Wimbledon Ladies Draw: Quarter by Quarter

First Quarter

Serena Williams enters this year’s Wimbledon with a lot to prove. After losing in the second round of the French Open to youngster Garbiñe Muguruza, Williams appeared vulnerable and lacking confidence. Last year at this time, Williams was coming off of a championship run at Roland Garros and riding a 31-match win streak. Even though Williams’ season has not gone as well as she initially planned, Wimbledon would be the perfect place to get back on track.

In order for Serena Williams to lift the Venus Rosewater Dish for a sixth-time, the 17-time major winner will have to overcome some large obstacles along the way. The first test comes in the third round when she faces the 25 seed Alize Cornet, who upset Williams in the semifinals of Dubai in February. If Williams prevails, her projected fourth round opponent would be the rising young Canadian Eugiene Bouchard. Bouchard presents a much bigger challenge for Williams than Cornet. The 2012 Wimbledon junior champion, with her big serve and forehand, has a game well suited for grass. It will be interesting to see how the Canadian, who nearly took out Sharapova in Paris, fairs against Williams on grass.

If the seeds hold to form, Serena Williams’ quarterfinal opponent will then be Maria Sharapova. In fact, if the two make it to the quarters, they are scheduled to play on the tenth anniversary of their historic 2004 final. As well as Sharapova has been playing, tennis fans know that the matchup against Williams doesn’t fair well for the Russian. In addition, with every passing round, it becomes more and more difficult to eliminate Williams. As difficult as Serena Williams’ road may be, history has proven that she brings some of her best tennis to the All-England Lawn and Tennis Club.  

Projected Quarterfinal: Serena Williams vs. Maria Sharapova

First Round Match To Watch: Heather Watson v. Ajla Tomljanovic

Popcorn Match: Serena Williams v. No. 13 Eugenie Bouchard

Sleepers Camila Giorgi and Alison Riske

Semifinalist: Williams

Second Quarter

The second quarter of the Wimbledon draw should be renamed the youngsters’ quarter because of the number of future WTA champions. This section features 17-year olds Belinda Bencic and Donna Vekic; 18-year old Victoria Duval; and 19-year old Madison Keys. Even though these players most likely will not win the title, it will definitely being interesting to see how these young guns fair in the tournament. However, if I were to pick one of these players to make a deep run at this year’s event, it would have to be Madison Keys. Coming off winning her maiden WTA title in Eastbourne last week, the young American is riding an emotional high. Keys’ game is well suited for grass, which she lists as her favorite surface.

In addition to the young players in the draw, we also find grass-court specialist Sabine Lisicki. The German, seeded 19^th at this year’s event, presents a serious danger to the top seeds. In her last four appearances at SW19, Lisicki made the quarterfinals twice, a semifinal, and a final. It will definitely be interesting to see how the 24-year old handles the pressure of being last year’s finalist. The popcorn match of this quarter would have to be the projected third-round encounter between Lisicki and Ana Ivanovic. Ivanovic, who is coming off a title run of her own in Birmingham, is having one of the best year’s of her career. When breaking down each of the players’ game, the two possess a very similar playing style. Both players have huge forehands, move fairly well, and have effective serves. However, based on their results at SW19 in the past, I believe that Lisicki will come out the victor.     

Projected Quarterfinal: Simona Halep v. Jankovic

First Round To Watch: Jelena Jankovic and Kaia Kanepi

Popcorn Match: No. 11 Ana Ivanovic v. No. 19 Sabine Lisicki

Sleeper: Madison Keys

Semifinalist: Lisicki

Third Quarter

The biggest headline regarding the third quarter of the draw is the comeback of Victoria Azarenka. The two-time grand slam champion, who has not played since Indian Wells in March, returned to the tour last week in Eastbourne, losing to Camila Giorgi in her opening match. With so little match play over the past couple of months, is it realistic to think that Azarenka can make a deep run at SW19?

Similar to Williams in the first quarter of the draw, the Belarusian has a tough road just to get to the second week of Wimbledon. In the first round she faces former Wimbledon semifinalist Mirjana Lucic-Baroni. The Croat’s big serve and flat groundstrokes can prove to be troublesome for Azarenka. A much stiffer test is ahead for Azarenka in the third round, where she could potentially play either Garbiñe Muguruza or American Coco Vandeweghe. The young Spaniard proved at the French Open that she could push the top players. Muguruza easily handled Serena Williams, and nearly took out Maria Sharapova en-route to her first career grand slam quarterfinal. On the other hand, Vandeweghe is coming into Wimbledon red-hot. The 22-year old American just won her maiden WTA title in ‘S-Hertogenbosch, where she won seven matches and hit 83 aces along the way.

If Azarenka can get some matches under her belt, I believe that she can make it through her quarter. In the quarterfinals, Azarenka is projected to play Agnieszka Radwanska, whom the Belarusian holds a commanding 12-4 record over. Following a second round exit last year, Victoria Azarenka has very little to lose during the fortnight. As one of the fiercest competitors on the WTA Tour, Victoria Azarenka will fight tooth and nail into the later rounds of the tournament.

Quarterfinal: Agnieszka Radwanska v. Victoria Azarenka

First Round Upset Alert: Sara Errani v. Caroline Garcia

Popcorn Match: Agnieszka Radwanska v. Svetlana Kuznetsova

Sleepers: Tsvetana Pironkova; Coco Vandeweghe

Semifinalist: Azarenka

Fourth Quarter

In the final quarter of the women’s draw we find two former Wimbledon champions, along with the number two seed Li Na. Following a shocking first round exit at the French Open, the two-time grand slam champion enters Wimbledon looking to regain the form that helped her win the title Down Under earlier this year. Before last year’s Wimbledon, Li Na contemplated retirement

because of her sub-par results. Li’s decision to give it one more chance at the grass court major was a wise one. Her quarterfinal showing proved to be the start of the most successful stretch of her career. The world number two, with her flat groundstrokes and improved net play, is capable of playing well on the grass. However, as I mentioned in my French Open preview, if Li doesn’t maintain laser-like focus throughout a match, there is a strong likelihood she could make another early exit at a major.

The most intriguing matchup in this quarter is the potential third round between five-time Wimbledon champion Venus Williams and 2011 champ Petra Kvitova. At 34 years of age, Venus Williams can still compete with the best players on tour. Even though Williams has not made the second week on any major since 2011, at Wimbledon, the lawns of the All England Club seem to bring out the best in the five-time champion. The same could be said about Petra Kvitova. In the last six majors Kvitova has played, the Czech has made the second week only once, at Wimbledon. The reason the Czech southpaw is so successful on grass is her increased ability to dictate play and keep points short. Moreover, the unpredictability that is typically associated with the Kvitova game seems to disappear when stepping on the lawns of SW19.  

Kvitova has a 3-1 record against Williams; however, they have never met on grass. If both players can get through their first two matches, this match has the potential to be a blockbuster. Scheduling this match on any court other than Centre Court would be a serious injustice to these two great champions.     

Quarterfinal: Li Na v. Petra Kvitova

Popcorn Third Round Match: Venus Williams v. Petra Kvitova

First Round Upset Alert: Sloane Stephens v. Maria Kirilenko

Sleepers: Caroline Wozniacki; Venus Williams

Semifinalist: Li

Semifinals: Williams def. Lisicki; Li Na def. Azarenka

Final: Williams def. Li