Serena just one win from Graf record

The dominant world No1 surged into her 26th Major final by dismantling Polish fourth-seed Agnieszka Radwanska 6-0 6-4 at the Australian Open.

The retired 31-year-old French star is now a Fox Sports Asia pundit and, in a regional conference call from Melbourne yesterday, said: “I think it will be a close match, because there are always nerves in a Grand Slam final”.

Though she is the World No. 1 and defending champion, Williams entered Melbourne this year as a question mark.

Williams kept to her usual pre-finals routine in Melbourne on Friday, practising, and then relaxing in her hotel.

She fell two matches short, losing in the us open semifinals to Roberta Vinci, in one of the biggest upsets in the history of women’s tennis. “That’s why I’m going out there to try to win it”.

“But I have nothing to lose”.

“I think she wrote me, but I was not able to check it right now”.

On paper, Kerber had a slightly less hard match in the semis, facing off against unseeded Johanna Konta of Great Britain.

Serena Williams will hold on despite a strong performance from Kerber and finish with her seventh title at Melbourne Park and move to equal second with Steffi Graff for most grand slam singles titles sitting behind only Australian Margaret Court. I haven’t won this one. Williams is scheduled to meet Germany’s Angelique Kerber in thewomen’s singles final on Saturday evening. “I didn’t think I would do so well so fast”. Despite the inexperience at this level, she has obvious talent and could make this an intriguing battle worth watching. I was telling myself, ‘OK, take this challenge and try to take the experience from Singapore and change it’. I’m happy also about the way she plays. If Kerber had not saved a match point in her first round match versus Misaki Doi, she would have been one of many seeded players who lost early. I’m one of the best players in the world.

Williams and Kerber have tried to play down expectations heading into Saturday’s decider and Kerber said there was more pressure on Williams. But even if I don’t win, I really can take away that I’ve been really consistent, and I want to continue that.

Summing up her 2015 campaign during the end of season WTA Finals in Singapore, Kerber said, “I won four titles and I’m in the top 10 for the fourth time. So that’s why we’re working on stuff to improve and to look like what tennis is going to be in the next years and I think she’s doing quite well”.

It became a tight contest and went with serve until three unforced errors from the Brit in the 11th game, including a crucial forehand into the net, gave Kerber the vital break and she served to love for the set. “I know that I won against her once, so I can beat her”.

Kerber has impressed recently having won eight of her last ten matches with her only losses coming during her lead-up to the tournament at the hands of Victoria Azarenka during the final of the Brisbane International and in the second round of the Sydney International by virtue of a walkover. I mean, the courts, the balls, everything is the same.

Serena’s Road To The Final: The 21-time Grand Slam champion had a testing opening round against hard-hitting Italian Camila Giorgi, dropping nine games 6-4, 7-5.