The Ladies Final will be the main event on the second Saturday of Wimbledon 2019 with just two days left of the tournament.
Before I get onto my Pick from the match between Serena Williams and Simona Halep, I just wanted to say a few words about the fantastic Roger Federer win over Rafael Nadal.
Two unbelievably great players who are going down as legends of the sport put on a showcase, especially across sets three and four and I think this is an era that is only going to see people's admiration for it grow once the likes of Federer and Nadal hang up their racquets for the final time.
I still can't quite believe these two are still playing at the level they are and we really have been blessed to have seen this rivalry between Nadal and Federer and adding Novak Djokovic to the mix. Three all time greats in one era has blessed the fans, but I do worry about the state of men's tennis when these three players retire.
There are some talented players coming up through the Ranks, but I would love to see some of them make a breakthrough and win a big Slam while the big three are playing some of their best tennis. We had a passing of the torch moment when Pete Sampras was beaten by Roger Federer at Wimbledon in 2001, but it did take two years before Federer was able to win his first Grand Slam.
The player most likely in a position to do that looks to be Stefanos Tsitsipas but it was telling that the youngster admitted how far he has to go after his early loss at Wimbledon. With that in mind I would say appreciate what we have with Roger Federer, Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal because men's tennis could easily hit the kind of void at the top that the women's game has had in the last eighteen months.
Friday proved to be a profitable day, but only a one-sided second set between Nadal and Federer prevented the total games being surpassed. Even at the very end of the match a break point for the Spaniard could have been converted which would have seen the total games line beaten, but thankfully Novak Djokovic had already won his match in four sets to secure the profit for the day.
With two Singles matches left to go, Wimbledon 2019 is going to be a very successful tournament for the Tennis Picks, but I would like to end with two winners of course.
Hopefully there will be too very good Finals to come for the neutrals too, especially to give this Grand Slam the kind of matches that can make it a somewhat memorable tournament.
Serena Williams-Simona Halep three sets played: There is some pressure on Serena Williams in the Wimbledon Final as she is looking to tie Margaret Court's Singles Grand Slam record, but she is the favourite to win the title at SW19. That isn't taking away from Simona Halep's tournament, but Serena Williams is one of the best grass court players of all time and I think it is hard to look past her.
The American has played pretty well throughout the tournament and she looks to have been at a higher level than Halep, although the latter has been playing much better in the second week than she did in the first. Peaking towards the Final is very important for players, but Halep is going to need to serve at a very high level to prevent Williams from teeing off on the return as she did in her Semi Final win over Barbora Strycova in the Semi Final.
Serena Williams has been returning very well, but that has been an important part of the success that Simona Halep has had in the tournament too. It is going to be a test to get into the Williams service games when you think of the power that shot comes with, but Halep has to find a way to do that and at least make sure she is not under immense pressure to try and hold onto a serve that can be vulnerable.
Bigger shots and heavier groundstrokes will come from the Williams racquet, but Simona Halep has to be prepared to dig in and play strong defence. Angelique Kerber was able to do that twelve months and turn the rallies in her favour and Halep has to believe the longer she keeps Williams out on the court the better it will be for her chances of upsetting the odds.
Simona Halep also has to overcome the mental blockage of facing Williams considering she has lost nine of the previous ten matches against her. The last of those came at the Australian Open back in January and their previous matches have shown that Williams has been far too strong on both the serve and return for Halep to cope with.
Their match in Melbourne was much closer and their matches at Grand Slams have been competitive with all three previous matches at this level needing three sets to decide them. I do think Simona Halep has been playing well enough to push Serena Williams in this one too, although I do think it will be difficult for her to get over the line when we get down to the business end of the match.
It is possible for Serena Williams to blow through this match as she did in her Semi Final, but I believe Simona Halep is going to offer more resistance. If the return is working to the level it can, Halep can win a set here and I do think she will get very close in a third set to win the match. I am not sure Williams' power can be withstood fo a straight sets win though and I am going to look for this match to follow the path of the previous Grand Slam matches between these players and need to go the distance.
MY PICKS: Serena Williams-Simona Halep Total Sets- Three @ 2.62 Sky Bet (2 Units)
Wimbledon Update: 55-40, + 23.44 Units (189 Units Staked, + 12.40% Yield)
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