Wimbledon 2015: Experts' pick for the women's draw

Wimbledon is upon us and with the draw for the tournament out, experts at Sportskeeda pick their choices for women’s draw in four categories: Dark Horse, Early Exit, Dangerous Floater and Champion.

1. Dark Horse

   Sabine Lisicki

Adnan Akhtar: I had several in mind while thinking of a player to choose for the dark horse: Victoria Azarenka who has shown a remarkable rise after her injury, the ever threatening Venus Williams who has played incredibly well over the years at SW19 and Sabine Lisicki with her big serves.

I would finally go with Sabine Lisicki, firstly because of her big serving ability which she showed in raking up a ton of aces in the warm-up event and secondly she has reached the last eight or more on 5 occasions at Wimbledon. The 2013 finalist could well have one more shot at the title this year.

Ball N Racquet: Angelique Kerber seems to be the best bet for this category. She is in good form, with a title being recently added to her cabinet. Also her section of the draw looks manoeuvrable with Caroline Wozniacki being the only threat upto the quarters.

Jai Prakash: A former finalist here, Sabine Lisicki has showed she can deliver on the big stage. With a big serve coming to her aid in crucial moments, the German can go a long way at Wimbledon this year.

Musab Abid: Belinda Bencic seems to have come out of the sophomore slump that had seen her results nosedive at the start of 2015. Grass seems well-suited to her game, and the talent was already there for everyone to see. Could she be the one to bring back the phenomenon of teenage champions in tennis?

Roh: Though Sabine Lisicki’s name can be mentioned here, it’s impossible to forget Venus Williams as well. The 35-year-old may be battling inconsistencies alongside ill-health, but on grass, it’s a totally different tale. The five-time champion’s in the same quarter as her sister Serena, but if she gets her game going, not even Serena can be a match for her.

2. Early Exit

   

   Eugenie Bouchard

Adnan Akhtar: Eugenie Bouchard has had an exact opposite year compared to 2014. The young Canadian, who reached the finals last year could well be headed home early if she doesn't bring her A-game to the lawns of Wimbledon.

Ball N Racquet: Eugenie Bouchard has not had a good season in terms of results. With her being the finalist at Wimbledon last year, expectations would be huge. But, her chances of defending those 1300 points are bleak, with an early loss almost surely on the cards.

Jai Prakash: After a great 2014 that saw her make it to the top 10 in the WTA rankings, Eugenie Bouchard is struggling to win on a consistent basis on any surface. The No. 12 seed could face Madison Keys as early as third round and the young American has the game to topple Bouchard.

Musab Abid: Does any other name come close to fitting this category as that of Eugenie Bouchard? The Canadian has been going through the mother of all slumps, and nothing she has done lately has convinced us that it will end any time soon.

Roh: Up until a few months, Simona Halep was a firm favourite in any tournament she entered. Currently however, the Romanian’s been unable to live up to the expectations placed on her, with her form dropping with each passing match. It could well be a trend that could extend to the Championships as well.

3. Dangerous Floater

   

   Sloane Stephens

Adnan Akhtar: Kristina Mladenovic would be my choice for the dangerous floater. The Frenchwoman has a knack of taking out big guns at Slams and with a mixed doubles title at Wimbledon, she could certainly cause a few hiccups for top players at this year's tournament.

Ball N Racquet: Kristina Mladenovic is a potential dangerous floater in the women’s draw. Known to be a giant killer, the Frenchwoman could create a few upsets in the draw, with Carla Suarez Navarro likely to be her victim in the second round.

Jai Prakash: Sloane Stephens is improving her game on grass and a semifinal showing at Eastbourne must have given her a lot of confidence heading into Wimbledon. The 22-year-old is in the same quarter as defending champion Petra Kvitova. Don’t be surprised if the young American makes it to the Round of 16 and beyond.

Musab Abid: Sloane Stephens has somehow managed to be unseeded for this tournament. We all know she likes the big tournaments, and her recent results seem to indicate she is primed for yet another statement performance at a Slam.

Roh: Once touted to be the future of American tennis, it didn’t take much time for Sloane Stephens to falter. She’s however slowly making her way back, and her run at the semi-finals in Eastbourne is a good indicator of what she could do in Wimbledon.

4. Champion

   

   Serena Williams

Adnan Akhtar: Serena Williams would be my choice for the champion at this year's Wimbledon. An impressive year so far, she would be headed for the "Serena Slam" at SW19 and I am sure this would be sufficient motivation for her to lift the title at a tournament where she has captured the crown on 5 occasions.

Ball N Racquet: If her withdrawal from the Eastbourne draw last week is no cause for apprehension, Petra Kvitova could well be on her way to a third Wimbledon title. Serena looms as a major threat. Sharapova could also spoil her dreams while Halep seems to be out of form. Despite the odds stacked against her,it could once again be Kvitova’s Wimbledon.

Jai Prakash: World No. 1 Serena Williams is coming into Wimbledon with a win-loss record of 32-1. If ever there were questions over her ability to recover in tight matches, they were answered at the French Open. Serena should have a very bad day at the office to miss out on Serena Slam 2.0.

Musab Abid: If Serena Williams can win while afflicted with the flu, on her worst surface, who's to stop her from winning when fully healthy, on her best surface?

Roh: Chasing the singularity termed as ‘Serena Slam’, World no. 1 Serena Williams is the favourite to lift her sixth Wimbledon title this year.