All eyes will be on Serena Williams over the next fortnight to see if she can retain her Wimbledon title and move level with Steffi Graf for Grand Slam titles. If she is to win a seventh Wimbledon title she is going to have to play some of her best tennis with a number of women heading to London in really good form.
Some of the big names are in her half of the draw so for once the American legend might not have this all her own way so it will be interesting to see if she can navigate her way through the draw.
Top Quarter
This is where Serena is housed this fortnight and in truth I don’t see a whole lot to trouble her on her way to the semi-final. I guess we should recognise the fact that Roberta Vinci beat her at the US Open last year when the Serena Slam looked on but I don’t see that particular streak of lightning striking twice.
Kiki Mladenovic might be a bit of an issue should she turn up in top form but when we list the other seeds in the quarter – Sloane Stephens. Svetlana Kuznetsova, Timea Bacsinszky, Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova and Coco Vandeweghe on grass I don’t see much stopping Serena.
We should recognise the British interest in this section of the draw with British number two Heather Watson in here. She is joined by Tara Moore and the youngster Katie Swan who will be looking for a couple of wins to set them on their way at this level.
Second Quarter
This section is where it is all going to happen. There are some massive names in this quarter headed by the third seed Agnieszka Radwanska. The former champion Petra Kvitova is here as is the recent Eastbourne champion Dominika Cibulkova. Belinda Bencic is another seed in this part of the draw while Caroline Garcia, Barbara Strycova and Andrea Petkovic anything but making up the numbers.
Tsvetana Pironkova, Ekaterina Makarova and Eugenie Bouchard are all non-seeds in this quarter as well and all three have had good runs here in the past so can’t be completely ruled out particularly Pironkova who comes in here fresh off a good run in the French Open.
This section also has the British number one Jo Konta in it. This is the first time Konta will head to Wimbledon with a realistic chance of going deep but it is fair to say the draw hasn’t done her many favours.
Third Quarter
The Australian Open champion Angelique Kerber is the top seed in this section with the Romanian star Simona Halep not too far behind her. Halep made the semi-final here a couple of years ago but she hasn’t gone past the second round other than that and that is an unwanted record she will be looking to get rid of here.
Other seeds in this quarter are Madison Keys, Kiki Bertens, Sara Errani, Karolina Pliskova, Ana Ivanovic and Irina Begu. You would have to say this quarter looks to be between Kerber and Keys and it would be a big surprise if that isn’t the quarter final from this section.
Laura Robson is also in this quarter as she continues her return from injury but she is up against it in the first round and her tournament might not last longer than her Centre Court clash with Kerber.
Bottom Quarter
The recently crowned French Open champion Garbine Muguruza is in this quarter. She was the runner up here last year so she is entitled to go well again. Among the women looking to stop her going deep in this tournament is Venus Williams.
The other six seeds in this section are Sam Stosur, Darya Kasatkina, Jelena Jankovic, Carla Suarez-Navarro, Elina Svitolina and Lucie Safarova. There are some big servers in this section but nothing too solid on grass and no massive form to speak of so Muguruza couldn’t have asked for a better draw here.
Sabine Lisicki could be a dangerous floater if she can find the form that took her to the final here a few years ago while Britain’s Naomi Broady will be looking to make a name for herself in what looks a very weak section, Muguruza aside.
Betting
This is actually a tricky draw to bet on I think especially with all the names worthy of being backed in that second quarter which is a tournament in itself. I think I’m largely going to leave this market alone and see what opens up as we go along but I can’t resist a small bet on someone in the bottom half which is wide open if Muguruza stumbles somewhere.
I’m gagging to take someone in the bottom quarter but there is literally nobody in form other than Muguruza so my bet is in the third quarter on the Australian Open champion Angelique Kerber.
I don’t see Kerber having too many problems getting to the quarter final where it gets a bit tougher but she is attractively priced and if she can serve like she did down in Melbourne she will take plenty of stopping in this fortnight. Kerber was a semi-finalist here in 2012 but she’s better now and I fancy she’ll go close to a second Slam in the year.
Tips
PLACED – Back A.Kerber to win Wimbledon (e/w) for a 1/10 stake at 26.00 with Betfred (1/2 1-2)
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