Since the Christina McHale match, Serena Williams has not been as challenged as she was then. She faced Svetlana Kuznetsova(13) and Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova(21) in the fourth round and the Quarters respectively.
Williams knows the two Russian ladies very well and was prepared for their aggressive play. The younger of the two, Pavlyuchenkova, has found a burst of old form while Kuznetsova is making an attempt in consistent decent results this season. This meeting was the first of the season for Williams and Pavlyuchenkova, who has never beaten the woman bidding for her 22nd Major title.
Agnieszka Radwanska(3) will always draw confidence from a good campaign at this event, but will feel disappointed each time she does not match the performance she had versus Serena Wiliams in the 2012 Final at the same event. After dismissing the Polish player, Dominika Cibulkova(10) will battle the unseeded Elena Vesnina for a spot to face Williams in the last four.
In the bottom section we find Madison Keys(9), who many wished would do very well this season on grass. She has been knocked out of the tournament by the fifth seed Simona Halep. Although she got through the match, Keys seemed to be hampered by her thigh…Her movement has inproved of late, but she was not moving quite well in her fourth round match. Keys is one player who is rather fragile and has had a number of injury woes in her short career. Halep was then beaten by the tough-nut-to-crack Angelique Kerber(4).
Older Williams sister Venus Williams(8) is soldiering on, reliving her passed glory years at this event – with her getting passed Carla Suarez Navarro(12) and Yaroslava Shvedova, she has kept the hope of the popular and historic All-Williams Final alive. Shvedova failed to follow-up her win against Lucie Safarova(28); and Suarez Navarro just fell flat in her competitive spirit on the day.
On the men’s side: the best passer in the Top 10 Andy Murray and Milos Raonic, whose inside-out forehand shot cannot look any more thrilling than it does on a good day are both through to the Quarters. Raonic will play Querrey, Murray meets Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, Tomas Berdych faces Lucas Pouille, Roger Federer plays Marin Cilic.
Murray neutralized the Nick Kyrgios serve in his previous match and got him out of his comfort zone to push him to a mental fight more than anything. The Aussie could not contain his frustration at key moments and thus rushed his shots.
Sam Querrey is still riding the wave he discovered after downing the Top seed…he beat Nicolas Mahut 6-4 7-6(5) 6-4.
Milos Raonic, seeded sixth, played a five-setter versus the eleventh seed David Goffin. He lost the first couple of sets and had to find a lot within to pick himself up again, and he rose to the ocassion.
Tomas Berdych(10) was another player who was involved in a match that had the momentum swinging from end to end. He played Jiri Vesely and also needed five gruelling sets to advance.
He won 4-6 6-3 7-6(8) 6(9)-7 6-3.
Kei Nishikori(5) unfortunately retired in his match against Marin Cilic having won only two games in two sets. Richard Gasquet also retired in his match against Jo-Wilfried Tsonga.
