2009 Wimbledon Women’s Preview

A week away from Wimbledon one thing stands out – a repeat winner is all but guaranteed. It is almost certain, the title will be go to someone named Williams.   Venus has won 3 of the last 4, and little sister Serena adds another 2 Wimbledon titles.  No one is consistently playing at a high enough level to put much fear into either of these Grand Slam titans.

Venus Williams seems to ignore almost every tournament other than Grand Slams, and she simply rises to another level on the grass of Wimbledon.  The best chance anyone other than her sister has against her is to upset her in the early rounds. She simply gets stronger and more confident with each match.

Serena Williams has been on a roll for the last year, reaching the world’s number 1 ranking while winning the Australian Open and the U.S. Open along the way. Like Venus, her only weakness seems to come in the early rounds. As she gets closer to her goal of a major final, she develops an aura of invincibility..

Current number 1 Dinara Safina has yet to win a major, something that was visibly on her mind in the final of the French Open.  Just when it looked like she was unstoppable, her emotions got the best of her and she crumbled.  If she can overcome herself on the biggest stage in the sport, she has the game to win.

Former number 1 and 2004 Wimbledon champion Maria Sharapova is just now on the comeback trail after missing 9 months with a shoulder injury. She made a surprisingly good run at the French Open title, but still may be too rusty to truly expect to win a major title.

Others who spent time at number 1, all within the last year, have been disappointing lately.  Ana Ivanovic, Jelena Jankovic, and Elena Dementieva have all faltered of late.  Dementieva may be the best chance, with wins over both Serena Williams and Safina this year.

A surprise player to watch is Victoria Azarenka, who has shown that, if healthy, she can compete with anyone, including Serena.  The problems is, she pulled out of this week’s event with a hip injury.

The women’s event provides the best variety on the court, we are just waiting for someone to step up and take control of the tour.