The 2011 Championships start on Monday, and all eyes on the Ladies' side will be focused on Serena and Venus Williams. Combined winners of 9 of the last 11 Championships played, they by far have the most pedigree of any women's player on tour by a large margin. However, big questions are lingering over them entering this tournament. Serena is playing her second tournament since winning last year, and the first one was last week in Eastbourne, where she lost to last year's finalist Vera Zvonareva in a tight 3 set match in which she was serving for the match in the second set. Venus is only playing her second tournament since she had to withdraw from the third round of the 2011 Australian Open. Their history tells us a run is possible, but their lack of match play due to injury suggests they will have to struggle to make it through this tournament. Either way, they will command all of the attention on the ladies' side, and this overshadows the fact that this is a wide open draw. As many as 8 ladies have a legitimate shot at winning, and, in direct comparison to 2011 Roland Garros, no one is talking about the world's number one, Caroline Wozniacki. After the jump, we'll have the full preview of the draw, quarter by quarter.
Quarter Number One
Top Seeds: Caroline Wozniacki, Maria Sharapova, Samantha Stosur
Dark Horses: Julia Georges, Lucie Safarova
This is a perfect draw for the number 5 seed and the 2004 winner here, Maria Sharapova. A potential 4th round opponent in Samantha Stosur shouldn't provide much difficulty, as Stosur has never had much success on grass. Sharapova is playing very well right now, and grass is by far her preferred surface. Of course, this is technically Wozniacki's quarter, and she certainly has the talent to make a huge breakthrough. Her draw is also relatively easy, with seemingly no real challengers until the quarterfinal.
Quarter Number Two
Top Seeds: Serena Williams, Li Na, Marion Bartoli
Dark Horses: Bethanie Mattek-Sands, Ana Ivanovic
The enticing 4th round match-up involves 2008 Wimbledon finalist and 2011 French open semifinalist Marion Bartoli would meet 5 time champion at the AELTC Serena Williams. Serena's first matches should be very interesting to see how she's recovered from her foot injury. For her part, Bartoli has a game that surprisingly transfers well to grass. Li Na is in the upper half of this quarter, and it will be interesting to see if she can build on her incredible 2011 French Open win.
Quarter Number Three
Top Seeds: Francesca Schiavone, Victoria Azarenka, Andrea Petkovic
Dark Horses: Daniela Hantuchova, Ekaterina Makarova
The top half of this quarter is relatively weak, with Schiavone being the top seed and not having an ounce of grass court acumen. She seems to only come alive during the French Open, and the first round match between her and Jelena Dokic might see a huge upset. Other than that, there are three women who have a great shot at getting out of this quarter. Victoria Azarenka is the highest seed in this quarter, and she has a game that should be suited to grass, but her results haven't been there. Andrea Petkovic, the eccentric German, has the power to go far, but her margin for error is rather small, and that might be her undoing. The one to watch is Daniela Hantuchova, who would play Azarenka in the third round. The winner of that may well very go on to advance to the semifinals.
Quarter Number Four
Top Seeds: Vera Zvonareva, Petra Kvitova, Venus Williams
Dark Horses: Yanina Wickmayer, Jelena Jankovic
This is a very interesting quarter. Venus Williams has by far had the most success at Wimbledon, but her age appears to be catching up to her in the form of injuries. She definitely can win here, but her draw is extremely difficult. Vera Zvonareva is incredibly talented, and it seems as if her mental issues have subsided. There's still always that possibility, but she has to be the clear favorite to get out of this quarter
Quarterfinalists: Wozniacki, Sharapova, Na, Serena Williams, Petkovic, Azarenka, Kvitova, Zvonareva
Semifinalists: Sharapova vs. Serena Williams, Azarenka vs. Zvonareva
Finalists: Sharapova, Zvonareva
Ladies Champion: Vera Zvonareva def. Maria Sharapova
No comments:
Post a Comment