| Friday, 20 June 2008 Written by Barry Newcombe If Venus Williams is to defend her Wimbledon title, the huge challenge of second seed Jelena Jankovic stands in her way at the quarter-final stage. Williams will remember all too well that Jankovic, the number two seed this year, beat her in the third round in 2006. The 23-year-old Serb has been a semi-finallist at both Grand Slams already this year.
Williams, who won her fourth title last year and has been playing in the tournament since 1997, begins her defence as the seventh seed against the British wild card, Naomi Cavaday, on the Centre Court.
One bonus for Williams is that her sister Serena, twice a champion and the sixth seed this time, is in the opposite half of the draw. The only way they will meet is in the final.
Jankovic opens against the Ukranian Olga Savchuk and her first serious test against a seeded player could come if she plays the 13th seed Vera Zvonareva, of Russia, in the fourth round.
Ana Ivanovic, of Serbia, playing at Wimbledon for the fourth time but the first as world No.1, begins against the 102nd ranked Rossana de Los Rios of Paraguay. The eighth seed, Anna Chakvetadze, is a potential opponent in the last eight.
Maria Sharapova, a former champion and third seed this year, has a prospective quarter-final against fifth seed and fellow Russian Elena Dementieva, who was a quarter-finalist two years ago.
Sharapova begins against qualifier Stephanie Foretz of France and is in the same section of the draw as French Open runner up Dinara Safina, who starts Wimbledon as the ninth seed.
Last year’s runner-up Marion Bartoli, of France, begins against Sabine Lisicki of Germany. Fourth seed Svetlana Kuznetsova of Russia, three times a quarter-finalist, begins against a French qualifier Mathilde Johansson and can look forward to taking on Serena Williams in the last eight.
Serena Williams begins against the Estonian Kaia Kanepi but a more formidable opponent could come in the third round where former champion Amelie Mauresmo is looming.
|
