Sony Open Tennis 2013: Serena Williams, Maria Sharapova face off in WTA finals

On Saturday, the WTA Singles final takes place at the 2013 Sony Open, as No. 1 Serena Williams takes on No. 3 Maria Sharapova. Though taking on her nemesis might seem like a nightmare on top of her previous struggles in the finals at Key Biscayne, Sharapova would rather be here than out earlier in the tournament.

Sharapova, who has lost the final on multiple occasions, including the past two years, has an even poorer track record against Williams. She hasn’t bested Williams since 2004, losing their last 10 meetings.

Williams has struggled this tournament, which is her first since re-attaining her No. 1 ranking. But she, like Sharapova, has managed to pull out victories despite plenty of unforced errors. In the quarterfinals, both women struggled, with Sharapova taking the cake with 57 unforced errors.

If Sharapova is to have any chance to right herself against Williams, she will need to be on her ‘A’ game when it comes to her serve. She’s won just over 73 percent of her first serves, but when she is forced to take a second serve, her percentage drops just below 50 percent. Against Williams, who is a strong server and has held her own historically in that area against Sharapova, this will be crucial.

Both women are coming off impressive victories, despite their errors earlier in the tournament. Williams bested No. 4 Agnieszka Radwanska, 6-0, 6-3, while Sharapova dominated No. 22 Jelena Jankovic, 6-2, 6-1. It promises to be an exciting matchup, which you will be able to see at noon ET Saturday on CBS Sports.

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