Wimbledon 2015: Updated Schedule, Draw Predictions Before Week 2 Action

Gianni VerschuerenJul 4, 2015

The fourth round of the 2015 Wimbledon Open will serve up a number of enticing matchups in Week 2, including a clash between the Williams sisters and Stan Wawrinka's meeting with in-form David Goffin. Novak Djokovic will meet Kevin Anderson and Roger Federer will go up against Roberto Bautista Agut.

Serena Williams struggled tremendously against local favourite Heather Watson in the third round, and Venus Williams should like her chances of ruining Serena's bid to win all the Grand Slams this year. Djokovic and Federer have cruised through the tournament so far, and both should feel confident about their chances of advancing to the quarter-finals.

Predictions

Venus Will Ruin Serena's Wimbledon Bid

Alex Brandon/Associated Press

Venus and Serena Williams haven't met at a Grand Slam since 2009, according to SportsCenter. The last time the two sisters went head-to-head in a match, it was Venus who emerged victorious back in 2014.

There was once a time when the two seemed almost joined at the hip, but in the last few years, Serena has established herself as arguably the greatest female player of all time, while Venus' career has taken several steps back.

The elder Williams sister has looked very solid so far during the tournament, however, and she cruised past Aleksandra Krunic in the previous round. Serena suffered a meltdown against Watson and managed to recover just in time in the final set, and even she knows form simply isn't on her side right now, via the tournament's official Twitter account:

Serena was visibly frustrated and exhausted during her match with Watson, which was perhaps the best women's match we'll see all year. Fans went wild both in the stadium and at home, and most, like ESPN's Michele Steele, are expecting more of the same against her sister:

The exhaustion should weigh on Serena, who will fortunately have an extra rest day of recover. But stamina has never been her greatest weapon, and against an in-form Venus, she could be in major trouble.

If she manages to battle past her sister, she'll likely have to spend a ton of energy―again. And as shared by the New York Times' Ben Rothenberg, it looks as if her path to the final won't become any easier from that point forward:

Venus might not beat Serena in Week 2, but she will take her sister to the very limit. And after two intense, hard-fought matches like that, the No. 1 seed may no longer have the energy required to get past the likes of Maria Sharapova and Lucie Safarova.

Men's Champion Will Reveal Himself in Round 4

Kirsty Wigglesworth/Associated Press

At this point, the favourites for the men's title are Stan Wawrinka, Andy Murray, Federer and defending champion Djokovic. All four have played well so far and have been matched with underrated opponents, giving fans the first real look at which player is in truly dominant form.

Of the three, Wawrinka faces the trickiest customer. Belgium's David Goffin is a grass specialist who has yet to drop a set at Wimbledon this year, and some fans like his chances of pulling off the upset:

"
A look ahead to Wimbledon Day 6's 4th round David Goffin Vs. Stanislas Wawrinka http://t.co/LtmyZ9dDo4 #Wimbledon pic.twitter.com/Zt5bFfrK6I
— ClutchOn&Win (@AllCourter) July 4, 2015"

Goffin likely won't beat Wawrinka, but his versatile style of play will trouble the Swiss. The Belgian is simply better built to play on grass, and his aggression in the return game will be a strong test for Wawrinka.

Djokovic will take on Anderson, who got past Leonardo Mayer in straight sets and beat Wawrinka at Queen's last month. He's another grass specialist who relies on his massive serve, which should prolong the match and win him several games against the Djoker. The top seed shouldn't struggle too much against Anderson, but it'll give us a good look at the state of his return game.

Federer showed signs of weakness in his win over Sam Groth, and he'll face another solid grass player in Bautista Agut in the fourth round. Tennis Reporters' Matt Cronin thinks the Swiss should advance easily:

Bautista Agut's serve isn't nearly as explosive as Groth's, and instead, he relies more on his ability in rallies. That plays right into Federer's strengths, who will get to show his dropped set against Groth was just a fluke.

Finally, Murray looked like perhaps the most in-form player at Wimbledon before a shoulder injury slowed him down against Andreas Seppi, and he'll have the chance to show he's fully healthy against powerful server Ivo Karlovic.

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