WIMBLEDON 2015: Capsules on top women’s players

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FILE – In this June 28, 2014, file photo, Serena Williams gestures during a women’s singles match against Alize Cornet of France at the All England Lawn Tennis Championships in Wimbledon, London. A five-time champion and two-time runner-up at Wimbledon, Serena Williams hasn’t been past the fourth round either of the last two years at the All England Club. (AP Photo/Sang Tan, File)

FILE – In this July 5, 2014, file photo, Petra Kvitova of the Czech Republic plays a return to Eugenie Bouchard of Canada during the women’s singles final at the All England Lawn Tennis Championships in Wimbledon, London. Kvitove has made it to at least the quarterfinals at the All England Club each of the last five years. (AP Photo/Sang Tan, File)

FILE – In this June 24, 2014, file photo, Maria Sharapova makes a return to Samantha Murray during a first round match at the All England Lawn Tennis Championships in Wimbledon, London. Sharapova won her first Grand Slam title as a 17-year-old at the All England Club, surprising Serena Williams in the final. (AP Photo/Pavel Golovkin, File)

Women to watch at Wimbledon, which begins Monday:

SERENA WILLIAMS

Seeded: 1

Age: 33

Country: United States

2015 Match Record: 32-1

2015 Singles Titles: 3

Career Singles Titles: 67

Major Titles: 20 — Wimbledon (‘02, ‘03, ‘09, ‘10, ‘12), U.S. Open (‘99, ‘02, ‘08, ‘12, ‘13, ‘14), Australian Open (‘03, ‘05, ‘07, ‘09, ‘10, ‘15), French Open (‘02, ‘13, ‘15)

Last 5 Wimbledons: ‘14-Lost in 3rd Round, ‘13-4th, ‘12-Won Championship, ‘11-4th, ‘10-W

Topspin: Halfway to a true Grand Slam and, as she prefers to see it, three-quarters of the way to a self-styled “Serena Slam,” having won the past three major tournaments in a row. … Steffi Graf in 1988 was the last woman to win all four Grand Slam tournaments in a single season. … A five-time champion and two-time runner-up at Wimbledon, Williams hasn’t been past the fourth round either of the last two years at the All England Club. … As usual, did not enter any grass-court tuneup tournaments between French Open and Wimbledon.

PETRA KVITOVA

Seeded: 2

Age: 25

Country: Czech Republic

2015 Match Record: 24-7

2015 Singles Titles: 2

Career Singles Titles: 16

Major Titles: 2 — Wimbledon (‘11, ‘14)

Last 5 Wimbledons: ‘14-W, ‘13-QF, ‘12-QF, ‘11-W, ‘10-SF

Topspin: Left-hander with a big serve and flat forehand consistently produces her best Grand Slam results on the grass at the All England Club, making it to at least the quarterfinals each of the last five years, including two titles in that span. … Pulled out of a warmup tournament on grass at Eastbourne, England, citing an illness and saying she needed “to be in bed and drink hot tea.”

MARIA SHARAPOVA

Seeded: 4

Age: 28

Country: Russia

2015 Match Record: 29-6

2015 Singles Titles: 2

Career Singles Titles: 35

Major Titles: 5 — Wimbledon (‘04), U.S. Open (‘06), Australian Open (‘08), French Open (‘12, ‘14)

Last 5 Wimbledons: ‘14-4th, ‘13-2nd, ‘12-4th, ‘11-F, ‘10-4th, ‘09-2nd

Topspin: Won her first Grand Slam title as a 17-year-old at the All England Club more than a decade ago, surprising Serena Williams in the final. Since then, though, Sharapova has returned to the championship match at the All England Club only once in 10 appearances. … In seven of the past eight years, she’s failed to even reach the quarterfinals at Wimbledon.

EUGENIE BOUCHARD

Seeded: 12

Age: 21

Country: Canada

2015 Match Record: 8-13

2015 Singles Titles: 0

Career Singles Titles: 1

Major Titles: 0 — Best: F, at Wimbledon (‘14)

Last 5 Wimbledons: ‘14-F, ‘13-3rd, ‘12-Did Not Play, ‘11-DNP, ‘10-DNP

Topspin: After making it to at least the semifinals at the first three majors a year ago, including her Grand Slam final debut at Wimbledon, has taken significant step backward this season. … Lost 10 of 11 matches in one stretch this year, including a first-round exit at the French Open. … Pulled out of match at tuneup tournament in Eastbourne, England, citing stomach muscle injury, but said she’ll still play at Wimbledon. … Girls’ junior champion at Wimbledon in 2012.

SABINE LISICKI

Seeded: 18

Age: 25

Country: Germany

2015 Match Record: 15-15

2015 Singles Titles: 0

Career Singles Titles: 4

Major Titles: 0 — Best: F, at Wimbledon (‘13)

Last 5 Wimbledons: ‘14-QF, ‘13-F, ‘12-QF, ‘11-SF, ‘10-DNP

Topspin: Never as good on any surface as she is on grass, where her booming serve becomes especially effective. She hit a record 27 aces in a victory at a Wimbledon tuneup tournament at Birmingham, England. … She also holds the record for the fastest recorded serve, reaching 131 mph (211 kph) in a 2014 match.

MADISON KEYS

Seeded: 21

Age: 20

Country: United States

2015 Match Record: 17-10

2015 Singles Titles: 0

Career Singles Titles: 1

Major Titles: 0 — Best: SF, at Australian Open (‘15)

Last 5 Wimbledons: ‘14-3rd, ‘13-3rd, ‘12-DNP, ‘11-DNP, ‘10-DNP

Topspin: Big serve and forehand should work well on grass, although she fared poorly in pre-Wimbledon play this year. … Seven-time major champ John McEnroe, now an ESPN analyst, says about Keys: “If she can figure out the movement on the court, she’s going to have a shot at going deep at an event like Wimbledon.”

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