wimbledon womens semifinals

By Romana Cvitkovic

The women’s semifinals are set at Wimbledon as Serena Williams is set to take on Victoria Azarenka, while Agnieszka Radwanska will battle against relative newcomer Angelique Kerber. Although Williams is a 13-time Slam champion, her somewhat rusty play this week has evened the playing field and it is any woman’s title. Here’s a look at each player’s road to the semifinals at Wimbledon.

[2] Victoria Azarenka (BLR) vs. [6] Serena Williams (USA)

Serena Williams lead’s the head-to-head 7 to 1, winning the last five times including their sole encounter on grass at Wimbledon in 2009.

Although Williams is a four-time Wimbledon singles champion, it’s been Victoria Azarenka who has been breezing by on the grass this past week. Sure, some of her opponents were overwhelmed by the atmosphere (or possibly, her grunting), but her beating of No. 14 Ana Ivanovic in just 62 minutes solidified her place as a regular Slam contender. No longer a “would be,” Azarenka has acheived what many feared she wouldn’t but hoped she would when she won her maiden title at this year’s Australian Open. Her improved smart play and physical training, control of emotions on-court, and sheer will power put her at an advantage against most players. But Williams is not most players, and Azarenka will surely have her work cut out for her as she tries to reach her first Wimbledon final.

Victoria Azarenka’s Road to the Semifinals:

 

When Serena Williams steps on a tennis court, all bets are off. She has the ability to return from a year-long hiatus from the sport and still reel back to beat a World No. 1 upon her return. She is one of the ageless tennis wonders that breaks all norms in sports. Her career seems to be defined not only by Slam titles but also by her drama both on- and off-court. This year saw Williams decidedly beat No. 5 Samantha Stosur, No. 2 Azarenka, and No. 1 Maria Sharapova, but lose to the likes of Ekaterina Makarova and Virginie Razzano both at the last two Slams in Australia and Paris, respectively. Williams becomes the first 30-something semifinalist at Wimbledon since 1999 when Steffi Graf was the runner-up. Can Williams go all the way again and make history once more?

Serena Williams’ Road to the Semifinals:

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[3] Agnieszka Radwanska (POL) vs. [8] Angelique Kerber (GER)

Head-to-head is even at 2-2 for Angelique Kerber and Agnieszka Radwanska, with their last three meetings going the full three sets.

She may be world No. 3 and riding high from winning Dubai, Miami and Brussels already this year, but Agnieszka Radwanska is in her first Slam semifinal. With her steady game, intricate angles and mixture of slices and lobs, Radwanska grinds down her opponents on-court with carefully constructed points that end in the occasional off-handed winner. Suffering her worse loss at Wimbledon last year by crashing out in the second round, Radwanska has re-energized her game and confidence by reaching the semifinals here. But her match today against Maria Kirilenko that spanned across seven hours and four rain delays, in addition to her still being alive in the Ladies’ Doubles Draw, will surely put both her mental and physical strength to the test in her next match.

Agnieszka Radwanska’s Road to the Semifinals:

 

If you’ve never heard of Angelique Kerber before you’re not alone. After a slow start to 2011, the 24-year-old German catapulted to the semifinals of the U.S. Open, defeating seeded players Flavia Pennetta and Radwanska, before losing in three sets to eventual champion Stosur. Ranked 92 in the world coming into that tournament, no one could have guessed that the magic would continue well into the following year. While many players are able to compile week-long streaks, most are never able to back it up week after week. But not Kerber. By winning two tournaments and reaching four semifinals already in 2012, her results show that the U.S. Open run was no fluke. Winning a Slam is a much higher challenge, but why not? Petra Kvitova won her maiden slam at Wimbledon last year, and Kerber may very be next. With her aggressive groundstrokes and dependable serve, Radwanska will be forced to go for a few more winners than usual if she wants to win.

Angelique Kerber’s Road to the Semifinals: