How Agnieszka Radwanska can beat Serena Williams in Wimbledon final

The Pole will need to produce all her best shots to defeat the four-times champion in the Wimbledon final
Agnieszka Radwanska plays her unusual 'squat shot' in Wimbledon semi-final against Angelique Kerber
Agnieszka Radwanska plays her unusual 'squat shot' during her semi-final against Angelique Kerber at Wimbledon. Photograph: Colorsport/Corbis

Agnieszka Radwanska will be up against it in her first grand slam final even if she recovers from illness. Unlike Serena Williams, Radwanska does not have any huge weapons. However, the world No3 has an array of intelligent shots in her repertoire and will need to use them all if she is to stand any chance of causing an upset against the four-times Wimbledon champion

The squat shot

The 5ft 8in Radwanska does not possess a big serve and Williams, by far the more powerful player, is likely to attack it whenever she can. But when Radwanska's opponents return her serves back down to her feet, the Pole takes them by surprise by kneeling down to hit a crouching half-volley, using the speed on the ball to her advantage. It is one of the more unusual shots in the game. "I pretty much just do the squat," she says. "I've been doing it since I can remember, but now more and more. It is a reaction to the power. If I had more time, it would for sure be different."

Drop shot

If Radwanska tries to go toe-to-toe with Williams from the baseline, she will be blown away by the American's ground strokes. However, simply hitting down the middle of the court can sometimes tempt Williams into forcing the issue and going long, and Radwanska will also look to wrong-foot Williams and hit behind her, while throwing in some drop shots too. In Radwanska's straight-sets win in the semi-final against Angelique Kerber, she unsettled the German with cute drop shots, often on the backhand side. Kerber had no answer.

Backhand pass

If Radwanska does manage to draw Williams to the net, the Pole has the ability to pick her opponent off with her backhand pass. Radwanska does not drive her backhand. Instead of hitting through the ball, she flicks it with her wrists and has the ability to either send it down the line or across the court.


One of Radwanska's main attributes is her ability to defend, which she will require in spades against Williams. However, where possible she will also need to attack her opponent, rather than relying on her movement and retrieval skills. With careful placement of her first serve in the semi-final against Kerber, she enjoyed success by occasionally using serve‑and‑volley tactics, not allowing the German to gain any fluency or settle into rallies.

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