Williams sisters clash, Sharapova sitting pretty

LONDON: Tennis titans Serena and Venus Williams clash in the Wimbledon last 16 on Monday, while Maria Sharapova and Caroline Wozniacki will fancy their title chances as two of the four top 10 players still standing.
The 26th clash between the Williams sisters, who have won the Wimbledon title five times each over the last 15 years, will be the first at the All England Club since the 2009 final.
And with either world number one Serena or 16th-seeded Venus certain to fall, the second week at Wimbledon is looking appetising for the other silverware contenders in southwest London.
Serena, Sharapova, Wozniacki and Lucie Safarova are the only top 10 seeds remaining in the draw after defending champion Petra Kvitova, Simona Halep, Ana Ivanovic, Ekaterina Makarova, Carla Suarez Navarro and Angelique Kerber all failed to get past the first week.
While one of the Williams sisters could face Sharapova or Safarova in the semi-finals — both face unseeded opposition on Monday — Wozniacki cannot meet any of them before the final and only has lower-ranked players in her way.
Venus said she and her 33-year-old sister knew each other’s game inside out.
“There’s no easy points against Serena,” the 35-year-old said.
“Competing with each other has nothing to do with whether we’re close or not.
“Just knowing what the other one goes through. If I see her in a match in a tight spot, I know exactly what that feels like. I think that’s a unique relationship, that is pretty rare in sport, that she and I share.”
Serena holds the US, Australian and French Open titles but reckons Venus is in better form.
“It will be a really good match. I’m practicing next to her every day and I’m in awe of how she’s doing,” she said.
Fourth seed Sharapova, a five-time Grand Slam champion, faces Zarina Diyas of Kazakhstan for a spot in the quarter-finals.
The Russian won Wimbledon in 2004 but since has only made it past the fourth round once since 2006.
Danish fifth seed Wozniacki is the biggest name remaining in her half of the draw and the former world number one faces Spanish 20th seed Garbine Muguruza in the fourth round.
With the men’s and women’s last 16 all taking place Monday, Wozniacki, chasing a maiden Grand Slam title, is looking forward to a bumper day of tennis.