Wimbledon: Manic Monday Part 2

Take a look at part 2 of our fourth round coverage. (Part 1 HERE)

Cibulkova def. Wozniacki

Fans of world no. 1 Caroline Wozniacki are going to be bitter today after the Dane failed to reach the Wimbledon quarterfinals, forcing the question once more: is she really worthy of her ranking? In her defense, she didn't lose today's match—Cibulkova won it. At 5'3'' small, Cibulkova looked twice her size on court, striking with such monstrous velocity you might have thought she was trying to smack the cover off the ball rather than hit winners. The feisty Slovak tallied 44 winners on the match, making her blistering forehand look easy. Wozniacki did have chances, having won the first set 6-1 and entering a second set tiebreak, but Cibulkova was a bit too good. Looks like the "best in the world" will have to wait for another chance to win a slam.

Score: 1-6, 7-6 (5), 7-5

Pironkova def. Venus Williams

It was deja vu on centre court when Pironkova knocked out Venus Williams. The Bulgarian has Venus tagged here at Wimbledon, defeating her last year by the same exact scoreline on her way to a semifinal birth. To be honest, it was not Venus' best performance, but Pironkova was spot on with low-flying backhands and sharp-angled forehands that the 5-time Wimbledon champion just couldn't put back in the court.

Score: 6-2, 6-3

Bartoli def. Serena Williams

Today wasn't a good day to be a Williams sister. Bartoli took down the defending champion in straights, despite a late surge from Serena. After wining the first set quite routinely, Bartoli looked to be playing the best tennis of her life—quite reminiscent, in fact, to her win over Henin a few year sago. But like every tennis fan knows, you can't count Serena out. Down two match points at 6-5 in the second set, Serena played her best point of the match followed by a return winner to take Bartoli's service game to deuce. Flash forward a few minutes later and we were in a tiebreak. Surely Serena would win, having fended off such dramatic points, but in a stunningly display of mental toughness, Bartoli stayed calm and prevailed 8-6 in the breaker.

Score: 6-3, 7-6 (6)

Paszek def. Pervak

Out on court 14, two surprise fourth rounders duked it out for a spot in the quarterfinals—a true highlight  in these women's careers. I don't know much about them, nor did I see the match, but it was Paszek who survived a tight three-setter. The Austrian went the distance in her last match against Schiavone and has shown some serious athletic ability. Will she have gas in the tank for the future?

Score: 6-2, 2-6, 6-3

-Kedzie Teller, ITB Senior Editor

Wimbledon: Manic Monday Part 1

It's the second Monday at Wimbledon and that means it's a full-schedule day complete with every fourth round match the championship has to offer. The final sixteen competitors will be duking it out all day for a place in the quarterfinals, and here's a look at who has advanced so far.

Azarenka def. Petrova
It took less than an hour for the powerful Belarusian to screech, howl and sing her way into yet another grand slam quarterfinal. After pulling out of a Wimbledon tune-up tournament (yes... another injury retirement) I held little hope for Victoria on the All-England courts, but here she goes again. Azarenka's speed, power and consistency have helped her cruise past her first four opponents, and although she has struggled with health, she has a great opportunity at a spot in the championship. She's never been able to capitalize on her grand slam quarterfinal appearances, but this might just be the one.
Score: 6-2, 6-2

Sharapova def. Peng
After a semifinal appearance in Paris and a championship victory in Rome, Sharapova entered Wimbledon as the tournament favorite. She's had her share of shaky play in her first three matches, but the 3-time grand slam champion has settled down nicely, defeating Shuai Peng in a match that showcased hard, flat hitting. Though Peng was able to shovel shots at the baseline, Maria showed her grass-court prowess, toppling the Chinese woman in straights. Sharapova still looks to be the favorite.
Score: 6-4, 6-2

Lisicki def. Cetkovska
With eight aces and zero double faults, Lisicki is proving once again she has the serve to lift her to victory—must we refer back to her clutch win over Li Na? It took a first set tiebreak to fully wake the surging German, but once the gears were in motion, Lisicki steam rolled through her opponent. She doubled the Czech's winner count (26 to 13) and went four for four in break opportunities. Sabine Lisicki is a surprise quarterfinalist for sure, but her play has been fantastic.
Score: 7-6 (3), 6-1

Kvitova def. Wickmayer
The big-hitting lefty from the Czech Republic has made a name for herself this year, winning in Madrid and knocking out big names in big moments, but after fizzling out in Paris, we didn't know what to expect at Wimbledon. Kvitova may have been the in-style pick for a surprise champion here in London, but I don't think anyone expected the performance she gave today against Wickmayer. Kvitova routed Wickmayer, preventing the Belgian from earning a single game in the first set. With a total of 31 winners in only 45 minutes during this fourth round match, Kvitova will roll into the quarters with a lot of confidence.
Score: 6-0, 6-2

-Kedzie Teller, ITB Senior Editor

Wimbledon: Day 3 and 4 Update

Along with the Sweet Victory for Sabine Lisicki, there have been a number of amazing early round matches at the 2011 Wimbledon Championships. Here's a quick overview along with links for full match results:

Venus hit a total of 46 winners
to Date-Krumm's 45.

Venus Survives Thriller
If you didn't see the amazing match between Venus Williams and the ageless Kimiko Date-Krumm, you missed one of the best matches on the women's side. It was incredible to watch both players attack with such drastically different assault tactics—Venus blasting cannons from the baseline while Kimiko moved in for a variety of flawless volleys. In the end, it was Venus who prevailed, striking down the 40-year-old Japanese woman 8-6 in the third.
Final Score: 6-7 (6), 6-3, 8-6

Qualifier, Doi, Stuns Mattek-Sands
America's Bethanie Mattek-Sands is as quirky in her appearance as she is capable of tremendous tennis (for those who don't know what she wears on court, let's say she is VERY quirky), but despite a fantastic 2011 record, she met a tough first round match-up with a qualifier from Japan. The young Misaki Doi dictated play with forehands far too powerful for someone her size. After three sets of grueling rallies, Bethanie was overwhelmed by the young-gun's desire to win.
Final Score: 6-4, 5-7, 7-5

Ivanovic Finds Form
Ana Ivanovic has struggled since plummeting away from her world no.1 ranking, but the beautiful Serbian has shown sparks of brilliance since the end of 2010. Here at Wimbledon, she clobbered her first opponent and did the same in the second round against Eleni Daniilidou. Does Ana have a shot at the crown?
Final Score: 6-3, 6-0

Petrova Pounds Pavlyuchenkova
Unseeded Nadia Petrova is familiar with the big stage, having been highly ranked in the past and making a few deep runs at majors. Since falling off in the world ranking, however, she has had a wide array of questionable losses. Stepping onto the grass court against world no. 14, however, she wasn't going to back down. Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova could not find her rhythm against her fellow Russian, and fell meekly in straight sets.
Final Score: 6-3 6-3

Serena has won Wimbledon
a total of four times.

Serena Needs Three, Again
Will Serena win Wimbledon this year? If she believes so, she will need to clean up her act a bit. After going the distance in the first round against Rezai, Serena was forced into another third round battle against Simona Halep. What is promising about these two matches, however, is that Serena has shown brilliant play in the final sets, cleaning up her errors and striking winners freely. It will be an interesting tournament for her, no doubt.
Final Score: 3-6, 6-2, 6-1


Full results here: DAY 3 and DAY 4.

Due to rain delays, Wimbledon is still behind in its schedule matches. Look out for more second round matches on Day 5, including Maria Sharapova's match against Laura Robson.

-Kedzie Teller, ITB Senior Editor

Wimbledon: Sweet Victory for Sabine Lisicki

Many in my circle of tennis friends thought I was foolish for predicting an upset in Li Na's second round match, but then again, many of those friends aren't familiar with Sabine Lisicki.

Lisicki def. Li 3-6, 6-4, 8-6
AP Photo Credit

When the German-Polish Lisicki stepped onto Centre Court today, I was thrilled beyond belief. Would the match live up to its expectations? Or would Li trample Lisicki's dreams of a comeback in straight sets? The first six games were all held convincingly, but Li Na was not to be outdone, earning the first break of serve and taking the set at 6-3. We knew Li would come out firing, having just won her first major title in Paris, but what we didn't know was that the few aces we saw Lisicki pound down the service box would be a foreshadowing of great things to come.

There was a clear switch in momentum in the second set when Lisicki's returns began to find the court. The spunky 21-year-old spent much of the first set swinging at Li's serves with misguided rage, missing her marks when she should have been focusing more on getting into rallies. Her risks paid dividends, however, once she settled down, rocketing shots at the baseline from both her forehand and backhand sides. Early in the match Li had been winning over 60% on her second serve, but when that number began to plummet, Sabine took control, and despite losing her break at 5-3, she shut the door on a Li's surge, breaking and taking the set at 6-4.

Once again momentum shifted and Li Na looked to be on top. Who could bet against the Australian Open runner-up and French Open Champion when she was up a break in the final set? Not only that, but Lisicki is only just returning from her injuries, climbing back into the 60's for her world ranking after fading to 200+ due to ankle injuries. Surely Li Na could convert one of the two match points she earned on Lisicki's serve at 3-5... that is, of course, unless Lisicki could do the impossible.

Just as the crowd settled down from an eruption of applause, Lisicki stepped to the baseline to facedown the first of two match points. Sabine tossed the ball into the air and hammered it down at Li, clocking 122mph for a service winner. One match point gone. Again, Lisicki unleashed on her serve, blasting a 123mph service winner at Li's forehand. As fast as the match points had come, they were gone, and even quicker went the next two points—Lisicki swatted 124mph and 122mph aces to force Li Na to serve for it at 5-4.

Despite being up a break (and ranked fourth in the world), Li Na looked rattled as she went to serve for the match. Lisicki found her range and pushed Li back, earning a total of 32 winners in a battle that would take well over two hours. Soon, Lisicki broke back, and the match was level at 5-5, but surprisingly enough Li Na would scramble her way to another break, edging toward what had to be an inevitable victory as Lisicki sent a routine swing-volley wide.

And this is where Lisicki showed the fans watching Centre Court that she is truly back and a force to be reckoned with. She unleashed on Li's serve and broke down her forehand, commanding all momentum to break to 6-6 and then ace her way through her service game. The young star tallied a total of 17 aces on the match—a number worthy of a double take, unless of course your watching the Williams sisters. At 15-40 on what would be Li's final service game, the feisty Chinese woman knocked two unreturnable serves, reminiscent of what Lisicki had done only a few games before. But unlike Lisicki, Li was unable to keep the big serves coming.

Lisicki found her way into the rallies, pushing Li off the court with heavy strokes and earning herself a third match point. As the final Li forehand sailed wide, Lisicki dropped to her knees in joyous tears. It was a victory she deserved, and a victory she had been wanting for so long.

AP Photo Credit

-Kedzie Teller, ITB Senior Editor

Wimbledon: First Round Follies and Fortune

For some high class players, like Sharapova and Wozniacki, the first round of Wimbledon was as straightforward as they could hope, but the first two days were also full of upsets and surprises as a handful of unsuspecting players dropped the hammer on their top seed match-ups. A few big names managed to dodge what looked like deadly bullets, securing victory in three sets, but that wasn't the case for everyone. Here's a quick look at the ups and downs of Wimbledon days one and two.

Going the Distance
Serena Williams, Francesca Schiavone and Vera Zvonareva are the three most notable names to have prevailed through tough first round matches. Williams had to pick apart the quick strokes of Frenchwoman Aravane Rezai, a player who knocked out Venus Williams the previous year in Madrid. At the end of her match, Serena burst into tears of joy, releasing the emotion that comes with an arduous year of pain and recuperation. Zvonareva overcame America's Alison Riske in a stunner match that showcased Vera's newfound mental toughness. And last Schiavone proved she was not just a clay court player, carving through the grass as confidently as the dirt after dropping a 1-6 set to Dokic who seemed to have a firm grasp on victory.


Early Exits

Jelena Jankovic and Sam Stosur were two of the biggest upsets of the first day, falling meekly to Martinez-Sanchez and Czink in devastating first round losses. While Stosur has lost in the first round of Wimbledon 5 out of 9 years, Jankovic's loss was more of a shock. The Serbian has not lost in the first round of a major since 2004. Perhaps this is just a side effect of falling out of the top 10 for the first time in years?

Peer also took a first round loss, though I suppose that's not too far-fetched. She also exited in the first round of the French Open and has had little success on court since her beat-down by Wickmayer at Indian Wells.

Kanepi, too, was at the mercy of a fiery first round opponent, though she has a bit of an excuse—she was playing against Sara Errani, a player who often plays much better than she is ranked. Regardless, the  no. 17 seed should have won her match and will be kicking herself as she watches the rest of Wimbledon from the sideline.

The biggest feel-good story upset of the day came from Chrisina McHale of the United States. After losing the first set 2-6 against no. 28 seed Makarova, she settled down to take the second set in style at 6-1. The third set, however, would be a different story. Both players were rattled and nervous and it was a true grind to the finish line. McHale raised her game however, and edged forward at 7-6, before closing the match out with an 8-6 third set triumph.

For full results, check out DAY 1 and DAY 2.

-Kedzie Teller, ITB Senior Editor

Wimbledon: Zvonareva Survives Riske-y First Round

At the end of the first set, no one expected America's Alison Riske to put up much of a fight against no. 2 seed Vera Zvonareva. The 20-year-old South Carolina native was unable to earn a single game in her first set at this year's Wimbledon, and Zvonareva's game looked spot on. But there's no reward without a little bit of Riske.

Despite a 3-1 lead, Zvonareva started to lose control of the match. Riske fired flat shots like a seasoned pro, using the low bouncing, quick grass surface to her advantage. The tables were turned and the crowd began to support the unlikely American comeback. A huge volley and an even bigger ace gave Riske double set point at 5-3, and despite a double fault, she regrouped to convert on her second try.

Vera burst out of the gates in the final set, breaking and holding to lead 2-0, but Riske still refused to back down. She thrashed Zvonareva's second serve, pressuring the Russian into an immediate break back and then leveled the score at 2-2. A year or so back, this is the time of the match where Zvonareva would crumble. Surely she would sit on crossovers, towel over her head, tears flowing after verbally abusing herself between points. But this is where she has grown. A new mental toughness has creeped into Zvonareva's game, and despite a few self-depricating mutterings here and there, she has learned to reel-in her emotions and focus on her game.

And focus she did. Zvonareva finally began to play like a world no. 3, striking two aces in her final service game to win 6-0, 3-6, 6-3. Riske played an impressive match and has much to be proud of, but she just didn't have the fire power and placement to beat Zvonareva. The biggest story out of this match, however, is that Zvonareva didn't beat herself.

-Kedzie Teller, ITB Senior Editor

Pre-Wimbledon: Championship Preview

Tomorrow marks the first day of the 2011 Wimbledon Championship, and like always, everyone is giving their predictions on who will be the one to raise the Rosewater Dish. There are sure to be upsets, comebacks and a whole lot of thrilling matches, so here's our look at what might just happen.

First Quarter:
From push tactics to heavy hitters, the top quarter is filled with play styles and big names that will bring a few highlight matches. While Wozniacki, Sharapova and Stosur have the advantage, their paths won't be entirely easy. Wozniacki may face Jamila Gajdosova in the third round and an even tougher Julia Goerges in the fourth, meaning she'll need her A-game to earn a quarterfinal birth. With better movement abilities on grass, I expect to see a little something extra from Wozniacki, and I don't doubt she can pull-off a few impressive wins. Peng Shuai is also in the mix, and now that she is playing the best tennis of her career, she's sure to give any opponent a good battle. Cibulkova will be eager for a deep Wimbledon run after conking out early at Roland Garros, so her likely match against Goerges in the third round will be one to watch. The biggest name to fear in this quarter is surely Maria Sharapova, having surged in the latter half of the clay-court season and now stepping onto her beloved grass surface. Should she find her range quickly, she will be nearly impossible to beat.

Quarterfinalists: Wozniacki v. Sharapova

Possible Bracket Buster: Cibulkova

Second Quarter:

Welcome to the quarter with Serena Williams. Will she be ready? Or will she disappoint? My gut tells me she's got the drive and passion to propel herself to the quarters, and no critic can really say that's a bad prediction. If she loses early (she does have to survive possible matches with Rezai, Jovanovski, Kirilenko and Bartoli) it wouldn't be a total surprise considering the year of injuries she has overcome, but it also wouldn't be surprising to see her win the entire tournament... Marion Bartoli looks impressive of late, having reached the French semifinals and claiming a grass title last week at Eastbourne. You can't overlook Ivanovic or Radwanska either—a pair of top notch athletes bound to meet in the third round. Both women are capable of big wins, but just as capable of being upset. Perhaps the most exciting match, however, could be Li Na against wild card Sabine Lisicki in the second round. Lisicki is riding a giant momentum wave after returning to health, winning the AEGON classic last week and looking strong for Wimbledon. Don't be surprised if we see the Roland Garros champion knocked off her throne.

Quarterfinalists: Lisicki v. S.Williams

Possible Bracket Buster: Jovanovski


Third Quarter:

You never know what to expect from many of the seeds that wound up in this year's third quarter. There's Schiavone, the clay court maestro who looks dazed and confused on grass. There's also Shahar Peer... what has she done lately? Lose in the first round of the French? Bingo. And who can forget to include Azarenka in this conversation of question-marks; will she be fit to play after suffering a groin injury? She has all the skills needed to win a slam, but she won't if her body can't keep up with her. All that considered, ball bashers like Petkovic and Pavlyuchenkova should have a fairly easy time chopping through the draw. Keep an eye out for Hantuchova, though. Her most impressive wins of late have been against Wozniacki in Paris, and Venus Williams at Eastbourne. She too, however, can leave us confused as to how she manages to lose.

Quarterfinalists: Petkovic v. Pavlyuchenkova

Possible Bracket Buster: Petrova


Fourth Quarter:

The final quarter hosts both young-guns and seasoned champions that will most definitely clash in the best possible way.  Petra Kvitova may have lost to Bartoli last week, but I see big things in her Wimbledon aspirations. She is likely to play either Wickmayer or Kuznetsova in the fourth round, and though you might have faith in either of those two players, something about Kvitova is alluring. Besides, while Kuznetsova is a powerful and raw athlete, she occasionally plays more like a novice than a grand slam champion, so overcoming a new hotshot doesn't seem to be in her cards. In the lower section of the quarter there's one match I cannot wait to see: Venus Williams vs. Vera Zvonareva in the fourth round. It's too soon to make much comment considering both women need to earn their first three wins, but the possibility of such a heavy-weight fourth round encounter is thrilling. After Zvonareva kept her mental-game in check against Serena last week, I would put my money on her.

Quarterfinalists: Kvitova v. Zvonareva

Possible Bracket Busters: Date-Krumm (Woo! Why not?)

* * *

Championship Prediction:

While the elite eight I have selected all have their chances at claiming Wimbledon glory, there is one who stands above the rest, and I mean that literally as well. The 6'2" blonde bombshell by the name of Maria Sharapova is no newcomer to the big stage and has every bit of skill needed to earn her fourth major title. I was stunned by her improved game at Roland Garros and now as we move to the grasses of Wimbledon, I'm ecstatic about what Sharapova might be capable of accomplishing. The surface of the All-England Club courts is not only Maria's favorite, but one that showcases her superior striking abilities. She is the face of pure offense, and unless someone plans on pulling the upset of the year (or if Serena Williams is truly the supreme goddess of tennis) I don't think anyone can beat her.

Final: Sharapova def. Zvonareva.

-Kedzie Teller, ITB Senior Editor