London: Serena Williams arrives at Wimbledon for the latest stage of her bid for an historic calendar Grand Slam with the praise of her peers ringing in her ears. Serena has swept to victory at the Australian and French Opens over the last six months and a sixth Wimbledon crown would leave the World No.1 within touching distance of becoming the first woman since Steffi Graf in 1988 to win all four majors in the same year.
The 33-year-old American’s march to a memorable milestone has reached the All England Club, where she opens against Russian qualifier Margarita Gasparyan. And her exploits have captured the attention of fellow players in both the female and male locker rooms. Asked to assess Serena's place in history and her chances of achieving the calender Slam, Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Maria Sharapova all offered glowing reviews of the 20-time Grand Slam champion.
“I’m not surprised she’s still at the top. To be mentally ready for the challenge, that's what's so admirable about her,” Federer said. Nadal saluted her blistering serve and thunderous ground-strokes.
“When Serena is playing well, it is very difficult to beat her. She has much more power than the others. That's a big advantage in the women's game.” Sharapova admitted the American, a potential semi-final opponent, is the overwhelming favourite. “Yeah, absolutely. She's certainly the player to beat,” Sharapova said.
