2008 Wimbledon Quarterfinals Preview

The 2008 women’s singles draw at the Championships has been narrowed down to eight players, including only two former Grand Slam winners.

Will Venus and Serena Williams keep their dreams of an all-Williams final alive on Tuesday? Or should we expect to see a quartet of surprise semifinalists in the next round?

(5) Elena Dementieva vs. (21) Nadia Petrova
This match at least guarantees that a player from Russia will reach the semifinals, but what woman will it be? This is neither woman’s best surface, as they both have only reached the quarterfinals one time in their careers.

Not surprisingly, the pair shares a long history of tough matches, but Petrova leads their record 7-4, including both of their meetings on grass. This will be a nervy match between two Fed Cup teammates and I expect the edge to swing slightly in favor of Dementieva, as long as she can keep the double-faults down to a bare minimum.
Elena Dementieva in three sets

(6) Serena Williams vs. (14) Agnieszka Radwanska
Radwanska will be Serena’s toughest opponent yet at this year’s tournament. The Polish teenager is quickly gaining a reputation as a Grand Slam giant killer. She dismantled Kuznetsova’s erratic game on Monday to reach the quarterfinals, though she will need to be far more consistent against Serena.

Agnieszka got away with a short-term lapse in concentration during the second set against Svetlana, but Serena Williams will not as generous, especially with her service games.
Serena Williams in three sets

(7) Venus Williams vs. Tamarine Tanasugarn
Venus Williams should thank Tanasugarn for defeating Jelena Jankovic in the fourth round because Jelena and Venus’ last six matches have gone to three sets. On paper, the Thai veteran looks like an easy win for Venus, yet she cannot make the mistake of underestimating Tanasugarn’s crafty game on grass.

Venus has won all six of their previous matches in straight sets, but Tanasugarn has posted eleven straight wins on grass—the same number as the 2007 Wimbledon champion.
Venus Williams in two sets

(18) Nicole Vaidisova vs. Jie Zheng
For six months the tennis world has been buzzing about Nicole Vaidisova’s relationship with Radek Stepanek, her slump which appeared to be worsening by the tournament, and her coaching split from her stepfather, Alec Kodat.

Now Vaidisova is on the verge of reaching her third Grand Slam semifinal, only weeks after snapping a losing streak that extended to five consecutive first rounds. She kept her cool against an emotional Anna Chakvetadze in the fourth round, which should help remind her critics why she used to be one of the Tour’s best in three set matches. Meanwhile, Jie Zheng is only the fourth player in the history of women’s tennis to reach the quarterfinals as a wild card.
Nicole Vaidisova in two sets

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