Wimbledon Preview: Day Four

Defending champion Venus Williams returns to Centre Court on Thursday, while Lindsay Davenport is expected to put her knee to the test against Argentina’s Gisela Dulko.

Watch Venus and Lindsay, as well as Maria Sharapova and Jelena Jankovic on day four at the 2008 Wimbledon Championships.

Tania’s Picks for Thursday

2 – Jelena Jankovic (SRB) vs. Carla Suarez Navarro (ESP)
Jelena has performed well on the Grand Slam stage this year, reaching the semifinals in both Australia and France. She hit the tennis circuit prior to countrywoman Ana Ivanovic, however Ana was the first to snare a major.

Suarez Navarro will be keen to perform well, coming off her quarterfinals berth at the French Open. Jankovic’s biggest vulnerability is her attackable 1st serve—it is prone to inconsistency and the Spaniard will likely attempt to expose this weakness. Jelena should, however, be too strong from the back of the court.
Jelena Jankovic in 2 sets

3 – Maria Sharapova (RUS) vs. Alla Kudryavtseva (RUS)
Maria overpowered a French qualifier in the previous round, losing only five games in the process. Unveiling her tuxedo outfit on day two of competition, there were no signs of nerves or problems from her lack of match practice on grass. Her next opponent is Kudryavtseva from Russia. This should be another straight forward victory for the number three seed.
Maria Sharapova in 3 sets

9 – Dinara Safina (RUS) vs. Su-Wei Hsieh (TPE)
Despite a tough first set tiebreaker in Safina’s first round match, she looked ominous defeating Chan in two sets. She now faces another girl from Chinese Taipei in Su-Wei Hsieh. Hsieh finally won her first match at Wimbledon after two previous attempts, however her celebration will be a fleeting one—Safina will win convincingly.
Dinara Safina in 2 sets

22 – Flavia Pennetta (ITA) vs. Ai Sugiyama (JPN)
At 57 consecutive appearances, Ai Sugiyama holds this record in a major by a man or a woman. She progressed into the second round here by defeating Wickmayer of Belgium, winning 72% of points off her 1st serve. Ai likes the grass and has performed well at Wimbledon in the past.

Meanwhile, Pennetta’s best results have come from the Championships, reaching the round of 16 in 2005 and 2006. The 22nd seed has had mixed results ever since.
Ai Sugiyama in 3 sets

She Said What?

Ana Ivanovic about kissing the net after winning her second round match on Wednesday:
“I just went to kiss the net because, like I said, I felt so lucky. If it wasn’t for that net and that place, you know, I would be booking my flight, you know, back home. I felt so, so lucky to be through today because, like I said, she played really well and, yeah, didn’t make me feel like I was playing good.”

What Else is Happening at Wimbledon?

Wimbledon under fire for pigeon cull
PETA is upset because Wimbledon hired sharpshooters to dispose of pigeons.

Ai Sugiyama captures Grand Slam record at Wimbledon
Ai Sugiyama has set a new record for the most consecutive appearances at a major tournament.

USA Television Schedule

Thursday, June 26, 2008
Early Round Day 4 - ESPN2 - 7:00 am - 2:30 pm (LIVE)

*All times are Eastern.

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