Germany’s Angelique Kerber faces both a physical and mental test at next week’s Wimbledon Championships as she bids to win the tournament for the first time in her career.
Currently leading the WTA rankings by 115 points (as of 26th June), the world No.1 risk losing her position if she succumbs to another shock first round exit like the French Open. Her opening test at Wimbledon will be against a yet to be named qualifier or lucky loser. Following that match, if she wins, Kerber would play either Kirsten Flipkens or Misaki Doi. After the second round, things get dramatically tougher for the 29-year-old. In the third round she could play Lucie Safarova, a player who she has lost two in two out of their three previous matches (the last being in 2015). Then in the last 16, a daunting clash with former finalist Garbine Muguruza lurks.
“I’m feeling good. I had three matches right now before going to Wimbledon. This was my goal, to have matches,” Kerber said following her loss to Johanna Konta at the Eastbourne on Thursday. “I will try to make my focus on from tomorrow, just only on Wimbledon, trying to improving from this week into the next few weeks.”
Kerber’s possible path:
R1 Q/LL
R2 Flipkens/Doi
R3 Safarova
R4 Muguruza
QF Kuznetsova/Radwanska
SF Ka Pliskova/Wozniacki
F Halep/Svitolina— Reem Abulleil (@ReemAbulleil) 30 June 2017
Simona Halep, who was a win away from claiming the world No.1 spot at the French Open, will also start her campaign against a qualifier. The former Wimbledon semifinalist could also face some tough matches during the later part of the first week. In her section, Carla Suarez Navarro and Eugenie Bouchard are potential third round opponents. Then Anastasija Sevastova, who recently won the Mallorca Open, could be a last 16 rival. Russia’s Elena Vesnina is also lurking in the draw.
Halep’s possible path:
R1 Q/LL
R2 Robson/Haddad Maia
R3 CSN/Genie
R4 Sevastova/Vesnina
QF Konta/Kvitova
SF Svitolina/Domi
F Kerber/Pliskova— Reem Abulleil (@ReemAbulleil) 30 June 2017
Karolina Pliskova will be hoping to progress beyond the second round of the tournament for the first time in her career. The third seed will start her campaign against Russian world No.83 Evgeniya Rodina in what will be their first meeting since 2015.
“I have some confidence behind me because of the matches that I’ve been winning,” Pliskova recently told The Telegraph. “I’ve won two titles already this year, so I don’t feel the big pressure that I sometimes felt I was under last year. I’m handling some situations better.”
Elina Svitolina’s path to the title is full of landmines. Her opening match will be against former Wimbledon girls champion Ashleigh Barty, who recently reached the final of the Birmingham International. The Australian is currently at a ranking high of 54th in the world. Should she triumph in the first round, Svitolina will play either Francesca Schiavone or Mandy Minella next. One of her biggest challenges could occur in the fourth round. Two of the players she could face are French Open champion Jelena Ostapenko or the heavy-hitting Madison Keys. Besides the tough draw, Svitolina has also been troubled by a heel injury recently.
Outside of the big four, all eyes will on the return of two players. Petra Kvitova is trying not to get ahead of herself after her fairytale run to the Birmingham Open title. Playing in only her second tournament since returning from a career-threatening knife attack, the Czech dropped just one set in the tournament. At Wimbledon she will play Johanna Larsson. Kvitova could potentially be a fourth round opponent for home favourite Johanna Kontas, however, the Brit has withdrew from her Friday match at Eastbourne due to a spinal injury.
Meanwhile, Victoria Azarenka will start her campaign against Cici Bellis is what will be her first grand slam tournament as a mother.
The draw
