Wimbledon: Women's Quarterfinals

So this post was supposed to cover all 16 quarterfinalists in both singles' draws, but due to weather only 4 of the men's matches were begun with 3 completed, so we'll cover the men's quarterfinals tomorrow along with the women's semifinals.  Fortunately, all eight of the women's fourth round matches where completed.

The results to this point are really a tale of two halves.  In the top half, a first time major finalist will emerge, although in fact no players this year are reaching a maiden major quarterfinal.  Sharapova and Clijsters both lost in this half today and there will be at least one German in the semis along with perhaps the world's most under-the-radar #3 ranked player.  In the bottom half, two of the last four major winners are still alive, along with (by the skin of her teeth twice) a 13-time major champion and a grass-court specialist.  Here are the last eight in the women's draw, with their stats:

2) Victoria Azarenka (BLR) - 7th major quarterfinal (3rd at Wimbledon), 2-4 record (1-1), last '12 Aussie Open
3) Agnieszka Radwanska (POL) - 6th major quarterfinal (3rd at Wimbledon), 0-5 record (0-2), last '12 Aussie Open
4) Petra Kvitova (CZE) - 6th major quarterfinal (3rd at Wimbledon), 4-1 record (2-0), 3rd consecutive QF
6) Serena Williams (USA) - 33rd major quarterfinal (10th at Wimbledon), 20-12 record (7-2), last '11 US Open
8) Angelique Kerber (GER) - 3rd major quarterfinal (1st at Wimbledon), 1-1 record, 2nd consecutive QF
15) Sabine Lisicki (GER) - 3rd major quarterfinal (3rd at Wimbledon), 1-1 record (1-1), last '11 Wimbeldon
17) Maria Kirilenko (RUS) - 2nd major quarterfinal (1st at Wimbledon), 0-1 record, last '10 Aussie Open
Tamira Paszek (AUT) - 2nd major quarterfinal (2nd at Wimbledon), 0-1 record (0-1), last '11 Wimbledon

-These ladies have now combined to reach 62 quarterfinals, and I'll compare that to the men tomorrow.  This could be a closer number than usual with Serena still in this draw and Nadal out the men's.
-Azarenka, Radwanska, and Kerber have all yet to lose a set.
-Azarenka, Kvitova, Lisicki, and Paszek all return to the quarters after reaching that round last year.  Sharapova, Bartoli, Cibulkova, and Pironkova from '11 QF missed out.
-I have to give a shout out to the 20-yr-old Italian qualifier Camila Giorgi for beating Petrova to reach the round of 16.  She looks like a rising star.

Tomorrow's matchups:
-Kerber vs Lisicki
-Radwanska vs Kirilenko
-Kvitova vs Serena
-Azarenka vs Paszek

More tomorrow...