No one can beat Williams: Bartoli

SINGAPORE — The statistics do not look good for Angelique Kerber, the German world No 6 who is looking to outplay and outlast Serena Williams on court tonight in the women’s singles final of the Australian Open.

Williams has gained the upper hand in five of their six encounters, with Kerber’s last victory (6-4, 6-4) against the American recorded four years ago in Cincinnati.

The world No 1 has also been unstoppable in Melbourne since coming back from a self-imposed four-month break, losing just 26 games in her first six matches and reaching the final without dropping a set.

That is why former world No 7 Marion Bartoli has little doubt that Williams — who is looking to equal Steffi Graf’s 22-Grand-Slam record in Australia — will be crowned the Australian Open champion for the seventh time tonight. The one caveat: Williams has to keep “calm and cool”.

Speaking to regional media in a phone interview from Melbourne, where the 2013 Wimbledon champion is currently a pundit for Fox Sports Asia, Bartoli said: “For Serena, her weapons are still way too good. She serves too good … she’s able to hit winners in her return straight away.

“With her style of serve and return she can take matches completely off you. You feel like you can’t play, can’t get into rallies against her.

“But when she (Williams) gets nervous, she can start to slow her footwork ... her unforced errors skyrocket and it’s an opportunity for her opponent to come back in the match. For Serena, it’s about making sure she stays calm and cool during the whole match. If she’s able to do so, right now I don’t see one player in the world who can beat her.”

The warning from the Frenchwoman — who lost three out of four career matches against Williams — may sound ominous, but she had some advice for Kerber.

“I think it will be a close match because there are always nerves in the final,” said the 31-year-old.

“For Angelique Kerber … to shake off the stress as quickly as possible, get her legs to move, try to hit as many balls as possible during the warm-up, enter the first point and try to forget it’s a Grand Slam final and just play like it’s a normal match because it’s the best way to deal with the whole pressure.

“Serena is the overwhelming favourite and that will help her because she will have no pressure.”

Grand Slam No 22 will put Williams on par with German tennis great Graf, which, in turn, will reignite the debate on who is the better player of the two. Bartoli’s vote goes to Williams. “Steffi has been able to do the calendar Grand Slam and medal at the Olympics, but back then she had a little less competition,” she said. “It is a very tricky one but, overall, Serena is more powerful and more complete as well.”

When asked what she thought of Williams’ chances of attaining the elusive calendar Grand Slam in 2016, Bartoli said: “She’s way too good a champion to not give herself another shot. I think she will either this year or the year after, she will get another shot to realise the calendar Grand Slam.”