Tennis News

One of the top rivalries of the past decade in women’s tennis will write the latest chapter in its storied tale, as top seed Serena Williams and 2004 champion Maria Sharapova cross paths once again to determine who will leave on Wednesday one step closer to being a Grand Slam champion. Of their 19 previous meetings on the tour, Williams dominates the head-to-head series against Sharapova 17-2, and holds a 16-match win streak against her Russian adversary. However, it should be noted that this is the first time that Sharapova will face Williams on grass since her fateful upset of Williams back in 2004 to win the Wimbledon title at age 17.

Once again, Serena Williams was forced to rally from a set down to dispatch the inspired Victoria Azarenka and arrive at the semi-final stage of the Wimbledon Championships. It was a phenomenal match, one that featured high quality play throughout the match before Williams found the 3-6, 6-2, 6-3 victory. She will next come up against her old rival Sharapova.

“I love playing Maria. I think she brings out the best in me, and I think I bring out the best in her,” Williams said. “We had a wonderful final in Australia. It was very entertaining. She played really well.

“For me, I don’t feel like I have any pressure going into this match. We both lost early here last year. We’re both kind of enjoying this moment and at the end of the day one of us will be in the final.”

Although things appeared to be smooth sailing for the first portion of the match, Maria Sharapova found herself in a third set against Coco Vandeweghe. She eventually downed the American 6-3, 6-7(3), 6-2.

“It’s a special feeling,” she said. “I had a really tough match last year against Kerber. Everyone looks at results, but I really felt like although I lost in the fourth round, my game on grass had really improved. I really felt confident. It was tough, because I felt a few points could have changed things around, and from then on you really never know how things will evolve and what chances you might have.

This marks the 20th time that Williams and Sharapova will cross paths on the professional tour, with Williams leading the series with a dominant 17-2 record, as well as 16 consecutive victories dating back almost a decade. Sharapova is capable of toppling her biggest adversary, but it is more a matter of self-belief than it is about her physical inability to overcome the 20-time Grand Slam champion. Yet to add to the intrigue, it should be noted that this is the first time that Sharapova will face Williams on grass since her fateful upset of Williams back in 2004 to win the Wimbledon title at age 17. This will likely be a match that goes three sets, but it is hard to imagine Sharapova edging out Williams on this very stage.

© Ray Giubilo

Following impressive fortnights at the All England Tennis Club, Agnieszka Radwanska and Garbine Muguruza will cross paths for a fifth time on the WTA tour when they meet in the semi-final round of the tournament on Wednesday. The head-to-head series is tied 2-2, as Muguruza avenged her two losses to the Pole this season in Sydney and Dubai.

Radwanska continued her astonishing return to form when she defeated rising American star Madison Keys in three sets to advance to the final four at Wimbledon. It was another high quality contest, as the two players both hit extraordinary shots before the Pole was able to close out the match 7-6(3), 3-6, 6-3.

“I couldn’t feel any better, I’m just so happy I managed to stay in that match. It was very tight and I just tried to play it point by point, game by game,” Radwanska said. “That’s how you have to play it and in the third set one break was the difference.”

In the other quarter-final, Garbine Muguruza defeated Timea Bacsinszky in a battle between rising stars on the WTA tour. She won the match in straight sets, 7-5, 6-3, following a tough opening set.

“I’ve seen a few of her matches this tournament and she’s playing great tennis,” Radwanska said of her upcoming opponent. “She’s actually playing very similar to Keys so I think it could be a similar match. “It’s the semifinals so, of course, there’s nothing to lose. All the players are playing great tennis. I’m just going to fight for each point and try to play my best. One day’s rest and I’ll be ready to go.”

The first two meetings between these competitors both ended in victories for Radwanska. She earned her first win at the Miami Masters I 2012, while the second victory took place at the Australian Open last season However, the Spaniard proved that she is not one to count out of tournaments, as she upset Aga in in Sydney and Dubai. This means she will be on alert for another potential upset on Wednesday yet grass should certainly be a surface that favours the Pole.

Prediction: Agnieszka Radwanska in Three Sets

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Following impressive fortnights at the All England Tennis Club, Agnieszka Radwanska and Garbine Muguruza will cross paths for a fifth time on the WTA tour when they meet in the semi-final round of the tournament on Wednesday. The head-to-head series is tied 2-2, as Muguruza avenged her two losses to the Pole this season in Sydney and Dubai.

Radwanska continued her astonishing return to form when she defeated rising American star Madison Keys in three sets to advance to the final four at Wimbledon. It was another high quality contest, as the two players both hit extraordinary shots before the Pole was able to close out the match 7-6(3), 3-6, 6-3.

“I couldn’t feel any better, I’m just so happy I managed to stay in that match. It was very tight and I just tried to play it point by point, game by game,” Radwanska said. “That’s how you have to play it and in the third set one break was the difference.”

In the other quarter-final, Garbine Muguruza defeated Timea Bacsinszky in a battle between rising stars on the WTA tour. She won the match in straight sets, 7-5, 6-3, following a tough opening set.

“I’ve seen a few of her matches this tournament and she’s playing great tennis,” Radwanska said of her upcoming opponent. “She’s actually playing very similar to Keys so I think it could be a similar match. “It’s the semifinals so, of course, there’s nothing to lose. All the players are playing great tennis. I’m just going to fight for each point and try to play my best. One day’s rest and I’ll be ready to go.”

The first two meetings between these competitors both ended in victories for Radwanska. She earned her first win at the Miami Masters I 2012, while the second victory took place at the Australian Open last season However, the Spaniard proved that she is not one to count out of tournaments, as she upset Aga in in Sydney and Dubai. This means she will be on alert for another potential upset on Wednesday yet grass should certainly be a surface that favours the Pole.

While hardly any tennis pundits doubted that Roger Federer would find his way to the quarter-final of his favourite Grand Slam tournament, few expected that the player standing opposite him across the net would be France’s Gilles Simon. However, now that the final eight has been set, the two will now meet for an eighth time on the professional tour to determine who will advance to the semi-final stage of the Wimbledon Championships. Federer leads the head-to-head series 5-2.

The tournament’s second seed had little trouble dispatching Roberto Bautista Agut straight sets to advance to the quarter-final round of the Championships. Federer secured the 6-2, 6-2, 6-3 win in one hour and 26 minutes to reach his 13th quarter-final at SW19.

“It was a good match,” said Federer. “I got off to a good start and kept rolling. Maybe Roberto wasn’t at his very best. Midway through the second [set], he hurt himself. Still, he was out there and he was actually still moving okay, so I had to put him away, which I was able to do.”

Federer will come up against Gilles Simon, who produced one of his best matches in recent memory to dominate Tomas Berdych en route to the final eight at Wimbledon. He struck 21 winners and saved the one break point he faced to beat the Czech in straight sets, 6-3, 6-3, 6-2.

“I had a good feeling from the start,” said Simon. “I felt he was struggling also to put his game in place, and I was really good at keeping him in the gray area. I felt he didn’t know what to do anymore on the court, and for me, it was really clear. So I was just so happy that it lasted [through] all the match.”

With Federer’s impressive week as the only dominant player left in the draw is still fresh in our minds, it is hard to imagine any competitor on the tour who would be able to stop his ascent the semi-final round. Even Simon, who has played some impressive tennis all week and quite deserves his position, will likely be unable to find an answer to the world No. 2’s offense.

The reigning Wimbledon and US Open champions, Novak Djokovic and Marin Cilic respectively, will meet in one of the four quarter-final matches on Wednesday afternoon to determine who will advance to the following stage at the All England Club. This marks the 13th meeting between the two competitors, with Djokovic leading the head-to-head series with a formidable 12-0 record.

In one of the more shocking matches to take place on Monday, Novak Djokovic – defending champion and top seed – found himself down two sets against South Africa’s Kevin Anderson, courtesy of two terrible tierbreaks. However, Djokovic found inspiration and won the following two sets to level the match 6-7(6), 6-7(6), 6-1, 6-4 before the contest was suspended for the evening. On Tuesday, Djokovic completed his comeback to secure a place in the quarter-final.

Marin Cilic needed four sets to dispatch the final American male remaining in the Wimbledon draw, Denis Kudla. He eventually did so with a 6-4, 4-6, 6-3, 7-5 to set up his first quarter-final at a Grand Slam since winning the US Open last season.

“I was not playing too great today. I would say just serving‑wise the level was a bit, a fraction lower than in my previous match,” said Cilic, who matches his career-best showing at SW19, heading into the quarter-finals for the second straight year. “But, I think Denis was playing really well. He was not missing much and had a little bit different game, and this court plays a bit faster than the other ones. So it was not easy. Especially since he had a few good wins [this grass season].”

Djokovic holds a dominant 12-0 lead in the head-to-head series and will be looking to remain undefeated en route to the semi-final round of the Wimbledon Championships. Cilic has only ever taken five sets off Djokovic in their eleven meetings on the tour and considering he is returning from a lengthy spell on the sidelines, he is unlikely to challenge the Serb much this time around. He even lost a bagel set in their last meeting, and while he has improved since that clay court encounter, it is difficult to gauge how he will perform against the world No. 1.

Following solid showings in their respective fourth round matches, Stan Wawrinka and Richard Gasquet will meet at the All England Club to determine who will advance to the semi-final stage of the prestigious Grand Slam event. This is just the third meeting between the two and will serve as a rubber match to separate the 1-1 head-to-head series. Wawrinka won their more recent match-up at the 2013 French Open, while Gasquet’s win took place nine years ago in Paris.

Follow the match: Wawrinka vs Gasquet Live

World No. 4 Stan Wawrinka found himself in a competitive battle against David Goffin and was able to find his best tennis late in the match when he needed it to edge out the straight sets victory against the Belgian. He won the match 7-6(3), 7-6(7), 6-4.

“It was a tough one,” said Wawrinka. “I’m really happy with the victory, especially in three sets. I wasn’t moving great. I was a little bit soft in general. But I’m happy to get through. It’s an important victory for me.”

France’s Richard Gasquet found himself facing some Déjà vu when he saw Nick Kyrgios attempt a comeback similar to their previous meeting last the same event last season. Fortunately for him, a terrible concluding point from Kyrgios allowed Gasquet to close out the match 7-5, 6-1, 6-7(7), 7-6(6).

“I’m very happy to be back in the quarter-finals,” said Gasquet. “I lost many times in a Grand Slam in a fourth round. It’s very good for me to be here in the quarter-finals. Now we will see what will happens. I am feeling good.”

Wawrinka and Gasquet will meet for just the third ever encounter between them, and it will serve as a rubber match to separate the 1-1 head-to-head series. Wawrinka won their more recent match-up at the 2013 French Open, while Gasquet’s win took place nine years ago in Paris. Given Wawrinka’s recent stretch of confident performances and meteoric rise up the ranks, he should be able to find his way into the final four at Wimbledon.

Following two earlier meetings this season on hard court, 2013 champion Andy Murray and Vasek Pospisil will cross paths once again, this time at the Wimbledon Championships to determine who will advance to the semi-final stage of the tournament. This marks the fourth overall meeting between the two competitors, with Murray leading the head-to-head series 3-0.

Third seed Any Murray dropped only the second set of the tournament on Monday when he was forced to withstand 75 winners and 29 aces from towering Croat Ivo Karlovic. In the end, he was able to edge out the victory in four sets 7-6(7), 6-4, 5-7, 6-4.

“I just tried to use some variety throughout the match, to not allow him to be too comfortable,” said Murray. “It worked at a few important moments. I took a little bit off my first serve. I wasn’t serving as hard as usual, to try and not allow him the opportunity to sort of go for huge returns or try to come to net off the second serve return. So I went for a high percentage of first serves. When I was in the rallies, I felt comfortable. It’s a tactical match, but it’s tough. It’s quite stressful to play against him.”

Murray will next play Pospisil, who reached the uarter-final by rallying from a two set deficit to defeat Viktor Troicki 4-6, 6-7(4), 6-4, 6-3, 6-3 in two hours and 39 minutes.

This is just the fourth time that these two competitors will meet on the professional tour, with Murray leading the head to head series 3-0 – one of those was a victory last season in Vienna, while the second and third ones took place earlier this season in Rotterdam and Indian Wells. While Pospisil is a deceptively tough match for the Scot, Murray appears to be in fine form and will likely further that momentum en route to the final four at the All England Club.

At the start of the season, rising talents Garbine Muguruza and Timea Bacsinszky met in the third round of the Australian Open to determine who would advance to the second week of the tournament. Muguruza prevailed that day to give herself a 1-0 lead in the head-to-head series, yet Timea now has an opportunity to avenge the loss with even greater stakes at play. The winner will advance to the semi-final stage of the Wimbledon Championships for the first time in their respective careers.

Spain’s Garbine Muguruza was responsible for one of the bigger upsets of the day, as she ousted Caroline Wozniacki en route to the quarter-final stage of the Wimbledon Championships. It was a decisive victory, as she beat the Dane 6-4, 6-4 in a solid encounter on the outer courts.

“It means a lot because I haven’t played a lot matches in grass, so I didn’t know how to prepare for Wimbledon,” Muguruza said. “I think it’s like the third time I play here. So for me was something new. That’s why it’s special.”

Muguruza’s quarter-final opponent will be Timea Bacsinszky, who rallied from a set down to defeat Monica Niculescu and advance to the final four. She won the match 1-6, 7-5, 6-2.

“For a year now already, I have been playing a lot of matches and winning a lot, as well,” she said. “So all these experiences made me unstressed and calm at the important moments. “I had faith in myself. And I was believing that I could turn this match around. But I was not expecting to win.”

This is just the second time that Muguruza and Bacsinszky will meet on the professional tour. The Spanaird leads the head-to-head series 1-0 following a win earlier this year at the Australian Open. Both have had impressive years and one of them will find themselves one match win away from the final of the 2015 edition of the Wimbledon Championships.

A blockbuster match-up between world No. 1 Serena Williams and Victoria Azarenka is set to take place in the quarter-final round of the Wimbledon Championships. Of their 18 previous meetings, Williams leads the head-to-head series 16-3, including a recent at the French Open last month. Given that Azarenka was a set up on the red dust, it will be interesting to see if she can translate that onto grass.

In a battle of siblings reminiscent of the good old days, Serena Williams faced her older sister Venus Williams in the first on Centre Court this Monday. Although many expected a thrilling encounter, Serena was able to toy with Venus’ serve and eventually closed out the encounter in straight sets, 6-4, 6-3.

“It was just about the breaks, holding serve,” the former No.1 said. “I think we were both hitting really well off the ground. She was able to capitalize on some short balls – she’s been playing so well.

“It’ll be tough for anyone to defeat her. Maybe she didn’t have her best day in the last round, but she found a way to win against an inspired opponent, and that’s what it takes to win these championships.”

Williams will now come up against Victoria Azarenka, who defeated Belinda Bencic in straight sets to advance to the quarter-final round. She beat the rising Swiss s talent 6-2, 6-3 to continue her return to form.

Williams leads Azarenka in their head-to-head series, 16-3, including the most recent victory during the clay court portion of the season at Roland Garros. However, the pair split four meetings last year, Azarenka winning at Doha and Cincinnati and Williams at Rome and the US Open, making this a fantastic, compelling rivalry and a thrilling quarter-final on Tuesday. Azarenka is gradually returning to her 2012-13 form but she will have her work cut out for her to halt the incomparable Serena Williams.