If there's a player out there who could possibly test No.1-seeded Serena Williams in the U.S. Open final, it's her opponenton Sunday, No. 2 Victoria Azarenka.
Williams, it's worth noting, has lost only four of 70 matchesthis season, and two of those defeats came against Azarenka,including just last month at a hard-court tuneup.
There's one significant switch in circumstances: Those were atsmaller tournaments 2013 Hyperdunk Low Sale Online. This time, there's a major championship on theline, and Williams is at her best when the stakes are thebiggest.
''Different energy, different opportunities. This is for a GrandSlam,'' Williams said. ''I mean, she's trying to win yet anotherone; I'm trying to win one myself. It's just different.''
Williams will be playing in her third consecutive U.S. Openfinal, seventh overall, and the 21st major title match of hercareer. Her win-loss record is 16-4, two Grand Slam titles awayfrom two of the greats of the game: Martina Navratilova and ChrisEvert, who each won 18. The only women with more are Margaret Courtwith 24, Steffi Graf with 22, and Helen Wills Moody with 19.
''Yeah, I thought about that,'' Williams said, ''but I can'tthink about that. It's still so close, but it's still so far.''
If there were any questions about what Williams considers thetruest measure of success in tennis, she made clear how she feelswhen she was asked to pick between Roger Federer, who owns 17 majortrophies, or Rafael Nadal, who has 12.
''I go by numbers,'' Williams responded. ''I don't think I'm thegreatest, because Steffi has way more Grand Slams than me Cheap Kobe 9. I justgo by what's written down.''
Most of the numbers, from their careers and these two weeks,favor Williams over Azarenka.
They've played each other 15 times in all, and Williams has won12.
When they met in last year's U.S. Open final - this will be thefirst rematch at Flushing Meadows since the Williams sisters playedeach other in 2001 and 2002 - Azarenka pushed it to a third set andwas two points away from victory. But Williams took the last fourgames.
''Not that I don't care what happened in the past, but I thinkthere is no need for paying so much attention to what happened.(You're) always going to take a few things, positive or negative,and try to kind of apply it in your new match, new performance,''Azarenka said. ''But it's always a new story. I don't even thinkthat it's going to be close to the same as it was last year.''
Well, then, let's examine the 2013 U.S. Open.
Through six matches, Williams has won every set, losing a totalof only 16 games. Only once in the last 25 years has a womandropped fewer games through six full matches en route to a GrandSlam final (Mary Pierce dropped only 10 at the 1994 French Open,then lost the final.)
Azarenka has lost two sets and 40 games, including 13 in herfourth-round match alone. Her serving has been particularly shaky:31 double-faults, 10 aces, 20 breaks. Williams, in contrast, hasbeen broken only twice so far predator lz football boots 2013.
So how can anyone solve Williams' game right now?
''You've got to fight,'' Azarenka said. ''You know, you've gotto run, you've got to grind, and you've got to bite with your teethfor whatever opportunity you have.''
It's clear these two have separated themselves from the rest ofthe pack, and not just because they're the top two in therankings.
They're the only women to reach two Grand Slam finals thisseason - Azarenka won her second Australian Open in January, andWilliams won her second French Open in June.
Williams leads the WTA with a career-high-tying eight titles in2013; Azarenka has three. Azarenka is a tour-leading 31-1 on hardcourts.
''Azarenka is the closest player to Serena in terms of level,''said Williams' coach, Patrick Mouratoglou. ''Azarenka is achampion, and when it comes to the big matches, she's alwayslifting her level. Always. So you have to be ready.''