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Wimbledon preview: Ladies' Singles

Wimbledon preview: Ladies' Singles
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Ahead of this year's Wimbledon Championships, Sports Mole considers some of the contenders to lift the Venus Rosewater Dish at SW19.

This year's Ladies' Singles at Wimbledon could be one of the more unpredictable draws for a long time thanks to the shaky form of many of the top seeds in the build-up to the Championships.

Join Sports Mole as we assess a handful of contenders to lift the Venus Rosewater Dish at the All-England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club.

Maria Sharapova (RUS):
The newly-crowned world number one is firmly back on her throne and will take some stopping at SW19. With her injury woes well behind her, the ruthless Russian is the favourite to clinch a second title at the All-England Club following her maiden triumph as a raw 17-year-old in 2004.
Odds: 5/2

Petra Kvitova (CZE):
The defending champion goes into the tournament having suffered a shock first-round defeat at Eastbourne, but a solid showing at the French Open where she reached the semi-finals should give Kvitova confidence. With a number of creases still in her game, the 22-year-old can be undone by more experienced players.
Odds: 5/1

Victoria Azarenka (BLR):
After a disappointing French Open exit at the hands of Dominika Cibulkova, the Australian Open champion will be looking to put herself back at the top of the tree at Wimbledon. However, she has rarely looked confident on grass and her struggles on the surface could rear their ugly head once more this summer.
Odds: 9/1

Agnieszka Radwanska (POL):
With three titles to her name this year, the crafty 23-year-old is looking for her first Grand Slam triumph. An infuriating underperformer on the big stage, she now needs to prove that she can beat Sharapova et al when it really matters.
Odds: 33/1

Sam Stosur (AUS):
The dogged Aussie may have won the US Open, but she has repeatedly stumbled on the grass of the All-England Club. Having never got past the third round, could Stosur break new territory this year? If her preparations are to go by then the answer is no thanks to a first-round defeat to Kirsten Flipkens at the Unicef Open.
Odds: 33/1

Serena Williams (USA):
A surprise opening round loss to Virginie Razzano at the French Open is sure to have played on the world number six's mind these last few weeks and she has a great opportunity to put that right in the next fortnight. The 30-year-old has seen and done it all at Wimbledon which means that you can never write off the four-time winner.
Odds: 3/1

Also watch out for:
Kim Clijsters (BEL): 25/1
Angelique Kerber (GER): 33/1
Marion Bartoli (FRA): 40/1
Caroline Wozniacki (DEN): 50/1
Sabine Lisicki (GER): 50/1

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Written by
Jack Prescott
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