London: Serena Williams declared himself ready to roll in their quarterfinal showdown with Victoria Azarenka Wimbledon, while Maria Sharapova is wary of surprise Coco Vandeweghe in the last eight clashes on Tuesday.
Williams said he felt comfortable once she made the quarterfinals of a Grand Slam, while Azarenka said she was still looking for the key to open the world number one’s defenses.
The winner will face fourth seed Sharapova or head series American series Vandeweghe in the semifinals on Thursday.
The eight quarter-finals of Wimbledon last year are out of the tournament, with Serena and Sharapova the only two in the world top 12 that are still standing.
That makes the bottom half of the draw appetizing Agnieszka Radwanska, the Polish 13th seed, who has in the United States number 21 seed Madison Keys.
The winner will face 15th seed Swiss Timea Bacsinszky or 20 seeds Garbine Muguruza of Spain in the semifinals.
Williams, who beat her sister Venus to secure a place in the quarterfinals, is confident.
“I feel my tournament has finally begun. This is where I feel very comfortable in a Grand Slam,” the US, said Australian and French Open champion.
. “I’ve had a couple of tough matches with Victoria will be ready’ll have to be ready She is due to win big and to do really well right -… I also
“I’m just going out there and doing the best I can. I hope I never have a bad day. I have three rounds to play.”
Williams, 33, has a 16-3 record over Azarenka. The Belarusian 23rd seed, who won the Australian Open 2012 and 2013, has never beaten the 20 times Grand Slam winner American in any of the four majors.
“The key for me, I have yet to find, because I have not hit on a Grand Slam. I have yet to find that extra step to go a little further,” the 25-year-old said.
“He’s a great player. One of the greatest of all time.
“I just try to really focus on what I have to do instead of thinking you are on the other side and try to run my game.”
Meanwhile Sharapova five times Grand Slam winner, paid tribute to his opponent in the quarterfinals Vandeweghe.
The world number 47 has been spilled seed Karolina Pliskova, Samantha Stosur and hit last month’s French Open finalist Lucie Safarova.
“It was a great effort for her to get to this stage of the tournament,” said 2004 Wimbledon champion.
“It’s always difficult to play against a very good server on the grass, because some points here and there ultimately can see the difference in the winner and the loser.”
Vandeweghe, who had never been beyond the third round of a major before Wimbledon this year, said he would try to play cool stuff.
“I’m definitely the kind of person who likes to have a laugh at themselves, especially when they seem to have done something stupidly ridiculous,” the 23-year-old said.
“It relaxes me instead of keeping repressed and with a shorter fuse.”
While Williams, Sharapova and Azarenka have 27 Grand Slam titles between them, Radwanska, the 2012 Wimbledon runner-up, is the only one in the lower half, it has even been in a major finals.
She faces Keys, who made the semifinals of the Australia Open in January.
“Could not be better,” Radwanska said. “I’m really playing at a very high level at this time.”
Keys also recognized how well the Polo is playing.
“She’s an amazing fighter. She is a great engine, and his hands are incredible. She makes you play four extra balls. She is a very tough opponent,” the 20-year-old said.
The winner faces either Muguruza, who is playing for the third time in Wimbledon or Bacsinszky in the semifinals.
The Swiss, who reached his first Grand Slam semifinal at the French Open last month, said he did not mind that one out of it, Muguruza, key Radwanska and reach the final of Wimbledon.
“Top 10 or not, there are great players out there,” the 26-year-old said.
Muguruza knocked out former world number one, Caroline Wozniacki for their quarter-final place.
