Heirs to Serena’s throne line up

– The absence of expectant mother Serena Williams and a failure by any of the other top women to produce the kind of dominance the American seven-time champion has consistently delivered makes this year’s Wimbledon the most open in years.

As Williams takes time out to give birth to her first child, last year’s losing finalist and world No 1 Angelique Kerber could be regarded as the favourite, but the German has endured a poor season and is lacking both confidence and form.

“It is pretty open, you see the results of the tournaments you just can’t pick a winner because you never know what to expect, who is going to have the better week or two,” world No 9 Dominika Cibulkova said.

“It is about who is going to be the most consistent, solid and have the luck,” the Slovakian added.

Such is the absence of a clear favourite, that the bookmaker’s current choice, Petra Kvitova, would have to produce one of the most remarkable comebacks to claim her third Wimbledon title.

In December, her career was hanging by a thread after she was knifed during a break-in at her house in the Czech Republic, suffering serious tendon damage to her left hand. The 27-year-old returned to action at the French Open last month and suffered a second round defeat on the Parisian clay, but the two-time Wimbledon champion, who triumphed in 2011 and 2014, clearly loves grasscourt tennis.

Her compatriot Karolina Pliskova has had a strong year and will be expected to make a deep run, the tall, big-hitter filling the role usually occupied by Russia’s Maria Sharapova, whose return from a drugs ban has been stalled by injury.

Pliskova made her grand slam breakthrough with a run to the US Open final last year, beating Williams along the way, and followed up by making the quarterfinals in Australia and claiming two tour titles before going to the French Open.

There are also local hopes that Johanna Konta could be the first British winner since Virginia Wade in 1977 after a year in which she has established herself in the top 10. – Reuters

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