EDGE TO MARTINA
THE OVERHEAD: Jennifer can get a little shaky with this shot at times but Martina looks to be rock solid all the time on her smash. Martina probably has one of the most accurate and consistent smashes in the game.
EDGE TO MARTINA
EXPERIENCE: Jennifer is older by four years but does not have the Grand Slam experience that Martina has had. This is Jennifer’s first finals appearance, this is Martina’s 11th.
EDGE TO MARTINA
MENTAL STRENGTH: It is evident that Capriati has improved her mental strength. Last year she made great strides but it seems that at this tournament, her willingness to fight, her determination and her play on important points is even better than what it has been. Meanwhile, Martina is the #1 player in the world with a wealth of experience. Her strength was on full display when she was two points away from losing in the quarters against Serena’s serve. She is the mentally strongest player on the tour.
EDGE TO MARTINA
MOBILITY: Martina is one of the quickest players in the game and her game is built around running down the drives of the powerful girls. However, it is worth pointing out that this is an area that Jennifer has improved a great deal in recent times.
EDGE TO MARTINA
FITNESS: Again, great improvements on Jennifer’s behalf and she is probably the fittest that she ever has been. Similarly, Martina is also in the fittest state that she has ever been and the improvements in this area of her game are very evident, especially in her matches against the Williams sisters.
EDGE TO MARTINA
POWER: Martina is certainly not a weak hitter of the ball but she is not known for beating her opponents with power. Jennifer’s game is based around her power groundstrokes and her big serve and if she can get Martina moving from corner to corner with big and accurate drives, Martina is going to be in a lot of trouble.
EDGE TO JENNIFER
FINESSE: Martina’s finesse is second to none in tennis, men’s and women’s. She has soft and quick hands, has a very well executed drop shot and a fantastic net game.
