SERENA WILLIAMS RANKED 1 AGE 31 COUNTRY United States 2013 MATCH RECORD 43-2 2013 SINGLES TITLES 6 CAREER SINGLES TITLES 52 MAJOR TITLES 16 - Wimbledon (2002, 2003, 2009, 2010, 2012), U.S. Open (1999, 2002, 2008, 2012), Australian Open (2003, 2005, 2007, 2009, 2010), French Open (2002, 2013) PAST 5 WIMBLEDONS 2012-Won championship, 2011-Lost in 4th round, 2010-W, 2009-W, 2008-F TOPSPIN Has won three of the past four Grand Slam titles, a run that began a year ago at the All England Club. ... Reached the Wimbledon final in seven of her past 10 appearances. ... Leads active players with an .884 career winning percentage in grass-court matches (76-10). ... Since a first-round loss at the 2012 French Open - her only opening exit at a major tournament - has gone 74-3. ... Current 31-match winning streak is longest single-season run in women’s tennis since older sister Venus won 35 in a row in 2000. Venus pulled out of Wimbledon, citing a lower back injury.
VICTORIA AZARENKA RANKED 2 AGE 23 COUNTRY Belarus 2013 MATCH RECORD 27-3 2013 SINGLES TITLES 2 CAREER SINGLES TITLES 16 MAJOR TITLES 2 - Australian Open (2012, 2013) PAST 5 WIMBLEDONS 2012-SF, 2011-SF, 2010-3rd, 2009-QF, 2008-3rd TOPSPIN With big groundstrokes and superb returns, clearly capable of a deep run at Wimbledon, where she’s made the semifinals the past two years. And she knows her way to a Grand Slam title, too, winning two in a row in Australia. ... Reached at least the semifinals at five of the past six major tournaments. ... Winning 57.1 percent of her return games this season, by far the highest percentage on tour.
MARIA SHARAPOVA RANKED 3 AGE 26 COUNTRY Russia 2012 MATCH RECORD 36-5 2012 SINGLES TITLES 2 CAREER SINGLES TITLES 29 MAJOR TITLES 4 - Wimbledon (2004), U.S. Open (2006), Australian Open (2008), French Open (2012) PAST 5 WIMBLEDONS 2012-4th, 2011-F, 2010-4th, 2009-2nd, 2008-2nd TOPSPIN Won her first Grand Slam title as a 17-year-old at Wimbledon, beating Williams in the final. Since then, though, Sharapova has returned to the championship match at the All England Club only once in eight appearances. ... Loss in French Open final as defending champion was her 13th defeat in a row against Williams. ... Trails only Williams on tour this season in percentage of service games won and percentage of first serve points won. ... Only 7-5 against other women ranked in the top 10 this year.
AGNIESZKA RADWANSKA RANKED 4 AGE 24 COUNTRY Poland 2013 MATCH Record 28-9 2013 SINGLES TITLES 2 CAREER SINGLES TITLES 12 MAJOR TITLES 0 - Best F, at Wimbledon (2012) PAST 5 WIMBLEDONS 2012-F, 2011-2nd, 2010-4th, 2009-QF, 2008-QF TOPSPIN Master of using spin, changing speeds and angles, to fluster opponents. ... Finally had Grand Slam breakthrough at All England Club a year ago, making it all the way to her first major final and pushing Williams to three sets before losing.
PETRA KVITOVA RANKED 8 AGE 23 COUNTRY Czech Republic 2013 MATCH RECORD 27-13 (entering Eastbourne tournament) 2013 SINGLES TITLES 1 CAREER SINGLES TITLES 10 MAJOR TITLES 1 - Wimbledon (2011) PAST 5 WIMBLEDONS 2012-QF, 2011-W, 2010-SF, 2009-1st, 2008-1st TOPSPIN Lanky left-hander’s best Grand Slam results came on Wimbledon’s grass, but she also reached semifinals at Australian Open and French Open last year. ... Tied for fourth on women’s tour with 135 aces in 2013 (Williams leads with 268). ... Entered grass-court tournament at Eastbourne to get ready for the slick surface after a bumpy clay season.
MARIA KIRILENKO RANKED 10 AGE 26 COUNTRY Russia 2013 MATCH RECORD 27-10 (entering Eastbourne tournament) 2013 SINGLES TITLES 1 CAREER SINGLES TITLES 6 MAJOR TITLES 0 - Best QF, Wimbledon (2012), French Open (2013) PAST 5 WIMBLEDONS 2012-QF, 2011-3rd, 2010-3rd, 2009-2nd, 2008-1st TOPSPIN Reached the quarterfinals at two of the past four major tournaments, the best Grand Slam showings of her career. ... Made her debut in the WTA’s top 10 on June 10, after French Open. ... Has won about 75 percent of her service games in 2013, behind only Williams and Sharapova.
SLOANE STEPHENS RANKED 17 AGE 20 COUNTRY United States 2013 MATCH RECORD 19-13 2013 SINGLES TITLES 0 CAREER SINGLES TITLES 0 MAJOR TITLES 0 - Best SF, at Australian Open (2013) PAST 5 WIMBLEDONS 2012-3rd, 2011-Did Not Play, 2010-DNP, 2009-DNP, 2008-DNP TOPSPIN One of only two women (Azarenka is the other) to beat Williams this season. Stephens stunned the then-injured Williams in an all-U.S. quarterfinal at the Australian Open in January, before losing to eventual champion Azarenka in the semifinals. ... Getting increasingly used to the idea that she belongs in the second week of Grand Slam tournaments, having reached at least the fourth round at three of the past five majors.
Sports, Pages 26 on 06/23/2013