What do Shrek 2, The Day After Tomorrow and Meet the Fockers have in common?
You could find them all at the cinema the last time Maria Sharapova defeated Serena Williams, more than a decade ago.
It is extraordinary to believe that out of the eighteen previous matches between these multiple Grand Slam champions, the Russian has only twice emerged victorious.
Both of those victories came in 2004, the first at Wimbledon and the second at the year-end Tour Finals.
It’s not as if the Russian hasn’t noticed how long it’s been.
"[Serena’s] power and aggressiveness, I think that’s always made me a little bit too aggressive, maybe going for a little bit more than I had to," said Sharapova after defeating her compatriot Ekaterina Makarova in the semi-final.
"You know, she’s great at making players hit that shot that you don’t necessarily have to go for."
Meanwhile, World No 1 and five-time Australian Open champion, Serena, is understandably delighted with her record against a supposed rival.
"I take a lot of pride in it," she told The New York Times. "I think my game matches up well against her. I love playing her. I think it's fun. I love her intensity. For whatever reason, I love playing, I just have the time of my life."
Serena Williams celebrates with Daphne Akhurst Trophy in 2009 ©INPHO/Getty Images
Williams journey to face the Russian has been somewhat challenging as she had to see off three emerging talents. Elina Svitolina and Garbine Muguruza each took a set of the American and Madison Keys, who hits the ball even harder than Williams, proved a real challenge in their semi-final. Williams eventually came through 7-6 6-2.
Sharapova on the other hand has bludgeoned her way through the draw, only dropping a set against compatriot Alexandra Panova in the second round. The Russian impressively dispatched young gun Eugenie Bouchard in the quarters before overcoming another compatriot, Ekaterina Makarova in the semi-final.
The first Grand Slam final of the year will see Williams attempt to claim her 19th major singles title, while Sharapova is chasing her sixth. If Williams succeeds, she will move to second on the Open Era all-time list, within striking distance of Steffi Graf's total of twenty two.
The mountain Sharapova must climb is considerably steeper.
Her awful record against Williams already noted, Sharapova’s Grand Slam final record is hardly spectacular with five victories from nine final appearances. Williams has appeared in twenty two major singles finals, only suffering defeat on four occasions.
Does Sharapova have a chance I hear you ask?
One can certainly make the case that the Russian’s recently improved movement, and relatively solid serve, at least compared to how erratic it once was, gives her a decent chance against the American. Not to mention Serena’s occasional, and quite baffling, emotional breakdowns.
Even taking all of that into account though, I still expect to see Williams hoist the Daphne Akhurst Memorial Cup come Saturday. Williams should win because of their head-to-head record, her record in major finals, and the simple fact that she is the better player.
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