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The tennis experts of Sportskeeda look ahead at the 2014 Wimbledon Championships by making picks for the women’s draw in four categories: dark horse, early exit, dangerous floater, and champion.
1. Dark horse
Adnan Akhtar: Last year’s finalist Sabine Lisicki would be my choice for the dark horse. The German plays her best tennis on grass and has reached the quarterfinal stage and beyond four times at Wimbledon. This could be the year when she finally achieves the coveted Grand Slam title at SW19.
Anand Datla: Sloane Stephens has shown us often that she is big tournament player. The American has brought her A-game to the Slams for a while now. On her day, the 18th-seeded Stephens could cause some serious damage this coming fortnight. And her draw is not nearly as fearsome as that of some of the others.
Ball N Racquet: Venus Williams is a five-time Wimbledon champion, which always counts for something. She is posited to face Petra Kvitova in the third round; a few upsets by the elder Williams will not be surprising.
Jai Prakash: One of the nicest things to happen to women’s tennis this year is the emergence of 20-year-old Eugenie Bouchard. She made it to the semifinals at both the Majors this year and I won’t be surprised if she goes all the way here!
Kaushik Narayanan: Sloane Stephens has been Ms Consistent as far as her Grand Slam performances are concerned; she always brings out her her best at the biggest stages. This could be her breakthrough tournament, after a string of par-expectations performances.
Musab Abid: If we had any doubts about whether Eugenie Bouchard was for real, the French Open silenced them all. Her 2014 Wimbledon seems a little two-faced though – on the downside, she is slated to meet Serena Williams in the fourth round, but on the upside, grass favours her quick-strike game a lot more than clay and slow hardcourts. If Serena falls early, look for Bouchard to make yet another deep run.
Roh: Technically, looking at her performances over the last year, Sabine Lisicki’s name doesn’t merit a cut under this tag. But like in previous years, the German can be expected to be a tough contender to battle against on Wimbledon’s grass.
2. Early exit
Adnan Akhtar: Victoria Azarenka would be my choice for an early exit at Wimbledon. I am not sure how tournament-ready Azarenka is, and lack of match practice due to a first round loss at Eastbourne would be a deterrent when she begins her Wimbledon campaign.
Anand Datla: Jelena Jankovic has a tough opener against Kaia Kanepi. And the Estonian is no pushover on grass, having made the quarterfinals of Wimbledon in 2010 and 2013.
Ball N Racquet: Victoria Azarenka could face defeat early as she is just returning from an injury break and does not seem to be back to her normal level of tennis.
Jai Prakash: She has been in the top five for some time now. But when it comes to Grand Slams, Agnieszka Radwanska is struggling to live up to her ranking. She might not last the first week.
Kaushik Narayanan: Victoria Azarenka has just returned from a long injury layoff. In spite of being an incredibly talented all-court player, asking her to produce a magical run so early into her comeback is a little unreasonable. It will be quite hard for her to move around freely right now.
Musab Abid: Maria Sharapova has never fared particularly well in back-to-back tournaments, and there’s a strong likelihood she may still be fatigued from her incredible effort at the French Open. To top that, grass hasn’t been kind to her in recent times – she has gone past the fourth round just once in the last seven years. If someone else doesn’t get her up to the fourth round, then Serena or Bouchard almost certainly will in the quarters.
Roh: There’s no aura surrounding Serena Williams this time at Wimbledon. Serena has happened to have a quite inconspicuous season this year, which stacks the odds against her, rather than in her favour.
3. Dangerous floater
Adnan Akhtar: Bulgarian Tsvetana Pironkova has an impressive record on grass. Having reached the Wimbledon semifinals in 2010, Pironkova has the experience of playing big matches and could cause a fair share of upsets next week.
Anand Datla: Caroline Garcia of France could prove to be one of the most feared unseeded players at the tournament this year. Garcia is among the most promising women on tour outside the seeded players, and a breakthrough for her cannot be ruled out.
Ball N Racquet: Tsvetana Pironkova enters Wimbledon with a good track record of being a giant killer. She is also going through her career best year up until now. She could cause a few upsets, including that of the not-so-good-grasscourter Sara Errani, whom she is slated to meet in the second round.
Jai Prakash: She has been rather inconsistent off late, but you cannot rule out Francesca Schiavone yet. The 2010 French Open champion is capable of pulling off a surprise or two!
Kaushik Narayanan: Teenage sensation Belinda Bencic has been making waves on the WTA circuit. Her fresh, unpredictable game makes her a dangerous opponent to face in the early stages of the tournament.
Musab Abid: Madison Keys is coming off her maiden WTA title – she won the Eastbourne tournament by beating Angelique Kerber in the final yesterday – and her big game has always been considered suited to grass. Keys is not just a product of media hype; there’s actually a lot to like about her, and no player would want to face the powerful American early on.
Roh: Caroline Garcia’s name sounds ominous in the wide open women’s draw; the seeds should be wary of the threat she possesses.
4. Champion
Adnan Akhtar: Five-time champion Serena Williams has always produced her best performances at Wimbledon, and she would be my pick to lift the title this year.
Anand Datla: There is a lot of wind behind Serena Williams as the outright favourite, but I have my doubts. I believe this will be the tournament where Eugenie Bouchard breaks through to claim her maiden Grand Slam title. She has been pushing hard, and her semifinal appearances at the Australian Open and French Open will only have emboldened her spirits.
Ball N Racquet: After conquering the French Open, Maria Sharapova is, I believe, the favourite to win the ladies’ singles title. That said, she will face an uphill task in defeating Serena Williams in the quarterfinals. The possibility of Sharapova winning the trophy would become almost sure if Williams faces another early defeat.
Jai Prakash: She suffered a shock defeat in the second round at Roland Garros, but you can never write off Serena Williams. The American is more than capable of turning it around on her favourite surface. If she gets past Maria Sharapova (and there’s no reason to suggest why she shouldn’t), there’d be no stopping her.
Kaushik Narayanan: After a couple of mediocre performances at Grand Slams, a fully fit Serena Williams will be raring to make a point, and going by the draw, she seems primed to emerge as the champion.
Musab Abid: For what feels like the first time in years, I am not 100% sure that Serena Williams will walk away with the title. How about being a little adventurous then, and picking Sabine Lisicki to win it all? On second thought, I think I’ll go with the woman she beat in last year’s semifinals. Agnieszka Radwanska may have had a nondescript year so far, but her game comes alive on the grass, and for some reason I feel she’s going to win a Slam sooner or later. This may be as good a time as any for her to do just that.
Roh: A throwback to the past seems to be in the making, which is why I pick Maria Sharapova to win the title exactly 10 years after she shocked the world by winning here as a 17-year-old.
