Wimbledon 2011: Power Ranking Women's Round of 16 Contenders

Its the fourth round now at Wimbledon 2011, and a moment for the real stars of this year to shine. There have been surprises, but at the same time the top ladies have made their way to where they should be.

This year Wimbledon, nonetheless, has an air of uncertainty, especially on the women’s side. The Williams sisters have always been favourites, but their lack of match fitness of late might raise some question marks.

The 2004 champion, Maria Sharapova, the last person other than a Williams sister to win at the All-England Club, has been enjoying a resurgence of late.

Then of course we still have our world No. 1, Caroline Wozniacki, seeking to legitimize her oft-discussed ranking, and last year’s upset queen, Tsvetana Pironkova, who stunned Venus Williams in the quarterfinals.

Amongst them all lurks somewhere our champion for Wimbledon 2011. Who will we see in the last eight, and possibly even further? Read on.

No. 10: Sabine Lisicki

Lisicki is something of Wimbledon’s revelation this year, with a surprising victory over Li Na, the newly crowned French Open champion, in the second round having of necessity stirred shockwaves.

Is she the new great thing in German tennis, to revive the glory days of Graf and Becker? Possibly, but she stands as one of the few young talents who stand little to lose, while having the game to win, in this fourth round.

Her next opponent, Petra Cvetsova, stands too as a very beatable opponent, if Lisicki should reveal anything of the talent that saw her down Li Na in the second round.

No. 9: Nadia Petrova

Russian veteran Nadia Petrova has always been something of an enigma – someone with tremendous talent, especially with a monstrous serve, but who has consistently failed to perform in the biggest moments.

This year, however, she has thus far made it to the round of 16 without the loss so much of a set, having defeated several eastern Europeans, Pavlyuchenkova and the young Bondarenko among them.

She faces a tougher task now with the Belarussian Victoria Azarenka, although through it lies a narrow path to greater glory.

No. 8: Yanina Wickmayer

Yanina Wickmayer, always one of the WTA’s young hopefuls, has had an exciting tournament – she posted an upset in Round 3, defeating Svetlana Kuznetsova in three sets, having fairly battled in the last two rounds.

We all know she is a wonderful talent, who has posted great wins before, but there is no denying it: things are only going to get harder from now.

She does, for the moment, have a golden opportunity to reach the quarterfinals, facing as she is Petra Kvitova, in what should be a fairly winnable encounter.

No. 7: Tsvetana Pironkova

She stunned us last year, and has a good chance at repeating exactly that feat again. Tsvetana Pironkova, in a twist of fate, again faces Venus Williams.

Something does suggest, however, that this may well be the end of the road for her: Venus Williams’ awesome form, anyone? But the path to glory is never smooth, although it is rarely as steep as this.

Pironkova can be given the benefit of the doubt. Already in Round 3, she has lived up to her reputation as mistress of upsets, defeating Vera Zvonereva in straight sets. Who is to say a repeat of last year’s almighty upset mightn’t yet happen?

It will be a tough ask, but her chances at Wimbledon will multiply by it.

No. 6: Victoria Azarenka

Victoria Azarenka earns her place above the last four on account of her talent alone. Simply put, she is a force of destruction (as well as of decibel-barrier breaking grunting), who has on more than one occasion asserted her right to be among the best.

Her best win at Wimbledon 2011 so far was in the last round, with a fine three-set win over the wily Daniela Hantuchova. No shorter an order stands in Nadia Petrova, looming ominously in the fourth round.

Just for her shotmaking ability alone, however, how she might go yet is anyone’s guess. One would hope she doesn’t quite self-implode, of course, as she is wont to do in big moments.

No. 5: Marion Bartoli

One’s credentials are never diminished by being a grand slam finalist, and certainly no less so at Wimbledon. Marion Bartoli made exactly these headlines when she stormed to the final in 2007, and seems poised four years later to do the same.

Her next opponent is Serena Williams, who, despite being the defending champion, has nary played so much as a big-time match in a year. This is a big-time match.

Bartoli certainly hasn’t had it easy this so far, however – she felled the obstinate Flavia Panneta 9-7 in the third, and had before that endured a tough three setter in the second round. She will be hoping for cathartic loose tennis in the fourth, naturally.

Will the credentials of a former finalist overcome those of a three-time champion, however? There’s always the chance.

No. 4: Caroline Wozniacki

Its not often that a world No. 1 stands only as fourth favourite, but Wozniacki does, and perhaps should, being as she is in this era of historic grass court champions.

Wimbledon 2011 might well be her best chance to make some significant inroads – her hopes of winning the title altogether, nonetheless, would seem slim, yet, in the face of Venus and Serena.

Thus far she has played an expectedly dominant tournament, overcoming many opponents with her athletic defense, and grit of will.

It will probably be enough to propel her past her next opponent, Dominika Cibulkova, although she will certainly need more to get the title.

Her ranking does count for something, and she will one day have to prove it; but it by itself should earn her some advantage points.

No. 3: Serena Williams

She may be the defending champion, but Serena Williams should know that making a comeback after one year of layoff is never going to be an easy feat.

In an expected contrast to last year she has already dropped two sets at Wimbledon – shock and horror – while looking hardly anything of the fully self-confident, and dominant Serena Williams.

We may well see that other side of her in the next few days, however – the tigress and warrior Serena, who stops at nothing to get what she wants. Bartoli will prove a difficult, but not insurmountable, test.

Serena has surprised us before, however, and come back from deeper holes than this in her career – remember the Australian Open in 2007?

Her game is still that of Serena Williams, and her serve still the untouchable, inimitable delivery of Serena Williams. For these alone, she would be favoured anytime at Wimbledon.

No. 2: Maria Sharapova

For perhaps one of the few times in recent years, Maria Sharapova actually stands as a close favourite for the Wimbledon title.

She won in 2004, but since then has failed to backup her grass-suited game with results anywhere close to it. Her run at the French Open was certainly promising, nonetheless, and at Wimbledon, she returns to something of her element.

Thus far she has not dropped a set, and downed Britain’s next great hope, Laura Robson, in her toughest match yet in the second round. Her next opponent, Shuai Peng of China, should on paper provide little more than cannon fodder.

Indeed, if Sharapova plays the way we know she can, and has so far this tournament, Peng will stand little chance.

She will only grow stronger by a win in the fourth round, and could well use the momentum to propel herself to even greater heights beyond it.

No. 1: Venus Williams

There are few players, Serena and Sharapova, perhaps, who enter their element so completely when they step on grass, as Venus Williams.

Indeed, the grass seems to utterly transform her. So far in 2011, at least, it has not failed to repeat the dominance in the early rounds at Wimbledon she has enjoyed year after year for nearly a decade.

Her last was most impressive – a 6-0, 6-2 demolition of Martinez Sanchez, the conqueror of Jankovic, in one of the most brutal exhibitions of grass court power tennis.

Venus was tested by Date-Krumm in the second, but shone through in the third, and now faces a revenge match against Pironkova.

There always seems so little of vengeance in the best players, but merely an undeniable sense of their overwhelming superiority.

It will be just this undeniable superiority that she will seek to impose in the fourth round, and if she does so correctly will likely see herself a very strong quarterfinalist, and ultimately contender for the title.