2009 Wimbledon Day 8

It’s Ladies Day at the All-England Club as the women’s quarterfinals take place. Number 1 seed Dinara Safina had the most dramatic match as she fell down a set quickly to unseeded German teenager Sabine Lisicki. Safina looked very vulnerable as she served 15 double-faults and made 38 unforced errors on the day.  The bright side for her was that she was able to gain her composure and win the points that mattered.

Number 2 Serena Williams had little trouble with number 8 Victoria Azarenka. For Serena, it was a bit of a revenge match against the player who beat her earlier this year in Miami. Azarenka was full of praise for her opponent, “She’s a complete player,” Azarenka said of Serena. “She has every shot. She’s very strong mentally. She fights until the last moment. She just has the whole package, and it makes her a great champion.”

Number 3 Venus Williams destroyed no. 11 Agnieszka Radwanska.  Radwanska played well, with only 2 double faults and only 12 unforced errors.  But it was Williams’ power that made the difference, Venus hit 29 winners on the day.

Number 4 Elena Dementieva demolished unseeded Francesca Schiavone. Dementieva has quietly made a strong run at the tournament, not giving up a single set or even been seriously threatened. The former number 1, who did not come into the tournament with momentum, has quietly earned her spot in the semis.

It is the first time in 3 years that the top 4 seeds will meet each other in the semifinal round.

The men’s quarterfinals are Wednesday.