With every remaining player in action on Monday there was plenty to take in. The American women continued to put in work while defending champion Novak Djokovic was seriously tested.
Biggest Upset
Two top six seeds, (6) Lucie Safarova and (5) Caroline Wozniacki, were ousted in straight sets by Coco Vandeweghe and (20) Garbine Muguruza respectively. For the American Vandeweghe, who had never been past the 3rd round of a Grand Slam, it represents a coming of age. At 23 she’s not that young for a tennis player (especially when you consider her quarterfinal opponent Maria Sharapova won WImbledon at age 17), but her run alongside Madison Keys signifies not only an American resurgence for this fortnight, but possibly for years to come.
Best Match
It took Djokovic until today to final dispatch of South African Kevin Anderson but he was able to complete the comeback with a break of serve at 5-5. Anderson was able to take the first two sets on the back of some signature big serving but even at two sets down you had a feeling Djokovic wasn’t out of it. Even though he wasn’t at his best he dominated the 3rd set and grinded out the fourth before the match was suspended due to darkness.
With Djokovic on a roll and Anderson needing to have his big serve firing in order to win, suspended play was Anderson’s best chance at winning the match. It wasn’t to be however, as Djokovic came up with a timely late break. The ability to turn it up a notch in pressure situations is what genuinely separates the great players from the legendary ones.
Title Watch
Once again, all four of the top seeds on the men’s side won. Stan Wawrinka, the player least likely of the four to be holding the trophy on Sunday has still yet to drop a set. Maria Sharapova and Serena Williams are the only two household names, or top 10 players for that matter, left on the women’s side. It’s a shame that these two will probably meet in the semi-final, in that it will most likely be the match that decides who the 2015 Wimbledon champion will be.
What to watch for Day 8
With Djokovic finishing up today he’s made way for the women to take center stage. Three of the four matches feature American women while two unsung seeded players, (15) Timea Bacsinszky and (20) Garbine Muguruza, face off for a spot in the semifinals. For Bacsinszky it would be a second straight Grand Slam semifinal appearance and for the 21-year-old Maguruza it would be a huge step forward for her young career.
