DINARA SAFINA (1)
Age: 23
Country: Russia
2009 Match Record: 35-7 (Playing at Den Bosch)
2009 Singles Titles: 2
Career Singles Titles: 11
Major Titles: 0 - Best Finish: F, at Australian Open in '09, French Open in '08, '09
Last 5 Wimbledons: '08-Lost in 3rd Round, '07-2nd, '06-3rd, '05-3rd, '04-1st
Topspin: Runner-up at three of the past five Grand Slam tournaments but still searching for first major championship. ... Acknowledged she felt pressure during shaky performance in lopsided loss in French Open final this month. ... Jump atop WTA rankings last month made her and Marat Safin the first brother-sister duo to reach No. 1. ... Leads five Russians ranked in top 11.
SERENA WILLIAMS (2)
Age: 27
Country: United States
2009 Match Record: 25-7
2009 Singles Titles: 1
Career Singles Titles: 33
Major Titles: 10 - French Open ('02), Wimbledon ('02, '03), U.S. Open ('99, '02, '08), Australian Open ('03, '05, '07, '09)
Last 5 Wimbledons: '08-F, '07-QF, '06-Did Not Play, '05-3rd, '04-F
Topspin: Is only 4-5 since beginning the season 21-2. ... As usual, neither she nor older sister Venus is playing in any grass-court tuneup tournaments. ... Reached the final in four of the last six times she played Wimbledon; lost to her sister in last year's title match.
VENUS WILLIAMS (3)
Age: 29
Country: United States
2009 Match Record: 21-6
2009 Singles Titles: 2
Career Singles Titles: 41
Major Titles: 7 - Wimbledon ('00, '01, '05, '07, '08), U.S. Open ('00, '01)
Last 5 Wimbledons: '08-Won Championship, '07-W, '06-3rd,'05-W, '04-2nd
Topspin: Whatever might be wrong with her game, everything seems to come together for her at the All England Club, where the women's championship trophy just happens to be called the Venus Rosewater Dish. ... She's been Wimbledon champion or runner-up seven of the past nine years. ... Speedy serve and strong groundstrokes become even more dangerous on grass.
SVETLANA KUZNETSOVA (5)
Age: 23; turns 24 on June 27
Country: Russia
2009 Match Record: 28-8
2009 Singles Titles: 2
Career Singles Titles: 11
Major Titles: 2 - French Open ('09), U.S. Open ('04)
Last 5 Wimbledons: '08-4th,'07-QF, '06-3rd, '05-QF, '04-1st
Topspin: Three quarterfinal appearances in her six attempts at Wimbledon, but she's never been past that stage. ... Coming off second career major championship, beating Safina in straight sets in final at Roland Garros.
JELENA JANKOVIC (6)
Age: 24
Country: Serbia
2009 Match Record: 26-10
2009 Singles Titles: 1
Career Singles Titles: 10
Major Titles: 0 - Best: F, at U.S. Open in '08
Last 5 Wimbledons: '08-4th, '07-4th, '06-4th, '05-3rd, '04-1st
Topspin: Only one match in 2009 against a top-10 player - and lost (to Kuznetsova in the quarterfinals at Rome). ... Wimbledon is the only Grand Slam tournament where she's never reached at least the semifinals.
VICTORIA AZARENKA (8)
Age: 19
Country: Belarus
2009 Match Record: 32-6
2009 Singles Titles: 3
Career Singles Titles: 3
Major Titles: 0 - Best: QF, at French Open in '09
Last 5 Wimbledons: '08-3rd, '07-3rd, '06-1st, '05-DNP, '04-DNP
Topspin: Leads tour with three singles titles in 2009 - the first three of her career. ... Took first set against the top-seeded Safina in quarterfinals at Roland Garros this month, then came apart. ... Considers Chicago Blackhawks goalie Nikolai Khabibulin a mentor; she lives with his family in Arizona when she isn't traveling on tour.
CAROLINE WOZNIACKI (9)
Age: 18
Country: Denmark
2009 Match Record: 38-12 (Playing at Eastbourne)
2009 Singles Titles: 1
Career Singles Titles: 4
Major Titles: 0 - Best: 4th Rd, at Australian Open in '08, U.S. Open in '08
Last 5 Wimbledons: '08-3rd, '07-2nd, '06-DNP, '05-DNP, '04-DNP
Topspin: Big strokes make her a candidate to do well at All England Club. ... Looking for significant breakthrough at a Grand Slam tournament. ... Won 2006 Junior Wimbledon.
MARIA SHARAPOVA (59)
Age: 22
Country: Russia
2009 Match Record: 10-3
2009 Singles Titles: 0
Career Singles Titles: 19
Major Titles: 3 - Wimbledon ('04), U.S. Open ('06), Australian Open ('08)
Last 5 Wimbledons: '08-2nd,'07-4th, '06-SF, '05-SF, '04-W
Topspin: Was 17 when she won Wimbledon for first Grand Slam title. ... Made season debut in singles last month at Warsaw Open on clay, then returned to Grand Slam action at French Open, where she won four three-set matches to get to the quarterfinals before losing there. ... Missed nearly 10 months of singles action because of right shoulder injury; had surgery in October.
