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Wimbledon 2015 – Analysing The Semi-Finalists

By Steve Nicholls

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Wimbledon 2015 – Analysing The Semi-Finalists

We are entering the last few days of Wimbledon now, and things are beginning to get serious.

The semi-final stage is upon us and just eight competitors are left in the men’s and women’s singles draws.

Here is my take on how all of those players have fared so far at SW19.

Novak Djokovic

The number one seed started in somewhat of a rusty fashion, with his opening round victories seeing him playing at a level well below his best.

Despite not reaching his top level during the first week, the Serbian still made it through to the fourth round with relative ease, but it was at that stage that the world number one was on the brink of booking the first flight back home.

Djokovic trailed by two sets to the rapidly improving Kevin Anderson, but the defending champion displayed incredible levels of spirit and determination to bring that one back from the brink.

That comeback seemed to galvanise the 2011 and 2014 winner as he took apart the big game of Marin Cilic in the quarter-finals.

After a slow start, it seems as though Novak Djokovic is getting back to his unplayable best.

Richard Gasquet

Flying under the radar somewhat coming into the All England Club, Richard Gasquet has been nothing short of outstanding in London up to this point.

The Frenchman reached the semi-finals at Wimbledon in 2007, but not many expected him to reach the last four this year.

However, he has done exactly that, and he has done it the hard way as well.

The owner of one of the most beautiful backhands in the game sauntered through the first few rounds in double quick time, but it is his last three matches that have really caught the eye.

Grigor Dimitrov, who reached the semis at SW19 last year of course, was put to the sword in straight sets, while up-and-comer Nick Krygios was defeated in four sets in the last-16.

The quarter-finals saw Gasquet add a mental steel to his easy on the eye game, taking out Stanislas Wawrinka in a five-set classic.

Next up for Gasquet is the ultimate test – Novak Djokovic.

Roger Federer

It has been an almost perfect route to the semi-finals for Roger Federer. Almost.

The Swiss maestro is always a pleasure to watch on the lawns of the All England Club and the first week of Wimbledon was no different, as he negotiated his first three rounds for the loss of just one set.

Roberto Bautista Agut was the unfortunate victim of a Federer masterclass in the fourth round, and the same applies to Gilles Simon in the last eight.

The world number two has been as close to perfect as a player could be up to this point, but the loss of one set and the concession of his serve once have been the only blots on an otherwise spotless copybook.

Andy Murray is likely to pose a whole new test in the last four in front of his home crowd – can the seven-time champ upset the home favourite and get closer to an eighth title?

Andy Murray

Andy Murray has continued the fine form he showed during the clay court swing into the grass season.

The Brit won Queens in very convincing fashion, and he has been almost faultless at Wimbledon so far.

He has dropped just two sets up to now, to Andreas Seppi in the third round, and the massive serving phenomenon that is Ivo Karlovic in the last-16.

Conceding sets to those two players is hardly something to get concerned about, however, and the way Murray has negotiated the tricky moments at SW19 so far bodes well for his semi-final against Federer.

The All England Club are readying themselves to celebrate a British winner at Wimbledon once more – and so they should the way their man is playing.

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Garbine Muguruza

Garbine Muguruza has been promising to upset the tennis order for some time at the top of the women’s game, but not many had taken note of her coming into London.

The Spaniard didn’t set tongues wagging in the first two rounds, but everything that has followed since then has raised her reputation in the minds of Tennis fans.

Angelique Kerber was defeated by the world number 20 in a deciding set, before Caroline Wozniacki was easily swept aside in straight sets in an impressive straight sets win for the youngster.

The quarter-finals saw Muguruza come up against another player enjoying a fine spell of form, as Timea Bacsinszky stood across the net.

However, the Swiss was no match for Muguruza, who sauntered into the semi-finals, where she will face Agnieszka Radwanska.

The 2012 finalist isn’t quite the force she once was, so the Spaniard can go into the clash with the utmost confidence of reaching the final.

Agnieszka Radwanska

Coming into this tournament, Agnieszka Radwanska was not one of the players being talked about given her recent struggles on the tour.

The Pole had slipped down the rankings following some poor results and displays, but there were signs before Wimbledon that she was rediscovering some of her mojo.

Radwanska reached the final of Eastbourne a couple of weeks back, so she was just beginning to find her feet, and she is fully in the swing of things at SW19.

The world number 13 has only dropped one set so far, with Madison Keys taking a tie-breaker in their quarter-final match-up.

Arguably Radwanska’s most eye catching match came in the last-16 however, as she defeated the conqueror of the defending champion.

After defeating Petra Kvitova, Jelena Jankovic was the favourite going into her clash with Radwanska, but she ran into an inspired opponent who took her out with room to spare.

You wouldn’t have banked on it last Sunday, but Agnieszka Radwanska stands every chance of making it to the final Saturday once more.

Serena Williams

This tournament has been a mixed bag for Serena Williams, yet such is her ability level, she is still the clear favourite to lift the trophy on Saturday.

After breezing through the first two rounds, Williams was on the brink of an early exit at the last-32 stage, with home favourite Heather Watson just two points away from sending her packing at one stage in the third set.

The American seems to have found her feet since then, as she easily got the better of her sister Venus in the fourth round, with just seven games conceded in that match-up, while a determined and dogged Victoria Azarenka was also ousted in three tight sets.

The world number one hasn’t quite been at her best at SW19, but ahead of her semi-final with Maria Sharapova you won’t find many people backing against her emerging triumphant on Saturday.

Maria Sharapova

Despite having won this competition before and being a multiple Grand Slam winner, Maria Sharapova wasn’t grabbing a lot of headlines coming into the All England Club.

However, the Russian has slowly been remedying that with some clinical performances on her way to the last four.

The world number four has dropped just one set thus far, and that was in her last match in the last eight against Coco Vandeweghe.

Up until that point Sharapova had stormed through the draw, sweeping aside everyone that came before her.

You get the sense that her next opponent will not be as hospitable as the five she has faced so far, though, with the seemingly unbeatable Serena Williams lying in wait in the semi-finals.

Next: Wimbledon 2015 - Day Six Highlights

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