Wimbledon Profile: Victoria Azarenka

Best Odds: 9/1 (BetVictor)
Seed: 2
Previous Best at SW19: Semi-Finals (2011, 2012)
Grand Slam Titles: 2

Wimbledon Record:
The Belarusian took time to adapt to the particular demands of tennis at the All-England Club but, then again, that was the same where all the Slams were concerned for ‘Vika’; She didn’t make a semi-final in any major till Wimbledon in 2011. Last year she progressed to the final four once more, without losing a set, before Serena proved too strong.

Form:
The 23-year-old began 2013 by successfully defending her Australian Open title in Melbourne where Li Na was defeated in the final. Triumph in Qatar was less significant, but did mark Azarenka’s first win over Serena since 2009 - a crucial morale-booster. After that, injury briefly forced her down to number three in the world rankings. She swapped places with Sharapova who also got the better of their duel in the French Open semis.

Prospects:
Another final four clash with Sharapova looks pretty likely and those two look incredibly evenly matched these days; the head-to-head between them reads 7-6 to Azarenka. She may be a good each-way punt but you would fear for her against Serena (along with everyone else) who has a 12-2 record against her.