Wimbledon – It’s the semifinal time
The women who have made it to the last four of the Championships this year provides us with an interesting mix – a former champion in Maria Sharapova, a player fighting her way back from injury in Sabine Lisicki, last year’s semifinalist Petra Kvitova and an upcoming star in Victoria Azarenka. The list unusually doesn’t feature a Williams who have 9 of the last 11 titles here. Sharapova is the only amongst the remaining candidates who have had the experience of winning a Grand Slam after having the Wimbledon here in 2004. She has also won the US Open and the Australian Open and whether she will add the French Open to her tally to win the Career Grand Slam is a different issue. But on grass, her favourite surface, she is a thoroughbred and after returning from a long layoff, she is showing signs of a player that won the title here seven years ago.
Also Read: Wimbledon At Glance
Sharapova, at 24, is the oldest in the draw and the favourite to win her fourth Grand Slam. She is also the only one in the draw yet to have conceded a set and has lost only 25 games in her five games. The serve is not as lethal as it was before her shoulder surgery but the form of the old has returned with winners flying down inches inside the line. Standing in her way is the hard hitting German Sabine Lisicki who has served down 44 aces compared to Sharapova’s 19. Lisicki’s serve was called impossible to compete by former finalist Bartoli who went down to the German in the quarterfinals. Sharapova and Lisicki have met only once – in Miami where Sharapova lost only 2 games. But that was a 218th ranked Lisicki who was returning from an ankle injury that kept her out for five long months. Now ranked 62, Lisicki is climbing up the ladders rapidly and stands a chance at becoming the first wild card to win Wimbledon. Her ground strokes are hit with as much intensity as Sharapova’s and with a more ferocious serve, she stands a good chance at upsetting the former champion.
The second semifinal on Centre Court will take place between Belarusian Victoria Azarenka and Czech Republic’s Petra Kvitova. The duo has competed four times before – each winning twice but Kvitova has the advantage winning both of their recent meetings, most recently on clay in Madrid. Azarenka has lost only 6 of her last 38 matches and has moved up to fourth in the WTA Rankings, the highest for anyone from her country. Kvitova however has been in this situation before when she reached the semis here in 2010 before losing to eventual champion Serena.
With four women just a step away from competing for the biggest title on grass, Thursday’s matches are what will decide who gets to play on Centre Court for a place in history.
Tags: Grand Slam, Grass, Maria Sharapova, Petra Kitova, Tennis, Wimbledon, Wimbledon Championships, Wimbledon Tennis Championships
