Can lightning strike twice?  That is the question that will be on everyone's mind but most notably on the minds of Serena Williams and Angelique Kerber.  Few believed the German would upset the American to win her maiden major singles title when they squared off earlier this year in the final of the Australian Open.  Now, approximately six months later, the fourth seed will be asked to pull off the feat again in an effort to win the second major title of her career.

Not much has changed for Williams since she last faced Kerber.  She is still the top seed.  She is still the best player in the women's game.  And much to her chagrin, she is still stuck at 21 major singles titles and eager to secure that 22nd in order to tie the great Steffi Graf. 

Things have changed for Kerber, though.  She is now a Grand Slam singles champion.  She has had her struggles dealing with the increased expectations that came with that mantle, but she has coped better than most, backing up that run with semifinal showings in Miami and Charleston, as well as defending her Stuttgart crown.  She has now been to No. 2 in the world and crucially should have even greater belief in her own abilities.

Kerber should have the tools to frustrate Williams in this contest, similar to the way she did in Melbourne.  Even on grass, she is able to not only track down a lot of balls, as she proved when she took out Venus Williams in the previous round, but also to get them back deep.  She has some decent variety in her game, in particular her willingness to use the drop shot, and she is one of the best at finding angles to open up the court.  She proved quite adept at breaking opponents’ serves through her last few rounds here as well, and she is going to have to take her chances to find the same level of success in that area when she faces Williams on Saturday.  But breaks mean nothing if she cannot hold her own serve, and unfortunately for her, the serve is the weakest part of her game.  There is no question that she has to shore up that aspect of her arsenal if she hopes to score a victory.  She can ill afford to give Williams too many looks at a second delivery but cannot be found guilty of playing it overly safe on the first.  If so, Williams may find she is able to break at will.

Williams has one of the most devastating returns in the sport, and a large part of the reason why she is so free on the return is that she is immensely solid on her own serve.  That weapon is frequently touted as the greatest in the history of the women's game, and it has won her a lot of championships.  She has had her struggles with that shot at this tournament, though, and players have been able to regularly attack her second serve.  Williams does have a great game for backing up her serve, however, and it is especially effective on the quick grass surface.  She strikes the ball harder from both wings than the German, and as a result, she is able to hit a little more effectively on the run than Kerber.  She is also more skilled in the forecourt, and because of her more penetrating groundstrokes, she should be able to move forward on a more consistent basis.  In short, she has the better overall game, and if firing on all cylinders, she is in a better position to control the outcome of this contest.

But executing their respective game plans means having to efficiently manage nerves, and it is that factor that offers the most intrigue in this championship match.  Kerber once again theoretically comes in as the underdog with nothing to lose, but unlike in Melbourne, there are a few more believers who think this one can go the German's way.  She has now been here before and knows she is able to rise to the occasion, but trying to duplicate what she did in Australia brings its own pressure, especially since the grass plays quicker than the hard courts of the Australian Open.  She has had to come through a tougher road to get there, however, and has done so without the loss of a set, which should have her feeling as confident as possible when she takes to the court against the American.

As for Williams, only she knows how she is truly feeling in this match.  She is definitely the player under more pressure in this final.  It is not simply that she is the top seed and therefore expected to win.  She wants to get to No. 22, and after being so close at the last three majors, there are bound to be some seeds of doubt in her mind.  But you do not win 21 major singles titles by accident.  She has had to fight through many a tough battle to garner those victories and is secure in the belief of her own mental toughness.  She knows she has the game to win.  She just needs to execute.

So the stage is set for what could be an entertaining final.  We know what these two produced in Australia, and fans are in for a real treat if they can do something similar here.  Kerber could pull off the upset.  She has the tools, the experience, and the belief, and she is playing relaxed tennis.  But once again, it is Williams who must be labeled as the likely victor.  When at her best, she is better than anyone.  Surely she is going to prevent lightning from striking twice to grab her 22nd major singles title.