By Chris Oddo | Friday, June 20, 2014

 

She's got a tough draw, but with the best serve in the history of the women's game on her side, Serena Williams is still a favorite heading into Wimbledon.

Photo Source: AP

If there’s anything we learned at Roland Garros this year, it’s that maybe we should temper the assumption that the only person that can beat Serena Williams at a Grand Slam is herself. She was clearly riddled by Garbine Muguruza’s high-octane game at the French Open, suffering her worst Grand Slam defeat ever, and, even though grass gives Williams more chances to dominate points and matches with her world-class serve, she’ll have her hands full with a very tricky draw at the All England Club.

Breaking Down the Men's Draw: Will the Big Four Reign Supreme Again at Wimbledon?

So, how will Williams, a five-time Wimbledon champion, respond to her recent failings on the Grand Slam stage? Will she come up with yet another virtuoso serving performance, or will she prove vulnerable for a third consecutive time at a major this season? And: will the group of up-and-coming youngsters that made so much noise in Paris--Muguruza, Tomljanovic, Townsend, Bouchard--be able to recreate their magic on the hallowed Wimbledon lawns?

So many questions, so little time. Without any further ado, let’s move on to the quarter-by-quarter breakdown:

Serena’s Quarter

Plopped into this quarter of the draw is Maria Sharapova, and even though Williams has notched a whopping fifteen straight victories against the Russian, the possibility of a Williams-Sharapova quarterfinal still excites tennis fans quite a bit. But each has a difficult road to travel before they arrive at what would be the 19th installment of the rivalry that hasn’t been a rivalry for ten years and counting.

Williams could need to get by Alize Cornet, who defeated her this season in Dubai, in the third round, and either Eugenie Bouchard or Andrea Petkovic in the round of 16. Sharapova could find trouble in the third round with compatriot Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova, who defeated her once in two meetings this season, and could run into either Angelique Kerber or Kirsten Flipkens in the round of 16. Both are strong on grass and have previously reached the semifinals at Wimbledon.

Other sleepers in this section of the draw that could do some damage are Camila Giorgi, Alison Riske and Ajla Tomljanovic.

First-Rounder to Watch:

Eugenie Bouchard vs. Daniela Hantuchova

Pick: Serena Williams

Simona’s Quarter

It certainly doesn’t help matters that third-seeded Simona Halep had to pull out of s-Hertogenbosch this week with a shoulder injury, but the French Open finalist—if healthy—has proven that she’s capable of Grand Slam magic and then some in 2014. She’s been gifted a relatively easy draw, too. Halep won’t see anybody seeded higher than No. 29 Sorana Cirstea before the round of 16, and she won’t see anybody higher than No. 15 Carla Suarez Navarro before the quarterfinals. With this draw, it’s almost as if the Grand Slam gods have given Halep something to counter balance the news about her ailing shoulder.

The real intrigue in this quarter of the draw is in the other section, where surging Ana Ivanovic, last year’s runner-up Sabine Lisicki and Jelena Jankovic will all look to reach the last eight. The section also features a bevy of rising stars in Madison Keys, Belinda Bencic, Kristina Mladenovic, Monica Puig and Taylor Townsend.

First-Rounder to Watch: Madison Keys and Monica Puig

Pick: Sabine Lisicki

Aga’s Quarter

Agnieszka Radwanska has been oh so close to winning her first Grand Slam at Wimbledon in each of the last two years. In 2012, she forced a winner-take-all set with Serena Williams in the final, and in 2013, she dropped a heartbreaking semifinal in three sets to Sabine Lisicki, one that if she had won many felt would have propelled her past Marion Bartoli in the final. But it’s all water—or tears—under the bridge for Radwanska now.

The Pole has been granted a relatively easy draw as well. She won’t see a seed until the third round when she could meet Svetlana Kuznetzsova, and she could meet either No. 14-seeded Sara Errani or No. 22-seeded Ekaterina Makarova in the round of 16.

In the other section of this quarter lurks Victoria Azarenka, but it’s really hard to know if we can expect anything at Wimbledon from the Belarussian, given that she played her first match since March this week—and lost! That could mean that a surprise could come out of this section to the quarters such as Garbine Muguruza (Vika’s possible third-round encounter), Dominika Cibulkova (Vika’s possible fourth-round encounter), Lucie Safarova or, who knows, even Coco Vandeweghe.

First-Rounder to Watch: Garbine Muguruza and Coco Vandeweghe

Pick: Radwanska

Li’s Quarter

For some reason, Li Na has been getting little to no play by pundits heading into Wimbledon, and we can’t really figure out why that is. The fact that she lost in the first round in Paris shouldn’t have much bearing on Li’s performance at Wimbledon, and it may even help her in that it gave her ample time to prepare for the grass season. The very real truth about Li is that she is a solid player on grass. She has compiled a 17-7 career record with three Wimbledon quarterfinals to her name, and her new and improved serve and volley game can only help her on the surface. Will she be able to navigate her way through the draw without suffering a hiccup? That is always the question with Li, but talent-wise the world No. 2 is the best player in her section of the draw. Why shouldn’t she back that up?

Pitfalls await in the form of a possible fourth-rounder with Sam Stosur, who owns a 6-1 record against her, and, of course, there is a possible quarterfinal with Petra Kvitova, the 2011 Wimbledon quarterfinalist who is always a terror on grass. But Kvitova’s injury issues (she pulled out of Eastbourne with a thigh injury) could hamper her progress through the draw, making a surprise from Flavia Pennetta (possible round of 16 opponent), Sloane Stephens (possible round of 16 opponent) or Venus Williams (possible round of 32 opponent) more possible.

First-Rounder to Watch: Sam Stosur and Yanina Wickmayer

Pick: Li

Semifinals: Li d. Radwanska, Williams d. Lisicki

Final: Williams d. Li