Serena Williams beat Maria Sharapova for the 17th straight time on Thursday, breezing into the Wimbledon finals with a 6-2, 6-4 win.
Considering these are the two best players of their generation, the extent of Serena's decade-long domination of Sharapova is astonishing. Serena hasn't just gotten the better of her biggest rival; she's beaten her more often than she has beaten anyone else, and she has done it without mercy.
1. Serena is 18-2 all-time against Sharapova. She hasn't lost to Sharapova since 2005, when she was 23:
2. Since their rivalry boiled over in June 2013 — with Sharapova calling Serena a home wrecker before apologizing — Serena hasn't lost a set to her.
3. Since 2010, Serena has taken 26 of 27 sets off Sharapova.
4. Serena has knocked Sharapova out of six Grand Slams. If it weren't for Serena, Sharapova would have at least three more Grand Slam titles and an Olympic gold medal.
5. Serena has beaten Sharapova 18 times, her most wins against a single top-10 opponent. She has played her sister 26 times, but still hasn't beaten her as often as she's beaten Sharapova.
Thanks
Asit Ghosh
Senior Lecturer, TE
