WIMBLEDON, ENGLAND (AP) - Women to watch at Wimbledon, which begins Monday:
MARIA SHARAPOVA
Seeded: 1
Ranked: 1
Age: 25
Country: Russia
2012 Match Record: 36-5
2012 Singles Titles: 3
Career Singles Titles: 27
Major Titles: 4 _ Wimbledon (’04), U.S. Open (’06), Australian Open (’08), French Open (’12)
Last 5 Wimbledons: `11-Lost in Final `10-4th, `09-2nd, `08-2nd, `07-4th
Topspin: Coming off title on clay at French Open, which made her the 10th woman in tennis history with a career Grand Slam. … That championship was her first at a major tournament since she had right shoulder surgery in October 2008 _ and also moved her back to No. 1 in the WTA rankings for the first time since the operation. … Was 17 when she won Wimbledon for her first Grand Slam title.
VICTORIA AZARENKA
Seeded: 2
Ranked: 2
Age: 22
Country: Belarus
2012 Match Record: 38-4
2012 Singles Titles: 4
Career Singles Titles: 12
Major Titles: 1 _ Australian Open (’12)
Last 5 Wimbledons: ’11-SF, ’10-3rd, ’09-QF, ’08-3rd, ’07-3rd
Topspin: Has a chance to regain the No. 1 ranking she ceded to Sharapova, depending on how both fare at the All England Club. … Won her first major title in January at the Australian Open. … Her 26-match winning streak was the longest at the start of a season since 1997. … 9-0 in matches that go three sets this season.
AGNIESZKA RADWANSKA
Seeded: 3
Ranked: 3
Age: 23
Country: Poland
2012 Match Record: 38-8
2012 Singles Titles: 3
Career Singles Titles: 10
Major Titles: 0 _ Best: QF, five times, most recently at Australian Open (’12)
Last 5 Wimbledons: ’11-2nd, ’10-4th, ’09-QF, ’08-QF, ’07-3rd
Topspin: Six of her eight losses this season came against Azarenka. … Four of the past five Grand Slam champions were first-time major title winners, and Radwanska could be the next player to make a breakthrough. … Twice a quarterfinalist at Wimbledon _ and three times that far at other majors _ but never a Grand Slam semifinalist so far.
PETRA KVITOVA
Seeded: 4
Ranked: 4
Age: 22
Country: Czech Republic
2012 Match Record: 22-8
2012 Singles Titles: 0
Career Singles Titles: 7
Major Titles: 1 _ Wimbledon (’11)
Last 5 Wimbledons: `11-Won Championship, `10-SF, `09-1st, `08-1st, `07-Did Not Play
Topspin: Tall left-hander’s best Grand Slam results have come on grass at Wimbledon, where she reached semifinals in 2010, then won the championship in 2011. … Only player ranked in top 10 who hasn’t reached a final this year. … Last year at All England Club, became first woman born in the 1990s to win a major singles title.
SERENA WILLIAMS
Seeded: 6
Ranked: 6
Age: 30
Country: United States
2012 Match Record: 27-3
2012 Singles Titles: 2
Career Singles Titles: 41
Major Titles: 13 _ Wimbledon (’02, `03, `09, `10), U.S. Open (’99, `02, `08), Australian Open (’03, `05, `07, `09, `10), French Open (’02)
Last 5 Wimbledons: `11-4th, `10-W, `09-W, `08-F, `07-QF
Topspin: Fell to 46-1 in first-round matches at Grand Slam tournaments with stunning loss to Virginie Razzano in opener at Roland Garros. … “Whether I had won in Paris or lost like I did in the first round, I am always extremely motivated. If anything, you know, I think losing makes me even more motivated,” she said Saturday. … Withdrew from Italian Open with a back injury before her semifinal match there in May. … Shortly after winning Wimbledon in 2010, cut her foot on glass, leading to a series of health issues, including clots in her lungs; returned to the tour in June 2011. … Reached the Wimbledon final in six of her last nine appearances.
CAROLINE WOZNIACKI
Seeded: 7
Ranked: 7
Age: 21
Country: Denmark
2012 Match Record: 22-11
2012 Singles Titles: 0
Career Singles Titles: 18
Major Titles: 0 _ Best: F, at U.S. Open in `09
Last 5 Wimbledons: `11-4th, `10-4th, `09-4th, `08-3rd, `07-2nd
Topspin: After a half-dozen titles each of the past two seasons, still seeking her first of 2012. Only reached one final so far. … Still looking for her first Grand Slam title. … Won 2006 Wimbledon junior title.
KIM CLIJSTERS
Seeded: Unseeded
Ranked: 53rd
Age: 29
Country: Belgium
2012 Match Record: 10-3
2012 Singles Titles: 0
Career Singles Titles: 41
Major Titles: 4 _ U.S. Open (’05, `09, `10), Australian Open (’11)
Last 5 Wimbledons: `11-DNP, `10-QF, `09-DNP, `08-DNP, `07-DNP
Topspin: After being sidelined for about three months with ankle and hip injuries, returned to the tour last week at a grass-court tuneup event in the Netherlands, but withdrew Friday because of a stomach muscle strain. She says she will play at the All England Club one last time, however. … Has announced she’ll retire after the U.S. Open. Already left the tour once, before returning and collecting three of her four career Grand Slam titles.
VENUS WILLIAMS
Seeded: Unseeded
Ranked: 55th
Age: 32
Country: United States
2012 Match Record: 12-5
2012 Singles Titles: 0
Career Singles Titles: 43
Major Titles: 7 _ Wimbledon (’00, `01, `05, `07, `08), U.S. Open (’00, `01)
Last 5 Wimbledons: `11-4th, `10-QF, `09-F, `08-W, `07-W
Topspin: She’s been the champion or runner-up at the All England Club eight of the past 12 years; the three losses in finals all came against younger sister Serena. … Leads all active players with 71 career match wins at Wimbledon; Serena is next with 60, then big drop-off to Sharapova with 34. … Coming off a second-round exit at the French Open, her first Grand Slam action since Aug. 29, 2011, at the U.S. Open; two days later, she pulled out of her second-round match at that tournament, revealing that she’d been diagnosed with an autoimmune disease.
Please read our comment policy before commenting.