Friday was a bittersweet day for top players on the Sony Ericsson WTA Tour at the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club.
Seventh seed Vera Zvonareva saw her Wimbledon hopes dashed because of an ankle injury, while seeds Serena Williams, Elena Dementieva and Victoria Azarenka advanced.
Saturday action at the Championships will showcase the top half of the women’s draw and by nightfall, the field for the round of sixteen will be set.
OTB’s Must Watch Matches of the Day
Venus Williams (USA)[3] v. Carla Suarez Navarro (ESP)
Suarez Navarro ousted Williams earlier this year in the second round of the Australian Open, so this match on Centre Court could deliver a few close moments. Carla’s one-handed backhand is a thing of beauty, but on this fast surface, she will likely find herself overpowered and outplayed from the baseline by Venus.
Samantha Stosur (AUS)[18] v. Ana Ivanovic (SRB)[13]
This could turn out to be an epic battle for Ivanovic as Stosur is playing the best tennis of her career. Expect Samantha to try to throw Ivanovic’s game off early by playing some old-fashioned serve and volleying.
Melanie Oudin (USA) v. Jelena Jankovic (SRB)[6]
Oudin has a huge opportunity to make a name for herself by reaching the second week in her first main draw appearance at Wimbledon. Jelena Jankovic has not been playing well over the past few months, so if Oudin can deal with the pressure of the moment—something she’s proved during Fed Cup—the young American might be able to pull off the biggest upset of the Championships thus far.
Watching the Roof
Although the new Centre Court roof has not been officially used during a match yet this year, early arriving fans were treated to the sight of the roof opening just before the start of play. The AELTC had closed the roof this morning due to inclement weather in the area.
Mixing It Up at Wimbledon
If you have access to watching mixed doubles either in person or online, I would highly recommend the experience. This year’s mixed doubles draw features a host of recognizable names and faces, making this a must-see event for any tennis fan.
Teams to watch:
Cara Black and Leander Paes
Liezel Huber and Jamie Murray
Sania Mirza and Mahesh Bhupathi
Nadia Petrova and Max Mirnyi
Bethanie Mattek-Sands and Mike Bryan
Anna-Lena Groenefeld and Mark Knowles
Samantha Stosur and Bob Bryan
Enter OTB’s Pick the Winner’s Contest
How well do you know tennis? Do you think you can pick the winner of Saturday’s featured match? Guess correctly and you might be one of the three lucky people chosen to win a pair of Drymax tennis socks!
To enter, simply select your pick for the winner of Saturday’s match between Melanie Oudin (USA) v. Jelena Jankovic (SRB)[6]. All entries must be received by 7:00 AM ET on Saturday. Only one entry per person.
Entry for today has ended.
NBC, ESPN2 and ESPN360.com Schedule for Saturday
Early Round Day 6 – ESPN2 – 8:00 AM – 3:00 PM (LIVE)
Early Round Coverage Day 6 – ESPN360.com – 8:00 AM – 3:00 PM (Watch Live Online)
Early Round Coverage – NBC – 3:00 PM – 6:00 PM (LIVE and Taped)
