Morning:
6°c
Such has been the simplicity of Serena Williams's progress here this year, she could be forgiven for welcoming the stiffer test Victoria Azarenka represents on Centre Court today.
The 27-year-old needed just 56 minutes to dispatch Daniela Hantuchova yesterday to continue a run that has lasted a shade over four on-court hours at SW19.
She couldn't even find any resistance when teaming up with sister Venus in the women's doubles last night, beating Chinese pair Zi Yan and Jie Zheng without losing a single game.
Azarenka was not at her fluent best in beating No10 seed Nadia Petrova but the power she possesses both from the back of the court and on serve suggests Williams faces the first genuine challenge to her authority in the bottom half of the draw.
She admitted: “I feel like I definitely need to step it up, play better, really start playing some great tennis or I will go home. And I don't want to go home so I feel like I'm just getting more serious.
“I know I can play better and the fact that I actually know I can get to a higher level is good for me. She's obviously a good player and she's really young. She has nothing to lose because this is Wimbledon and I feel the same way. It will be a really good match.”
No8 seed Azarenka is at the forefront of the next generation of players who will eventually succeed the Williams duo at the top of the game. The 19-year-old recently posed for FHM but as she goes from centrefold to Centre Court, Serena insists she is not ready to step aside just yet.
“When you're playing the girls who are really young, they really want it as bad as I still want it and it always makes for a good fight,” she said.
“I think it was great when I was 19 or 20 years old, and I'm still in a great position because I'm really young in life. I feel really young out there on the court still so I'm excited.”
Azarenka may not have the experience to match her illustrious opponent but yesterday's victory over Petrova illustrated a desire that can occasionally spill over into petulance.
The Belarusian repeatedly remonstrated with umpire Eva Asderaki over line calls throughout her three set win and she said: “I'm an emotional player. I cannot say anything else.
“I just have to keep trying to calm myself down sometimes but you never know. It's not like sitting in the living room and watching TV. You're playing in 35C heat, in a close match so it's tough.
“It's very easy to talk about how people react but people don't often feel it. I just need maybe not to go crazy on my emotions when I'm always pumped up.
“Of course it's the quarter-finals; it's a big match. It's going to be loud in the stadium and everything. I just have to be as focused as I was all of these days and just keep playing my game, not to worry about that I'm playing Serena in the quarterfinals.”
Azarenka has lost two of their three meetings but won their latest encounter when taking the Miami hard court title in April, courtesy in part to a left thigh problem that restricted Williams' movement.
Ever the fierce competitor, Williams admitted her frustration at losing to Venus on the Aorangi practice courts so does she need an opponent like Azarenka to put her through her paces to test her title credentials?
She smiled before replying: “Maybe I just need an espresso.”
