One is known for her clay-court form and a distinct early distaste for competing on grass. The other is an aficionado of this surface, advancing to the last four at Wimbledon for the third time in four years.
When Garbine Muguruza and Agnieszka Radwanska meet for a place in Saturday’s ladies' final, the contrasts will be pronounced.
The 6ft (1.83m) Muguruza, the No.20 seed, brings an attacking, take-no-prisoners style that’s been devastating as she has progressed to become the first Spanish semi-finalist in the ladies' singles at Wimbledon since Arantxa Sanchez-Vicario in 1997.
Radwanska, the No.13 seed, relies on tactics and guile, the crafty 26-year-old having used them with stunning effect to become the first Polish player to progress to a Grand Slam singles final at Wimbledon in 2012.
With these disparate playing styles come juxtaposing emotions. Muguruza isn’t shy to show her pure joy, the passionate Spaniard following her victories at the All England Club with dramatic, fall-to-the-ground celebrations that are fast becoming a trademark.
“It means a lot because I didn't play a lot of matches on grass,” she explained after upsetting the No.5 seed, Caroline Wozniacki, in the fourth round. “I think it's the third time I play. So for me it was something new. That's why it's special.”
Radwanska more often provides an abbreviated fist-pump, as economical as she is with her tennis but, until now, 2015 has fallen far short of her own high standards.
A fourth-round loss at the Australian Open was followed by a more alarming first-round exit in Paris and Radwanska also made a rare appearance outside the world’s top 10 in recent months.
“I knew that grass is much better, but I think after that match in Paris, I wouldn’t expect to reach the semi-final here, that’s for sure,” she said.
Given the disparate stages of their respective careers, there’s arguably more at stake in their semi-final for the proven performer than the rising star.
The 21-year-old Muguruza is making only her third appearance in the Main Draw while Radwanska is completing 10 years of consecutive appearances. This is only the 11th major of Muguruza’s career – 18 fewer than Radwanska.
Not that a lack of experience is troubling the increasingly accomplished competitor. “It’s true that experience helps you,” Muguruza said. “But in these types of rounds, everybody is so nervous, everybody wants to win so much. You just have to fight against this and find your way to achieve to the final or win.”
Radwanska countered: “Experience is always very important, especially in a Grand Slam, but we'll see. Sometimes when you are there for the first time, you also have nothing to lose.”
Clearly possessing a big-stage demeanour to match her big-hitting style (“I like to play on big courts because it's extra motivation,” she declared after her quarter-final win over Timea Bacsinszky), Muguruza has already amassed four victories over top-five opponents in her short career. Two were against Simona Halep, another over Wozniacki here, and one against Serena Williams when she inflicted the world No.1's worst-ever loss at a Grand Slam, in the second round of the 2014 French Open.
Equally concerning for Radwanska will be the two victories Muguruza has claimed against her this year, levelling their head-to-head record to two apiece. “I think it's going to be 50-50 match,” the Pole conceded. “She's for sure playing very good tennis at the moment. We never played on grass, so I think it's going to be (a) very good challenge.”
The surface is where the Pole will look for an advantage, having finished runner-up in Eastbourne last month and underlined her grass-court superiority when she survived a tough three-set quarter-final against the big-hitting Madison Keys.
“I think I will play good matches against top players [on grass],” Radwanska said. “That is always helping. I think I will have a lot more confidence after those weeks on the grass.”
Muguruza, a two-time quarter-finalist at the French Open, agrees that it’s a surprise she had made her first major semi-final on Wimbledon's lawns, yet she’s increasingly happy to compete on it. “I think I'm playing really good. I think the surface helps me,” she said.
For all the contrasts, there are some key similarities – the most important being a desire to stake an even more significant claim at the 2015 Championships. They may approach it in different ways, but there’s undoubtedly an intriguing semi-final ahead.