Venus v. Ana

It’s the match of the tournament: the streaking Venus Williams versus the future star Ana Ivanovic.

The Serbian has never beaten Venus—or Serena for that matter.

“They both play very powerful,” she told me two weeks ago. “It’s still something I have to practice hard on because they don’t give me much time to play my game. They dominate—they are the ones dictating.”

Her complaint is a well-worn one in women’s tennis: The Williams sisters are a collective buzzsaw to many aspiring players—the sort of players who would have done perfectly well in the women’s tennis era of moon shots and long rallies but who can’t crack a Grand Slam in today's game.

Later this afternoon, Ivanovic will put her massive forehand and her nerves to work as she guns for the biggest win of her career.