Considering there are players who have basically won Wimbledon with their serve – Richard Krajicek windmills to mind – Maria Sharapova may have to do it the hard way if she is going to triumph again this year. The 2004 champion gave up seven double faults in her straight-sets victory against Johanna Konta on Monday; she followed with eight more in an otherwise routine 6-3, 6-1 dispatching of Richèl Hogenkamp of the Netherlands on Wednesday. These are perturbing stats for the No4 seed.
Of course, Sharapova’s first serve – when it goes in – is formidable; she won 87% of points on it against Hogenkamp.