French Open 2015: Women's Final Schedule, Prediction and Prize Money
Serena Williams takes on Lucie Safarova in the 2015 French Open final on Saturday as she bids to win her 20th Grand Slam title.
As well as the prestigious title, the pair will also be contesting for a staggering €1,800,000—an increase of 9.09 per cent on last year's prize fund, according to Roland Garros' official website.
No. 13 seed Safarova has been one of the surprise performers of the tournament and will play in her maiden Slam final, having only ever made it past the quarter-finals once in her career prior.
.jpg?w=256 "Colts Jaguars Football")
Read on for all the information you need to make sure you don't miss any of the drama and a look at what to expect from the final.
Venue: Stade Roland Garros in Paris
Date: Saturday, June 6
Time: 2 p.m. BST, 9 a.m. ET
TV: ITV (UK) NBC (U.S.)
Live Stream: ITV Player, NBC Sports Live Extra
Will Illness Be a Factor for Williams?
Though the American usually dominates her opponents with overwhelming skill and power, Williams has been far from her best at Roland Garros so far, dropping a set in four of her matches.
This came to a head in her semi-final showdown with Timea Bacsinszky, where Williams was forced to battle the flu as well as her opponent, per USA Today Sports:
Indeed, the 33-year-old's condition appears to have improved little, as Sports Illustrated reports:
The New York Times' Ben Rothenberg nevertheless believes that the world No. 1 is strong enough to overcome her health:
Her coach, Patrick Mouratoglou, was full of praise for Williams' recovery from adversity in the semi-final. Per the New York Times' Christopher Clarey, he said:
"That’s the difference between the champions and the others. There’s no rational explanation for that, and she has in her this capacity when she feels the danger to react, and the reaction is such a strong one that in general it’s very difficult on the other side of the net to resist it.
...
She showed once again that she is the strongest player mentally in history.
"
If Williams' is unable to fully recover in time for the final, then she will need to draw on this mental strength in order to persevere.
As FiveThirtyEight's Carl Bialik points out, Williams has struggled to start well in the opening sets of her matches at the French Open this year:
However, Williams' determination is there for all to see, and it is reflected in her astounding ability to come back from a set down:
The American has won 19 of her 23 Slam finals, so it's wholly possible that she can rely on her experience and mental strength to carry her through to another victory.
Can Safarova Cause an Upset?
Safarova has never before made a truly significant impact in a Grand Slam, but the Czech has shone this year with some outstanding tennis and thoroughly deserves her place in the final.
Impressively, the 28-year-old has won all six of her matches without dropping a single set, winning five tiebreaks out of five.
Along the way, Safarova has seen off the challenges of past Roland Garros-winners Ana Ivanovic and Maria Sharapova, which makes her achievement all the more remarkable.
If Safarova can hold her nerve and show the form she's enjoyed throughout the tournament, she can give Williams a close run for the championship.
Safarova's powerful forehand and excellent serving could be key to her efforts. According to Roland Garros' website, she has won over 70 per cent of her first serves at the tournament so far.
This consistency of serve will force Williams to work incredibly hard to break her, made all the more difficult by the American's fitness issues.
Nevertheless, Williams has pulled results out of the bag with such great consistency throughout her career and has shown time and again that she can overcome any obstacle placed in front of her.
Expect Safarova to start well and take the first set, but it's impossible to write off a classic comeback from the world No. 1. Williams will fight her way back into the match, and from there she'll close it out like the born winner she is.
Prediction: Williams wins 3-6, 6-4, 6-4
.jpg?w=480 "Colts Jaguars Football")
