Roland Garros 2015 Day 12: Lucie Safarova Reaches First Major Final, Will Face Serena Williams

Lucie Safarova (click to enlarge)

If Lucie Safarova goes on to win the singles title at Roland Garros 2015 she will definitely have earned it. Great players like Maria Sharapova, Ana Ivanovic and Garbine Muguruza have stood in her way. Safarova has handled them like she’s handled everybody she’s face in Paris, with a straight sets dismissal. Lucie fell in the Wimbledon 2014 semis to friend and countrywoman Petra Kvitova. Early on in her Roland Garros 2015 semi against Ivanovic, it looked like Safarova was on the way to another letdown. Ana sprinted out to a 5-2 lead and appeared completely in control. Unfortunately, nothing is certain with Ivanovic until the final point is played. Her game abandoned her under pressure yet again, losing the last 5 games in the set. In what felt almost like the blink of an eye Lucie had the first set 7-5. The talented Czech, who will join Kvitova in the top 10 when the new rankings come out, repeated that effort in the second set to finish Ivanovic, 7-5 7-5. To be crowned a Major champion this weekend, Lucie will face the ultimate test in 2-time Roland Garros, and 19-time singles Major winner, Serena Williams. The world number 1 was under the weather, looking very ill, against Timea Bacsinszky. But no player is as gutsy and clutch as Williams. Here’s all you need to know. Timea was up 6-3 3-2, serving with a set and a break lead. Serena didn’t let her win another game. After looking out of it for a set and a half, Williams steamrolled through the last 10 games to oust Bacsinszky 3-6 6-3 6-0. So should Lucie get Serena down, as four opponents have already this tournament, she will need to finish her, as those four did not. Can she do it? I actually think she can. But am I so bold as to bet against Serena in a Major final against a player who has never reached a Major final? I know Masha pulled it off at Wimbledon 2004, but since then…there’s nothing that would make me waste my money going against Serena.