-2
Two of tennis' top winners with a shared history square off, one victory from a major milestone.
Angelique Kerber and Agnieszka Radwanska share a common heritage—Radwanska is Polish and so are Kerber's parents—and they are two of the WTA leaders in victories. Each is also playing for a trip to their first Grand Slam final. Both women strike the ball cleanly, keep errors to a minimum, and are adept at working the angles. And both showed stiff resistance, rather than resignation, in spirited third-set performances in the quarterfinals: Kerber came back from a 3-5 deficit to beat 2011 semifinalist Sabine Lisicki; Radwanska was a few points from defeat but kept her head together in scoring a 7-5, 4-6, 7-5 victory over Maria Kirilenko.
Not too much separates these semifinalists.
Radwanska, the 2005 Wimbledon girls' champion, is a smoother mover around the court and has the softest hands of any semifinalist—watch the control with which she floats drop shots into the frontcourt, or the sharp angles she creates spooning volleys. It will be interesting to see if she tries to use her finesse to drag Kerber, a devoted baseliner, to net and employ her array of passing shots. Of course, the inherent danger in that play is if the luring shot lands too deep, the ball will meet the sweet spot of Kerber's racquet, never to be seen again.
To me, there are three key questions to this match:
1. Who will manage her nerve best?
2. Who will most consistently control the center of the court?
3. Which counter-puncher will be most effective creating offense?
"She's very consistent. She's really hitting the ball very well and moving well," Radwanska said of Kerber. "Just very solid. You really have to be also patient and not trying to finish the point in one ball."
The left-handed Kerber owns a WTA-best 45 wins on the season, including a 9-1 grass-court record. She carries the confidence of a woman who has won 17 of her last 20 matches and is contesting her second major semifinal in her last four Grand Slam tournament appearances. Her first run, at the 2011 U.S. Open, began to take off when the then-92nd-ranked German upset Radwanska, 6-3, 4-6, 6-3, in the second round. Because both women are so averse to errors, this rematch may escalate into a major marathon.
"I think against Radwanska it will also be a long match and a tough one because she moves very well on grass," Kerber said. "She don't make a lot of mistakes. I think I played against her some times, and it was not easy. I know that I need to play there on my high level to beat her."
Kerber hits the ball a little bit bigger, and if she's finding the angles as accurately as she has recently, she will be very tough to beat. But Radwanska is quicker around the court, which is important. The third seed's skill set is more subtle than an explosive Serena Williams serve or a resounding Victoria Azarenka return. Radwanska doesn't beat you up; she picks you apart.
Radwanska has beaten bigger hitters than Kerber this season—she swept Maria Sharapova in the Miami final—is the superior net player, has more gears to her game, and will win the battle of positioning in running rallies. If she can use her anticipation and all-court skills and play assertive tennis on pivotal points, Radwanska should reach her first major final.
The Pick: Radwanska in three sets
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For a preview of the Williams vs. Azarenka semifinal, click here.