Serena Williams Remains Her Toughest Opponent at Wimbledon

Serena Williams remains the toughest opponent left in the 2015 Wimbledon Championships.

Williams defeated Timea Babos, 6-4, 6-1 to advanced to the third round. She next faces British No. 1 Heather Watson. 

A possible fourth-round match against sister Venus Williams and a quarterfinal meeting with Victoria Azarenka loom large. However, the most dangerous opponent left, the one that occasionally takes to the court unannounced, is slumping Serena. 

You'll recognize slumping Serena by the angst in her face. She sprays wild forehands all over the place. She looks up at her team in the player's box with questions for which they have no answers. She pouts and appears distressed. 

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Slumping Serena can still beat most of the women on the WTA Tour. However, it's sizzling Serena, the ace-o-matic queen of the courts, who wins Slams. If she shows up, then it's game, set, match. 

“I am definitely playing well, which I never say,” Williams told Kate Battersby of the Wimbledon website. 

Williams is seeking her 21st Grand Slam title and first Wimbledon championship since 2012. In a pre-Wimbledon press conference, Williams spoke with reporters about feeling less pressure this year.  

"I haven't done well here in the past two years. It makes me feel like, OK, I'll be fine. I have nothing to lose here. I don't have many points to defend here. So it's just like trying to have fun, go through it." 

Williams got off to a sluggish start in her 6-4, 6-1 win over Margarita Gasparyan. Against Babos, Williams came out focused and on fire. Dialed in, Williams served 12 aces and hit 23 winners to nine unforced errors. Prepared for the pace from the hard-hitting Babos, Williams stayed alert throughout the match. 

She has the complete game, court sense and athleticism. Her mental toughness keeps her far ahead of the field. Williams told reporters that her father instilled mental toughness in her as a child. 

"

I think for me being mentally tough is probably my biggest strength. And my dad always said growing up, you know, Tennis is so mental, you have to have your mental, you have to be really mentally tough. I guess I really took that to heart. 

I think also being the youngest of five really made me have to scrap and be tougher. I think all those things kind of played into action.

...

It's great to have a big serve, too. But I think ultimately sometimes when you're down and out, you could be the best player in the world, you still get down, but you have to be able to come back.

"

Just as mental strength gives her an advantage, emotional lapses seem to do her in. Rarely is Williams outplayed in a Grand Slam. Ana Ivanovic at the 2014 Australian Open and Sam Stosur during the 2011 U.S. Open final are among the few players who have blown Williams off the court. 

Sabine Lisicki played brilliantly in her win over Williams at the 2013 Wimbledon. However, Williams was up 3-0 in the third set and admitted to retreating and playing more tentative tennis. 

When Williams plays as she did against Babos, she's unbeatable. Even multiple-Slam winners like Azarenka, Maria Sharapova and Petra Kvitova are no match for a healthy, fit and focused Serena Williams, who has a combined 38-6 record against them. Only one of those losses happened in a Grand Slam, Sharapova's 2004 win at Wimbledon. 

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It's that type of dominance that gives Williams confidence when facing the top players. It's also why she's most vulnerable in the earlier rounds, when she faces players whose game she is unfamiliar with. That's one of the reasons a 17-year-old Sharapova stunned Williams. Blindsided, Williams had no idea what to expect. 

For Williams, the unknown can represent unpredictability. A student of the game, Williams thrives on her experience against opponents. Her keen sense of anticipation allows her to redirect shots and wrong-foot them. She knows where they want to go. 

She's never played Watson. The Brit would do well to get off to a quick start. Put pressure on Williams and force her to play catch up. Watson best be way ahead before Williams figures her out. 

Watson stands a chance against slumping Serena. But if sizzling Serena shows up, wave goodbye Watson, it's been a nice tourney.