Tennis Acumen

Women's Double Digit Seeds Rule Wimbledon Semifinals

PETE ZIEBRON

Three of the four women's semifinalists have won majors, however all four have double digit seeds this year at The Championships.  Only #13 seed Julia Goerges of Germany has yet to win a major.

The opening semifinal features two-time major winner Angelique Kerber of Germany against 2017 Roland Garros Champion Jelena Ostapenko of Latvia.  Kerber was a Wimbledon Finalist two years ago, when she also collected the Australian Open and US Open titles.  The 11th seed has been flying under the radar this year at Wimbledon, even though she has dropped just one set en route to the semis.

Ostapenko, the #12 seed, reached the quarterfinals last year, immediately after winning Roland Garros.  This year she has yet to drop a set and has also issued two bagel sets in the five matches she has played.  Ironically, Ostapenko and Kerber have not yet met on the WTA Tour.

Serena Willams has won Wimbledon seven times and was awarded the 25th seed by the All England Club.  The American dropped her lone set in the quarterfinals to Camila Giorgi.  Williams has hit 80 winners to just 31 unforced errors in her last two matches.

Making her major semifinal debut is 13th seed Julia Goerges.  The German lost in the 1st round in each of her previous five appearances at Wimbledon.  Last year, she won two titles to close out the year and continued that run with another title in her first tournament of this year.  Goerges has lost all three previous meetings with Williams, including a few months ago at Roland Garros.

Borna Coric Enters Wimbledon With 11-15 Career Mark at Majors

PETE ZIEBRON

Despite the fact that Borna Coric has just one career win at Wimbledon, he shocked the tennis world and Roger Federer in the Halle final last week, prevailing 7-6(6) 3-6 6-2.  The title was the second in the career of the Croat, to go with his triumph last year in Marrakech.

Coric has never won a match at the Australian Open and arrives at Wimbledon with a lone win in three years, a five set victory in his first ever match at the All England Club in 2015 against Sergiy Stakhovsky.  

Borna Coric at the Majors:

0-4  Australian Open

7-4  Roland Garros

1-3  Wimbledon

3-4  US Open

Two years ago in Cincinnati, Coric appeared to be hitting his stride.  He saved a Match Point against Nick Kyrgios, winning a thrilling 2nd round match 7-6(2) 4-6 7-6(6) and then proceeded to annihilate Rafael Nadal 6-1 6-3.   That victory set up an appetizing quarterfinal against countryman Marin Cilic.  Unfortunately, Coric retried from the match after dropping the opening set 2-6.  Cilic would go on to win the Western & Southern Open, while Coric's 2016 campaign came to an end due to injury.

Borna Coric arrives at Wimbledon as the tournament's 16th seed.  He opens his campaign against Russian Daniil Medvedev and could very well have a rematch with Roger Federer in the 3rd round if both men win their initial two matches.