Wimbledon 2018: This is why Serena Williams and Angelique Kerber will make it to Saturday's final

They say that the cream rises to the top and that’s why I expect Serena Williams and Angelique Kerber to make it to the final on Saturday. Both of them showed in their quarter-final wins what makes them great champions.

Serena was serving like her old self by the end of her win over Camila Giorgi, though I think losing that first set was a little bit concerning. She might pay the price if she makes a slow start again next time out against Julia Goerges. Serena will know that Goerges’ big serve makes her a big threat to anyone.

Giorgi’s excellent serve was one of the reasons why she gave Serena some trouble. She also has great feel on grass and has made a big improvement in her footwork, which offsets her big swings.

Kerber is doing what she does best, which is chasing the ball to all corners of the court and giving very little away. Having said that, Daria Kasatkina pushed her hard.

Holy mackerel, what a terrific player Kasatkina is going to be. She hits the ball well and I love the way she goes for her shots. There were times against Kerber when she paid for poor selection, but I hope nobody tells her to play more conservatively. She’s a very creative player and just needs to improve what she does currently. If she does that I think she has a very bright future.

Jelena Ostapenko is next up for Kerber. She can hurt you with her big shots, but I think Kerber’s consistency will be the key factor.

With his big serves and ground strokes Juan Martin del Potro is a threat to anyone on any surface, but I give Rafa Nadal the advantage in their quarter-final. I thought Del Potro looked a little stiff in his movement against Gilles Simon and I can see Nadal giving him the runaround

open image in gallery

I don’t think Del Potro will have any chance of winning if he stays back on the baseline. He needs to play more of an all-round game and has to surprise Nadal every now and then by coming in.

Nadal’s serve can be a big factor. He’s never had the biggest of serves but as a leftie he has a big advantage. His serve out wide to the ad court is particularly effective and gives him the chance to come in and finish the point with a forehand winner. And if his huge forehands don’t destroy you then his off-the-cuff drop shots will.

I like the way Nadal has modified his game on grass. He’s not hitting the ball with the same heavy spin that makes his forehand such a big weapon on clay. By hitting flatter he’s making the ball shoot through the court. I just can’t see Del Potro being able to cope if Nadal keeps pulling him from one side to the other.

Every day I’m recalling the things I’ve learned from some of the great players I’ve worked with over the years at the IMG Academy I founded in Florida.

open image in gallery

I worked only briefly with Martina Hingis, but the experience taught me a lot. Martina was coached by her mother, Melanie Molitor, who brought her to the IMG Academy a week before the 2000 WTA Tour Championships. She was concerned that her daughter was losing the hunger and passion that had made her the best in the world.

At an appropriate moment I sat down with Martina to talk about things. She told me that she was tired of her mother continually driving her forward. I told Martina in no uncertain terms that she owed everything to her mother. She was only at the academy for a week, but I know the visit – and my pep talk – helped put her back on track. Within a fortnight of her visit she had won both the singles and doubles titles at the WTA Championships in New York.

So what did I learn from Martina? She taught me the importance of always remembering how it was that you became one of the best.

For club players in particular the secret to winning matches can simply be to make fewer mistakes than your opponent. Everyone likes to hit winners, but sometimes it pays to be a bit more cautious.

open image in gallery

It’s important to remember that your key objective should always be to set up an opportunity to hit the ball into an open court or to attack a short ball. Sometimes that will require patience. It might even pay to set out to play some longer points: see if you can outlast your opponent or simply make them miss first.

If you add height and spin to your shots that should give you more control and help you cut out your own errors. It’s also good to play the percentage point patterns and avoid having to hit too many balls on the run.

For many weeks now I’ve been working on a new book which will be my personal account of what I’ve learned in a lifetime of coaching tennis. The Professional Tennis Registry will be publishing it later in the summer. You can find out how to buy the book at www.ptrtennis.org.