WIMBLEDON, England — Wimbledon 2013 was supposed to be the Serena Williams show. Two weeks ago, all the talk was about the supposedly near-impossible task of stopping the indomitable American from claiming her sixth title at the All England Club.
But it has been a strange tournament, particularly on the women's side, and it has resulted in one of the most unexpected Grand Slam finals in years as Marion Bartoli, the 15th seed, will take on No. 23 Sabine Lisicki. The match is a tough one to predict, but three Wimbledon veterans — Tracy Austin, Conchita Martínez and Nathalie Tauziat — weighed in on the matchup.
Q Who have you been most impressed with this fortnight?
Tracy Austin (semifinalist in 1979 and 1980): I don't think anybody would have picked these two to come through. But Lisicki's had a very difficult draw. Everybody that she's played has been top 50. The way that she's taken Serena and Radwanska out has been impressive. For Bartoli, the highest-ranked player that she's beaten has been Sloane Stephens at No. 17. Sloane's a rookie, and I think experience made the difference there. All credit to Bartoli because she's won every match in straight sets, but she hasn't had a difficult draw.
Conchita Martínez (champion in 1994): Bartoli was really, really good in her semifinal, but Flipkens didn't play particularly well. She didn't play aggressively enough and didn't get Bartoli on the move, so it was comfortable for her. Against Radwanska, Lisicki got a little nervous at one point and I thought Radwanska had it. Those nerves will play a part tomorrow, but when she's on form, her serve and groundstrokes are extremely impressive.
Nathalie Tauziat (finalist in 1998): From what I've seen, both players have improved a lot over the past few years for sure, but Lisicki's game has come a long way in particular. For the first time in the tournament, Bartoli is going to be up against a player who's also very aggressive with a very strong serve, and we'll have to see how she handles it.
Q What's it like to walk on court for a Wimbledon final?
Martínez: Every Grand Slam final is a little bit different. You can't predict how the nerves will affect you. I played Wimbledon, and I was O.K., but in my third final at the French Open in 2000 I was really nervous and I couldn't move. In 1994 I was more nervous for my curtsy in front of the royal box, which actually helped as I wasn't getting so nervous about the match.
Tauziat: You know you're very close to achieving the biggest goal of your career. But you can't think about that. You have to think it's O.K., it's normal, and I'm just here to play another tennis match in front of many people. I was relaxed on the morning of my final, but I started to get tense when we were waiting to walk out onto the court and I could feel the atmosphere. But both these guys are really strong mentally. They've come a long way. Three years ago Lisicki nearly stopped playing tennis, and Bartoli is such a fighter. I'm sure they'll be nervous for five minutes, but I think that after that they'll be focused on the match.
Q Who are you picking to win?
Austin: I think it's Lisicki's to win as she has the bigger weapons, she's moving well and I think she can handle Bartoli's pace. Bartoli stands close to the baseline and she hits so accurately and so deep, but Serena does that as well and Lisicki was able to handle it. And while she went completely dark in the middle against Radwanska, she was able to pick it up again, and she hasn't really done that against a big player in the past. But much of it will depend on how they handle the situation. This one is going to be all about how they handle their emotions.
Martínez: Out of the two, Bartoli is more consistent and Lisicki is more powerful. I think it's going to be a tight final. Lisicki played some great tennis in the semis, and you have to be consistent to beat Radwanska. If she can play her shots and be patient and aggressive, I'd give it to Lisicki, but it's going to be tight.
Tauziat: It's a 50-50 match. Tough to call. Maybe Bartoli has a little more experience and that will help her; she's played a final before and she knows what it's like. I'm sure she's going to play better than she did against Venus six years ago. If she plays as well as in the semis, she has a good chance. A lot will depend on how Lisicki serves.
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