Suffice to say, it’s been a particularly weird tournament for the women at Wimbledon. Case-in-point, the eclectic octet making up today’s quarterfinals.
Two major champions, two top-20 supporting players, a rising star, a journeywoman, a one-time bridesmaid and the 181st ranked player in the world, it’s not exactly the group of contenders everyone foresaw when this tournament started just over a week ago. Still, it’s a group that should be no less enticing for onlookers.
For all the head shaking and hand wringing that has followed in the wake of so many big name departures, the players that are left have by-and-large earned their way here with some scintillating tennis. Of the eight, seven either beat a top-8 seed or beat the woman who did – the other is Serena Williams.
In any case, there will be plenty of time later to dissect what happened to Muguruza, Kvitova et al. Right now is the time to simply enjoy the tennis. They won’t disappoint.
Read on for a look at all four matches on women’s quarterfinals Tuesday:
Angelique Kerber (GER) [11] v Daria Kasatkina (RUS) [14] – First on Centre
Already the stars of one grass court cracker this year in Eastbourne, Kerber and Kasatkina now get the chance to run back that 6-1, 6-7, 7-6 affair with a much bigger prize on the line. Kerber will come in the favourite (if only because she’s been here before) but Kasatkina knows how to beat the German, having taken three wins in their six meetings, including a 6-0, 6-2 beatdown in this year’s Indian Wells quarterfinals. With that in mind it’s a very hard match to pick, with the only guarantee being these two will provide the sort of shotmaking and touch that will lead to some very entertaining all-court tennis.
Dominika Cibulkova (SVK) v Jelena Ostapenko (LAT) [12] – First on No. 1 Court
If you like high-energy players with plenty of baseline power, this is the match for you. Two women with plenty to prove, this match marks a chance for Ostapenko to redeem her showing in the quarters here a year ago, while Cibulkova, as the woman forced out of the seedings due to Serena Williams, is out to re-establish herself as one of the elite players in the game. Leading their head-to-head 2-0, Cibulkova comes in perhaps a slight favourite, but this is one of those matches as likely to end in straights as go deep into extras in the third, all depending on each woman’s ability to sustain their firepower over the course of the match. Either way, this is one of those matches that will guarantee you (literal) bang for your buck.
Serena Williams (USA) [25] v Camila Giorgi (ITA) – Second on Centre
Four women have tried so far this tournament, four have failed – is Camila Giorgi the one who can finally stop Serena Williams? Short answer: probably not. Long answer: considering she’s yet to take a set off Serena in three attempts, has yet to play a seeded player this tournament, and will be playing on the biggest stage of her career, the signs aren’t good. If there’s any hope, Giorgi has shown flashes is the past of being able to take Serena’s shots on the rise and finish at net, but realistically she’ll be pushed back more often than she can go forward. No, this is all on Serena, and unless she decides she’d rather go watch France play Belgium in the soccer, she’ll be making her eleventh Wimbledon semifinal appearance.
Kiki Bertens (NED) [20] v Julia Goerges (GER) [13] – Second on No. 1 Court
A surprise pairing if there ever was one, prior to this year neither Bertens nor Goerges had ever made it past the third round here, and yet now one of them is going to be a Wimbledon semifinalist. Leading the head-to-head 2-0, as well as the bigger scalps of Venus Williams and Karolina Pliskova to her name, Bertens enters this one the favourite, with the question being whether Goerges can do what those opponents couldn’t, and break down the Dutchwoman’s staunch defense before she gets off one of her script-flipping missiles. Given this is an unfamiliar stage for both, nerves could certainly play a factor too, but assuming they both come to play, the edge has to go to Bertens.
