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Wimbledon
Re-match Set for Staples Center
Brad Falkner | November
14 , 2004
 Amalie
Mauresmo has disdain for her part in a script that ends in
disaster, while Serena Williams only relishs her staring role.
Williams’ dramatic come from behind 4-6, 7-6 (2) 6-4
victory was her greatest performance of the WTA year end Championships.
Mauresmo played exquisite tennis for the first two sets of
the two hour plus contest easily breaking Williams’
serve twice to capture the opening set 6-4. Mauresmo hit a
variety of spins and slices to afford her the opportunities
at the net, keeping a struggling Williams off balance.
“Amelie was playing some good shots and getting the
balls back,” said Williams. “It was just really
hard because she changed her game. She started coming to the
net a little more and taking the pace off the ball.”
Williams finally steadied herself in the second set after
Mauresmo took a 3-1 lead with the assistance of two more service
breaks. Realizing that Mauresmo had effectively neutralized
her from the baseline, Williams found inspiration at the net.
``I thought it was a good idea because she was taking control
of the points at the end of the second set in the back of
the court,'' Williams said. ``By coming in, I forced her to
make these shots.''
In
what has become her signature move Williams was able to shift
her game into high gear when it counted most, breaking Mauresmo
twice, forcing the second set to be decided by a tiebreaker
in which a resurgent Williams launched an aggressive attack.
On her first set point Williams delivered a second serve that
Muaresmo shanked into the doubles alley.
 ``She
just went for it,'' Mauresmo said. ``I would give all the
credit to her. I was playing some good tennis and she really
raised her level a lot.''
In the third set Muaresmo reverted back to her old habit of
playing tentative tennis on crucial points. While Williams
took a more laid back approach.
"I was so relaxed; I was really enjoying myself out there,"
Williams said. "I was trying some different things out
there - even threw a serve-and-volley in there - some stuff
I’ve been working on.
In the fourth game of the climatic final set Mauresmo botched
six break point opportunities failing to pull the trigger
on her passing shots when she had Williams camped out at the
net. Mauresmo failed to convert any of her 12 break points
in the third set, Williams responded by pounding winners on
10 of them.
``I was really relaxed,'' Williams said. ``In a different
situation, I'm usually really tense and I'm really fighting
and screaming. I really didn't feel as if I was going to lose.''
In the eighth game Mauresmo had five break chances but gambled
and lost when she netted a forehand volley to surrender the
game. Williams outlasted Mauresmo in the 13-deuce, 32-point
game to hold for a 5-3 lead.
``It was definitely intense,'' Williams said. ``Amelie was
playing some good shots and getting the balls back.
Mauresmo held to trail 5-4 before Williams served out the
match, crushing an overhead smash off Mauresmo’s floating
return on match point bringing the pro Williams Staples Center
crowd to their feet.
“The crowd was awesome in all of my matches. I am always
pushing to have the championships stay here in L.A.”
Williams said.
 Anastasia
Myskina’s bid to reach the finals came to a screeching
halt. After cruising to a first set win of 6-2, Myskina rode
through the final two sets on fumes. The symmetrically perfect
score of 2-6, 6-2, 6-2 gave Sharapova first career win over
Myskina in four attempts.
For the first set Myskina had the legs of a gazelle, gliding
from corner to corner to cover Sharapova’s perimeter
attack. By the second, Myskina lost her focus and speed and
Sharapova regained hers. “I got really tired, and lost
my concentration. And then it was really hard to bump myself
up. Myskina said.
“I wasn’t playing my game. I was letting her play
her game. I was rushing myself. And then I sort of calmed
down.” Sharapova said.
Monday night’s championship final is a rematch of the
Wimbledon final in which Sharapova stunned two-time defending
champion Williams in a 6-1, 6-4 route. It will be their first
meeting since the Wimbledon final and their third career match.
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