Sports Illustrated’s Wimbledon Women’s Seeds Report
Jon Wertheim, senior writer of Sports Illustrated, has broken down the top seeds at Wimbledon and gives us the lowdown on their chances on the grass court tournament. Here’s what he’s got to say on our beloved top 5 seeds:
- 1. Amelie Mauresmo. Here’s our Zagat guide entry: The flaneurs claim her “easily-frayed nerves” are always a factor and it remains to be seen what effects her most recent Paris “meltdown” will have on her mental state. (An early loss doesn’t augur well.) Others praise her “elemental” game, well suited as it is for grass and assert that if her “tete is on straight,” (no small condition) she could bag her second Slam of 2006.
- 2. Kim Clijsters. She has never had much luck at Wimbledon, somewhat odd given her exceptional movement and heavy ball-striking. Inasmuch as she is still committed to winning the big prizes in the showcase showdowns, she’s on the short-list of contenders every year. It’s easy, though, to envision her losing to Anna-Lena Groenefeld in the round of 16.
- 3. Justine Henin-Hardenne. Yes, we know. She won the French in 2005 and then crashed out of Wimbledon before tea time on the first day. Still, we like her chances to win, thus completing the “career Slam.” Her game is complete, she locomotes with best of them, and, most important, she has that notch of mental toughness that simply eludes the other players.
- 4. Maria Sharapova. A winner two years ago, Sharapova hasn’t hit Grand Slam paydirt since and has been dealing with assorted aches and pains (and even mental lapses) all year. Grass-court prep work was inauspicious as she lost to Jamea (Action) Jackson in Birmingham. Gifted with a benign draw, she ought to make the semis from the weakest quadrant.
- 5. Svetlana Kuznetsova. The French Open finalist has a decent shot at the semis. She’s an underrated volleyer who moves well. Potential quarterfinal against Nicole Vaidisova could be a good one.
His Predictions:
Semifinals
Venus Williams vs. Sharapova Henin-Hardenne vs. Groenefeld
Finals
Sharapova vs. Henin-Hardenne
Winner
Henin-Hardenne
Henin-Hardenne as the winner? That would be interesting and I wish her the best. I’d be happy to see her complete her Grand Slam circuit. My money’s on Mauresmo.
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1 opinion for Sports Illustrated’s Wimbledon Women’s Seeds Report
Wimbledon: Clijsters Cruises to the Semi Finals
Sep 24, 2007 at 7:59 am
[…] if Sharapova manages to defeat Mauresmo in the semi finals, and Henin-Hardenne beats Clijsters, then S.I.’s Jon Wertheim’s predictions would turn out to be pretty accurate for the finals […]
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