Wimbledon women's semifinal preview: Maria Sharapova vs Serena Williams

Sharapova will have to be at her best to beat Williams

Both Maria Sharapova and Serena Williams had tough quarter-final matches, having to battle it out in three sets against Coco Vandeweghe and Victoria Azarenka respectively. They face each other in the women’s semifinal match on Thursday in what is expected to be a compelling contest. Although Serena has an unassailable 17-2 record against her fellow competitor, the match will definitely not be a cakewalk for either player.

What makes a Williams-Sharapova match so intriguing is the fact that the two are very similar to each other; both are known to be mentally strong, and both are known to never gift easy points to their opponents. The last time the Russian managed to get the better of her American foe was as a formative 17-year-old at the Wimbledon final in 2004 and at the end-of-season WTA Championships.

Serena since then has won their next 16 encounters, which is an outstanding record. The last time the two faced off on grass, Serena trounced Sharapova 6-0 6-1 in the Olympics Final held at Wimbledon itself.

Williams would love to win as it would bring her a step closer to achieving a Calendar Grand Slam while Sharapova would love to improve her dismal record against the World No.1

Speaking ahead of the match, Williams seems confident and relaxed going into the match:

"For me, I don't feel like I have any pressure going into this match.

"It's just totally different for me. I don't have anything to prove. I've won all the Grand Slams, multiple times. Now I'm here just to enjoy it. It's actually making me play better, which is crazy.

"I love playing Maria. I think she brings out the best in me," Williams said.

Sharapova, for her part, has made no secret of her desire to win.

"There are definitely no secrets between each other's games," the Russian said.

"But I haven't played Serena here in 11 years. It will be an incredible moment for me to step out on Centre Court against her again."

"I haven't had great success against her," she added. "I would love to change that around."

A combative spectacle is to be expected:

Road to Semis:

	Serena Williams	Maria Sharapova
Quarter Finals	bt Azarenka 3-6 6-2 6-3	bt Vandeweghe 6-3 6-7 6-2
4th Round	bt V.Williams 6-4 6-3	bt Diyas 6-4 6-4
3rd Round	bt Watson 6-2 4-6 7-5	bt Begu 6-4 6-3
2nd Round	bt Babos 6-4 6-1	bt Hogenkamp 6-3 6-1
1st Round	bt Gasparyan 6-4 6-1	bt Konta 6-2 6-2

Prediction: Williams wins in two sets.