(1) Serena Williams v (7) Angelique Kerber

And then there was only two…

Serena Williams will try to match Steffi Graf’s 22 Grand Slam titles with a win on Saturday, while this Angelique’s 1st ever final as she made the step after already lost 2 SF in the past – in Wimbledon and US Open.
This is Serena’s 7-th Final in Melbourne and she showed no mercy ousting Agnieszka Radwanska in 2 sets. She also hasn’t lost a final here.

“I was really trying to get off to a fast start,” Williams said. “Every single time, you know, I would just start out down. I just really wanted to focus on when I first walk out there to be ready to go from the first point, then that way I don’t necessarily have to play from behind, which I can do clearly, and I proved that last year, but I wanted to prove that I can play also ahead this year.”

“For sure I thought it was going to be a really rough part [of the season],” Williams said. “I mean, I never thought I was going to go out and lose in the first round, but at the same time, I never thought before, I’m going to make it to the final or anything. I was just playing literally a point at a time.”

“She started playing really well in the second set, making great shots and hitting deep,” Williams said. “Just said to myself, ‘I need to figure something out,’ and I started playing aggressive like I had all week.”
Serena is leading the h2h 5-1 with only lost coming in Cincinnati in 2012 and they haven’t met since July 2014. But she is not taking her lightly at all.

“She took out a really tough opponent in Victoria [Azarenka],” Williams said. “She’s beaten me before, too, and pretty good. I know that she brings a lot, you know, to the game.”

Kerber can occupy the #2 spot in the Rankings from Monday with a win here, if not she is already guaranteed a new high ranking in her career – No.4 really close to Radwanska and Halep.

Kerber was playing solid and with controlled aggression followed up the upset of Azarenka with another straight set win, this time against a surprising Johanna Konta.

“When I reached the semis in New York everybody was (saying) ‘okay, that was one tournament from her. Let’s see how far she will get in the next few years’,” Kerber said.
“I think I showed everybody that I’m a top player. I’m four years in the top 10. I can play good tennis.”

I’m four years in the top 10. I was not playing so good last year in the big tournaments. Now that was my focus, to play better in the bigger ones.

The work pays off. I was working very hard in the last few years. Here I am. I’m in the final for my first time (and) … right now I don’t have the pressure anymore because I show everybody, I show myself.

Kerber has been a model of consistency and finally the parts of the puzzle are coming in together and with nothing to lose in the final she may make it more interesting and close that many anticipated.