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By Richard Pagliaro | Monday, July 6, 2015

 
Maria Sharapova

Maria Sharapova owns a 19-3 career record in Grand Slam quarterfinals, including a 4-0 record in Wimbledon quarterfinals.

Photo credit: CameraSport/Stephen White

On each day of the Wimbledon we will preview matches to watch, plus provide notes and numbers to keep you well-equipped for the day ahead. Our Wimbledon Ladies' quarterfinal previews are here.

SEE THE COMPLETE DAY 8 SCHEDULE HERE

(4) Maria Sharapova (RUS) vs. CoCo Vandeweghe (USA), 1st Match Centre Court

The first career clash between one of the game's most menacing returners and a dangerous server. Neither woman has dropped a set in the tournament. The 47th-ranked Vandeweghe has applied her all-court skills to reach her first Grand Slam quarterfinal in her 19th major appearance.

Vandeweghe, who won her lone WTA title on the grass of 's-Hertogenbosch last summer, has the aggressive game and the ability to change spins that plays well on grass. Vandeweghe has played tougher opposition to reach the last eight defeating three straight seeds — No. 11 Karolina Pliskova, No. 22 Samantha Stosur and No. 6 Lucie Safarova — and surrendering serve just four times in four rounds. She can hit all areas of the box with her serve, is winning 58 percent of her second-serve points and will need to bang the body serve at times as Sharapova has an expansive reach.

Sharapova owns a 19-3 career record in Grand Slam quarterfinals with all three of those losses at Roland Garros. The 2004 Wimbledon champion has won all four of her career quarterfinals at SW19 and is the more experienced player though her second serve can be suspect. Sharapova leads the tournament with 28 double faults.

(1) Serena Williams (USA) vs. (23) Victoria Azarenka (BLR), 2nd Match Centre Court

The world No. 1 played her best match of the tournament, whipping 10 aces against no double faults in powering past older sister Venus to reach her 11th Wimbledon quarterfinal. The last time Williams lost a Grand Slam quarterfinal was when she fell to Sloane Stephens in the 2013 Australian Open quarterfinals. Since that loss, every time Serena has reached a major quarterfinal, she's gone on to win the title.

Former world No. 1 Azarenka owns two wins over an active world No. 1 and both came against Williams. She is one of the few women in the world who can consistently play with the 20-time Grand Slam champion from the back of the court. Azarenka held three match points over Williams in Madrid, but betrayed her cause with double faults. She led Williams in last month's French Open before the top seed rallied for a 3-6, 6-4, 6-2 victory. Azarenka's hitting partner, Sascha Bajin, is Williams' former long-time hitting partner and a vocal presence.

Both women are exceptional returners. The serve has been a decisive edge for Williams in their past meetings as Azarenka is vulnerable to untimely double faults. Williams' movement and agility is a weapon on grass: She has not lost a set to Azarenka in three career grass-court meetings and holds a 16-3 edge in their head-to-head series.

(20) GarbiƱe Muguruza (ESP) vs. (15) Timea Bacsinszky (SUI), 2nd Match Court No. 1

A second Grand Slam meeting of the season between two talented players with disparate styles. Muguruza beat Bacsinszky, 6-3, 4-6, 6-0 at the Australian Open in January.

Garbine Muguruza

The 21-year-old Spaniard arrived in London with just one Wimbledon match win to her credit, but she beat former semifinalist Angelique Kerber and former No. 1 Caroline Wozniacki in succession to reach her third career Grand Slam quarterfinal. The powerful Spaniard plays an aggressive baseline game and will try to command the center of the court and make Bacsinszky defend.

The 26-year-old Bacsinszky has revived her career after stepping away from the sport for a while. She's the first Swiss woman to reach the Wimbledon last eight since Martina Hingis 15 years ago. Bacsinszky says she's fallen back in love with tennis and seems to take great pleasure using her variety and varied spins to construct points. She will try to disrupt the bigger hitter's rhythm as she did so effectively against another power player, former finalist Sabine Lisicki, in the third round. Bacsinszky, who won back to back titles in Acapulco and Monterrey earlier this year, pushed world No. 1 Serena to three sets in last month's French Open semifinals.

(13) Agnieszka Radwanska (POL) vs. (21) Madison Keys (USA), 3rd Match Court No. 1

The thinker vs. the thumper in classic contrast of styles pitting Radwanska's finesse against Keys' superior power. The savvy Radwanska can play all-court tennis, she's skilled at redirecting the ball down the line, particularly off her favored two-handed backhand, she can use sharp angles and the drop shot to drag opponents forward and she's the best pure volleyer still standing in the singles field.

The explosive Keys, who opened the season reaching the Australian Open final four, is bidding for her second trip to a Grand Slam semifinal. Keys' serve is one of the biggest shots in the sport and she backs it up with a crackling forehand she can use to command rallies. Keys' serve is the biggest shot on the court; Radwanska's second serve is the most vulnerable shot on the court.

An accurate returner, Radwanska has broken serve 19 times in the tournament, tied with Serena for second most breaks. Keys has hit a tournament-high 47 aces. When she's playing well, the 2012 finalist keeps the ball low, shifts speeds and uses the entire court to befuddle opponents. Radwanska is 3-0 lifetime vs. Keys, including a 7-5, 4-6, 6-3 triumph at the 2013 Wimbledon, but the American is a more polished player now than she was then and has posted an 11-2 Grand Slam record this season.


 

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