Saturday, June 30, 2018

Crashing the lawn party




A few days ago, I wrote about the women who are likely (and a few not as likely) to contend for the Venus Rosewater Dish. Today, I want to look at the women who can make life miserable for some of those contenders. There aren't nearly as many grass court specialists as there are clay court specialists, but there are a few. Also, there are some players who are dangerous on all surfaces.

Magda Rybarikova
She is a grass court specialist. The Slovak player made it to the semifials last year, and could cause problems for those in her draw.

Coco Vandeweghe
I mentioned Vandeweghe in my other post, but I do look upon her more as a trouble-maker than a contender, at this point. I could be wrong. At any rate, she's capable of doing some big damage.

Aryna Sabalenka
Her performance in Eastbourne this week made it obvious that she's ready for Wimbledon.

Ash Barty
Barty's game is looking more stable, and she'll feel at home on Wimbledon's lawns. 

Genie Bouchard
She could get it all back. What if she does it next week?

Kirsten Flipkens
When she's "on," she tends to be "on" on grass.

Maria Sakkari
I now consider the Greek upstart a danger on all surfaces. She made it to the third round last year, and could do even better this year.

Aga Radwanska
She's back, and she's looking good. The 2012 runner-up loves the grass, and she's still capable of driving her opponents absolutely crazy.

There are others who, of course, will surprise us--some of them are known for their clay expertise. Julia Goerges, Andrea Petkovic and Caroline Garcia (who made it to the fourth round last year) could all make good runs.

2 comments:

colt13 said...

I agree. There are so many women, Vekic, Maria, and Riske, in addition to those listed, that may make a mess of things.

Diane said...

It seems to get esoecially random at Wimbledon. Remember when Schiavone made the quarterfinals?