Serena faces Azarenka challenge for Madrid-Rome double

The Italian Open, staged at the exquisite Foro Italico since 1935 has been a perfect precursor to the French Open. Players revel coming into the Eternal City and this tournament continues to be traditionally revered in the tennis fandom even today. This year too, Rome has provided players the much-coveted last-minute practice on the red dirt as well as a marvellous opportunity to unwind through its rich historical grandeur and delectable food. As Serena Williams and Victoria Azarenka stand on the brink of the duel to be crowned as the Roman gladiator, we preview the final which promises to be sublime.

Serena Williams: With a World No. 1 ranking and a career-best 23-match winning streak, Serena Williams once again has an aura of invincibility about her. Her stellar form gives one a flashback of her 2002-03 days when she claimed the self-coined Serena Slam. It is quite interesting to note that in spite of her truckload of trophies, this is the first time ever in her career that the American has achieved a sizzling string of 23 match wins. The fact underlines the 15-time major winner’s incredible equanimity, her tremendous adaptability to each of the surfaces and most importantly, the truth that she is ambitious and motivated as ever.

She comes into the Rome finale after a gap of 11 years with her first final being in 2002 when she beat an accomplished claycourter, Justine Henin. That same year she went on to clinch her only Roland Garros crown till date. So perhaps the outcome of Sunday’s final might be an omen of things to come in Paris. After having annexed two clay titles at Charleston and Madrid this year apart from a couple of hardcourt titles, there is not even an iota of doubt that the regal Serena is ready to impress once again.

Victoria Azarenka: Far from her tempestuous days, Victoria Azarenka has now established herself as one of the most steady and stable competitors on the WTA Tour. Since the end of 2011, the two-time Australian Open champion has gone on to put forth her most poised avatar who doesn’t easily get ruffled. Naturally, eyebrows were raised at the sudden reversal of the Belarusian when she exuded a fiery temperament en route to her exit in Madrid. But it would be wiser to point out that it was her first and only loss till date this season after putting together 18 consecutive victories.

Azarenka has since rebounded strongly in the Italian capital this week which is just her second tournament since her comeback from ankle injury. Clay is definitely not her best surface but she is certainly improving on the demanding terre battue. The testimony to this should be her battling triumph over Samantha Stosur in the quarter-finals. Reaching her first ever Rome final should give her bucketful of confidence especially because Azarenka remains just one out of two women to have defeated Serena this year.

Head-to-head and match-up: Serena has a stamping authority in their head-to-head, leading 11-2. But the Belarusian won their very last encounter in the Doha final which turned out to be a mouth-watering contest. This is what makes Sunday’s summit clash an exciting match in the offing.

Victoria Azarenka is one of those few players who can keep toe-to-toe with Serena in their rallies. Azarenka has excellent footwork and her movement has improved by leaps and bounds. So far we have seen the World No. 3 matching it up with Serena on the faster hardcourts which suit her game more. She had been pushing Serena on the hardcourts which is evident from the fact that two of their last three matches went the distance and in one Azarenka emerged the winner.

One of the plus points of Azarenka’s game is the consistent depth in her hitting. She hits the balls with a lot of pace and is one of the current best returners on the WTA circuit. She has a superb backhand down-the-line which has developed into an ever-reliable shot. In addition, her blistering forehand crosscourt makes her armoury replete with weapons. Plus, Victoria’s self-belief has been at a high ever since she started capturing the Slams.

But there are pitfalls in her game. Her second serve has been a disaster even at Rome and Serena wouldn’t hesitate to crush it down for a winner. Victoria also struggles to put away easy smashes and has difficulty in tracking down dropshots on the clay which have been on display for the past one week. Knowing Azarenka’s potent ground game, the World No. 1 would definitely like to mix and match to off-balance Azarenka.

Additionally, Serena would bring in her own touch. She has shown finesse at the net throughout last two weeks and has returned ferociously. Her angular backhands have shown no mercy to her opponents and her serve, which includes a kick second serve, has been devastating as ever. Serena at 31 years, is showing her best footwork and point construction on clay and her imperious Roman form has seen her drop just 10 games en route to the final.

Azarenka would definitely like to reverse the result of their last clay showdown which was a 1-6, 3-6 beatdown in the 2012 Madrid final. But her clay performance is still a work in progress and even though she would make it competitive, Serena’s superior experience and outstanding mental fortitude will shine forth.

My prediction: Serena wins in three sets.