The Wimbledon women’s singles tournament is halfway over, as The Championships take a break on the traditional Middle Sunday. What are the four biggest takeaways to keep in mind after one week of play, heading into the second week on Monday, July 10?
Anyone Can Win
There are 16 women left in a field which started at 128. Yes, some players have a better chance to win than others, but really, it’s a tournament in which a legitimate case can be made for all 16 women in the field, which is simply not a common occurrence. Consider the weakest player in the field, Agnieszka Radwanska. Even though her chances are much lower than others, a Monday upset of talented but erratic Svetlana Kuznetsova is hardly out of the question, and if Radwanska can pull it off, she could face Garbine Muguruza in the quarterfinals. Muguruza is a more talented player and a far bigger hitter, but she is not comfortable on grass. She struggled in the warm-up events for Wimbledon. Radwanska could throw Muguruza off balance. It is not likely, but it is very possible… and that’s for the weakest of all 16 players left. This is a totally wide open tournament. The players with more talent – Muguruza, Svetlana Kuznetsova, Simona Halep, Jo Konta, and Venus Williams – have either never won a major, or, in most cases, have not won a major tournament in several years. No player inspires complete trust, which is why the women’s tournament is so unpredictable.
The Bottom Half Of The Draw Is More Likely To Provide A Champion
Whoever makes the final will have a really good chance at the title, but the survivor of the bottom half will have endured bigger tests on the road to the final, and will therefore be more likely to play at a high level and not be intimidated once the final comes along on Saturday, July 15. Angelique Kerber is the top seed, resting in the top half of the draw, but she is not playing like a No. 1 seed. Kuznetsova has not been in a major final in eight years. Muguruza is probably the player least likely to wilt in a major final, but she has to get there first. It is highly likely that one of the semifinalists in the top half will have never made a major final. Only Caroline Wozniacki can prevent that from happening in her quarter of the draw, which is part of the top half.
The bottom half has the steadier veterans: Venus Williams, Simona Halep, and Victoria Azarenka, plus home-nation favorite Konta and young French Open champion Jelena Ostapenko. It’s going to be a very interesting week.
Konta And Ostapenko Should Be Taken Seriously
Konta struggled at Wimbledon – this is her first appearance in the fourth round – but after getting through a tough second-round match against Donna Vekic, she might be a more confident player. Konta has mostly breezed other than the aforementioned match with Vekic. Her two wins were in straight sets where her opponents won a total of nine games. Ostapenko might have seemed ripe for an upset as a post-French Open letdown, but that hasn’t happened. Even though she has had her battles, she is someone you don’t want to bet against. A lot of people are going to look at her run so far and think that she’s been on the brink too much. She’s been in two three-set matches and her straight sets win was 7-5, 7-5. Still, don’t downgrade her – she is for real.
Don’t Assume The Azarenka-Halep Winner Will Go All The Way
Azarenka is not playing at an overwhelmingly dominant level. She is still showing signs of rust in her comeback after maternity leave. She is performing well in the clutch, but her timing is still in the process of coming back. Halep, as shown at the French Open, is still inconsistent. She has fallen behind in the first set of multiple matches at Wimbledon. She is not dominating. She is winning, but it’s not easy. Azarenka-Halep is a superstar fourth-round matchup, but neither player is head and shoulders above the field.
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