Former finalists Kerber, Muguruza to clash today
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FOUR of the remaining 16 women at Wimbledon have played in a final at the All England Club. One of them is certain to be eliminated in the fourth round.
Angelique Kerber and Garbine Muguzura, who have won titles at other Grand Slam tournaments, each lost to Serena Williams in the Wimbledon final the last two years — Kerber in 2016, Muguruza in 2015. They meet today for a spot in the quarterfinals.
The top-ranked Kerber has lost her past four matches against Muguruza.
“I think I have to play from the first point good tennis against her,” Kerber said on Saturday. “I have to be aggressive, as well, and trying to (play) my game from the first ball that we hit.”
The other players with experience in the final at the grasscourt major tournament are Williams’ elder sister, Venus, and Agnieszka Radwanska.
Venus has five Wimbledon titles and lost in another three finals — each time to Serena. Radwanska was the runner-up at the All England Club in 2012 to — yes, that’s right — Serena.
Venus lost in the semifinals last year and is playing at the tournament for the 20th time.
At 37, she is the oldest player left in the women’s draw. Today, she will play the youngest woman left, 19-year-old Ana Konjuh of Croatia.
“Yeah, it’s interesting, for sure,” Venus said. “But I guess when you walk on the court, I don’t think either of us is thinking about the age. You’re thinking about, ‘How do I win?’”
In other fourth-round matches, all today, Radwanska meets two-time major champion Svetlana Kuznetsova, former No. 1 Victoria Azarenka will play second-seeded Simona Halep, sixth-seeded Johanna Konta will face Caroline Garcia, French Open champion Jelena Ostapenko goes against No. 4 Elina Svitolina, No. 5 Caroline Wozniacki plays No. 24 CoCo Vandeweghe, and Magdalena Rybarikova will meet Petra Martic.
Konta has become the latest local hope at the All England Club. The last British woman to win Wimbledon was Virginia Wade in 1977.
Kerber and Muguruza had their chances to win the last two years, but they ran into Serena. That can’t happen this year — the defending champion is pregnant and taking the rest of the season off.
“I have toughest rounds to come. I’m just looking forward to it,” said Muguruza, who won the French Open last year. “I’m not thinking that far, like most people do.
“For me, it’s just more simple than that. I’m just going to take care of my next match and we see from there. It’s just like that.”
That next opponent is the No. 1 player in the world — even if Kerber has been struggling at the major tournaments this season after winning the Australian Open and US Open last year.
On Saturday, she had a tough time and was stretched to three sets in her 4-6, 7-6 (2), 6-4 win over American Shelby Rogers.
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