Wimbledon: 4th Round

The quarterfinals are now set at Wimbledon and we have a few surprises and a few expected players among the final eight.  We had a few good quality matches and I expect a few more especially on the men's side with the players that are left.  I have to throw a personal comment too, what a shame that Andy Roddick has been eliminated.

Men
Your eight quarterfinalists:
1) Roger Federer (SUI):  29th slam quarterfinal (9th at Wimbledon), 26-3 record (7-1), last '10 French Open
2) Rafael Nadal (ESP):  16th slam quarterfinal (4th at Wimbledon), 12-3 record (3-0), last '10 French Open
3) Novak Djokovic (SRB):  13th slam quarterfinal (3rd at Wimbledon), 7-5 record (1-1), last '10 French Open
4) Andy Murray (GBR):  6th slam quarterfinal (3rd at Wimbledon), 3-2 record (1-1), last '10 Aussie Open
6) Robin Soderling (SWE):  4th slam quarterfinal (1st at Wimbledon), 2-1 record, last '10 French Open
10) Jo-Wilfried Tsonga (FRA):  4th slam quarterfinal (1st at Wimbledon), 2-1 record, last '10 Aussie Open
12) Tomas Berdych (CZE):  3rd slam quarterfinal (2nd at Wimbledon), 1-1 record (0-1), last '10 French Open
Yen-Hsun Lu (TPE):  1st slam quarterfinal

My thoughts:  Interesting to note that these rank out in descending order by career slam quarterfinals.  All except Lu have made quarterfinals earlier this year, 4 of them just a few weeks ago at Roland Garros.  Only the big 4 have advanced past this stage at Wimbledon, and it's hard to like them all to advance though Soderling could press Nadal but I was surprised to see Ferrer take him to 5 sets.  Andy Murray is now the only player to not drop a set.  And just who is this Lu character?

In the virtual rankings, Roddick will be at #8 unless Tsonga wins his quarterfinal or Berdych makes the semis.  Murray has passed Davydenko to regain one spot to #5, and Berdych has moved past Cilic to #12.  And now if Djokovic goes farther than Federer, he could relegate the Swiss to world no. 3!

Fourth round losers (congratulations and consolations are due):  5) Roddick to Lu, 9) Ferrer to 6) Soderling, 15) Hewitt to 3) Djokovic, 16) Melzer to 1) Federer, 18) Querrey to 4) Murray, 32) Benneteau to 10) Tsonga, Mathieu to 2) Nadal, Brands to 12) Berdych

Top 50 players successfully defending their quarterfinals from 2009:  Novak Djokovic (SRB)
Others failing in their defence (with round lost after the hyphen):  Juan Carlos Ferrero (ESP)-1, Lleyton Hewitt (AUS)-4, Ivo Karlovic (CRO)-injured.

Enjoy the quarterfinals on Wednesday!
Federer vs Berdych
Djokovic vs Lu
Murray vs Tsonga
Nadal vs Soderling

Women
Your eight quarterfinalists:
1) Serena Williams (USA):  31st slam quarterfinal (9th at Wimbledon), 18-12 record (6-2), last '10 French Open
2) Venus Williams (USA):  32nd slam quarterfinal (11th at Wimbledon), 18-13 record (8-2), last '10 Aussie Open
8) Kim Clijsters (BEL):  16th slam quarterfinal (4th at Wimbledon), 13-2 record (2-1), last '09 US Open
9) Na Li (CHN):  4th slam quarterfinal (2nd at Wimbledon), 1-2 record (0-1), last '10 Aussie Open
21) Vera Zvonareva (RUS):  3rd slam quarterfinal (1st at Wimbledon), 1-1 record, last '09 Aussie Open
Petra Kvitova (CZE):  1st slam quarterfinal
Tsvetana Pironkova (BUL):  1st slam quarterfinal
Q) Kaia Kanepi (EST):  2nd slam quarterfinal (1st at Wimbledon), 0-1 record, last '08 French Open

My thoughts:  This is not nearly as star studded a field as the men have remaining, and probably just cannon fodder for the Williams sisters but we shall see.  Only one of the fourth matches went 3 sets, (Clijsters/Henin).  There are three unseeded quarterfinalists, this equals the number from the Aussie Open (Kirilenko, Zheng, and Henin) but there was just one at the French (Shvedova) this year.  However, this group has been nothing if not efficient, they have dropped a combined 2 sets (Kvitova to Zheng, Clijsters to Henin).

In the virtual rankings, Clijsters has taken over #7 from Schiavone, Li has passed Radwanska for #9, and Zvonareva has snuck past compatriot Kuznetsova for #19.  The only way Serena could lose her #1 ranking is by losing to Li and having Venus win the tournament.

Fourth round losers (congratulations and consolations are due):  3) Wozniacki to Kvitova, 4) Jankovic to 21) Zvonareva, 7) Radwanska to 9) Li, 11) Bartoli to Pironkova, 16) Sharapova to 1) S.Williams, 17) Henin to 8) Clijsters, Groth to 2) V.Williams, Zakopalova to Kanepi

Top 50 players successfully defending their quarterfinals from 2009:  none

Others failing in their defence (with round lost after the hyphen):  Francesca Schiavone (ITA)-1, Agnieszka Radwanska (POL)-4, Victoria Azarenka (BLR)-3, Sabine Lisicki (GER)-injured.

Enjoy the quarterfinals on Tuesday!

S.Williams vs Li

Kvitova vs Kanepi

Clijsters vs Zvonareva

V.Williams vs Pironkova