Wimbledon 2008 – Nick’s Picks – Women’s Singles Round 4
Nick’s Picks will have complete coverage of Wimbledon 2008, and we are teaming with Tennis Week and The Independent Newspaper in London to provide in-depth analysis throughout the tournament! Also, be sure to listen for Nick on Radio Wimbledon each day at 4pm EST!
Serena Williams (USA) vs. Bethanie Mattek (USA)
Williams had her hands full in the first set with Amelie Mauresmo, but managed to win it in a tiebreaker. She then went on to win the second set 6-1 to reach the fourth round. She is looking to get back to the quarterfinals for the second straight year and now with Ivanovic and Sharapova out she has to be considered the favorite.
Mattek is a pleasant surprise for American tennis, and is playing in the fourth round of a Grand Slam for the first time in her career. She beat last year’s finalist, Marion Bartoli, 6-4, 6-1 in the third round to advance and now will have her hands full with Serena.
Match-Up:
Williams is 1-0 against Mattek with that win coming back in 2006 at Cincinnati. Mattek is flamboyant and maybe just off center enough to not let the moment get to her. She can bring pace, but her best bet against Serena is to mix it up. She has a decent slice and can come in when she is presented the opportunity. The bottom line is that Mattek will have to take some chances if she is to derail Serena. Serena covers the court better than any female in tennis, period. Attempting to attack her movement will only bring frustration. Mattek would be better off trying to pin her to the forehand and hoping for some mistakes and some shorter, attackable balls. But in the end, this match is Serena’s to lose, I know where my money is going.
Nick’s Pick – Williams in 2 sets
Svetlana Kuznetsova (RUS) vs. Agnieszka Radwanska (POL)
While Kuznetsova claims grass isn’t really her favorite surface, she has been to the quarterfinals three times in her career. She advanced with a 6-2, 6-4 victory over Barbora Zahlavova Strycova in the third round and is still on track to get back to the semifinals of her second straight Grand Slam.
Radwanska ended the great run of 16-year old Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova, beating the Russian girl 6-3, 6-2 in just over an hour. She has only been to the quarterfinals of a Grand Slam once in her career (2008 Australian Open), so a win here would be a big thing for her.
Match-Up:
Kuznetsova is 4-1 against Radwanska, but they have split their two meetings so far in 2008. But let us not forget that Radwanska is coming off a win at the Wimbledon tune up at Eastbourne on the grass. She is a pesky fighter who is full of confidence right now, which makes her a threat. Kuznetsova will have to serve well and use her veteran prowess to limit her errors and keep Radwanska from attacking. I have to give the edge to the veteran, especially on the big points, but this one will be a dogfight.
Nick’s Pick – Kuznetsova in 3 sets
Venus Williams (USA) vs. Alisa Kleybanova (RUS)
Venus has had some tough matches so far, but she has yet to drop a set. Grass is one of, if not, the best surface for her game and she has proven that in the past. She is still on track to meet her sister, Serena, in the finals which would be the first time the two have met in the finals of a Grand Slam since Wimbledon 2003.
Kleybanova picked up a huge win over Daniela Hantuchova in the third round, and is playing in the fourth round of a Grand Slam for the first time in her career. She is a big girl, and hits like one. She did train at the Academy in the past, and has excellent groundstrokes.
Match-Up:
These two have never played and the matchup should be interesting. Kleybanova has had a good year moving from #156 at the end of ’07 to her current rank of #42. Venus does not have a title to her credit in ’08, and has failed to make it past the semis in any event this year. But Venus loves the grass and is certainly no stranger to it. Obviously, after hitting a 127 mph serve the other day to break the women’s world record, her serve is coming off huge. The question is, can she make enough of them for it to be effective. Her forehand must also stay consistent and she should try to come in more to put pressure on the young upstart. Venus is a formidable presence at the net with her great anticipation and long wing span.
Kleybanova has nothing to lose in this one and will continue to play fearless ground and pound tennis. But this is Venus Williams and this is The Wimbledon Championships. The serve and relentless pressure will crack the young Russian, but look for more from this girl in the years to come.
Nick’s Pick – Williams in 3 sets
Elena Demetieva (RUS) vs. Shahar Peer (ISR)
Dementieva is one of six Russians left in the final 16, but did you expect anything else? In her first two matches she dropped a set, but she won her third round match over Gisela Dulko in straights. She has been to the quarterfinals at Wimbledon once before (2006), and a win here would put her back there again.
Peer had a very tough match in the third round against Dinara Safina, but managed to pull it out 8-6 in the third. It didn’t seem like either player wanted to win that match as both had chances to serve for it and didn’t capitalize. She absolutely cannot do that against Dementieva, because she will not let her off the hook.
Match-Up:
These two have played four times in the past with Peer winning the first meeting in ’06. Since then it has been all Dementieva, winning three in a row with the latest coming at this year’s Australian Open. Peer had a breakout year in ’07 and seemed poised to continue her run right into the top 10, but she has stalled since. This could be the match that gets her back on track, but it will be a tall order against the hard hitting Russian. Dementieva is tough to control, especially on the grass because she hits so flat and her ball stays so low to the ground. Peer must use her legs and her variety by hitting angles to open the court and forcing Dementieva into playing a more finesse style of play. Dementieva has to make first serves and be aggressive up the line, especially from the backhand side to rush Peer into giving up some weak replies.
This is a good match up on paper, but I feel at this point in time and on this surface, Dementieva has an edge.
Nick’s Pick – Dementieva in 3 sets
