In the last two Wimbledon quarterfinals, a top-five woman vies with last year’s runner-up, and a soaring prodigy faces a sturdy veteran.

Simona Halep vs. Sabine Lisicki

There have been a number of stunners at this year’s Wimbledon, and thankfully for Simona Halep and Sabine Lisicki, they have not been among the carnage suffered by so many of the other seeds

While she is the lower-ranked of the two, Lisicki’s appearance in the quarterfinals is less of a surprise.  The German’s ability to suddenly find her form on the grass is uncanny, as shown by the number of times she has gone deep in London with little else to show before or after the Wimbledon fortnight.  She has once again delivered in 2014, coming through some three-setters that included a victory over No. 11 seed Ana Ivanovic.  Halep, by contrast, has spent her Wimbledon proving her critics wrong.  She had never previously been beyond the second round at this event, but just as she has done on the hard and clay courts, the Romanian has proved that she is more than capable of getting the job done on the grass as well.

Halep has been tasked with a difficult assignment in this quarterfinal.  Lisicki has a big game tailor-made for grass.  She possesses a fair amount of variety and is more than adept at the net.  Her serve in particular is a potent weapon, enabling her to tally up a number of aces.  Halep needs to have a good returning day to blunt that weapon and try to get into the points.  If she can do that, Halep has a decent look at living up to her seeding and advancing to the final four.  She is primarily an aggressive baseliner, but she has plenty of skill in the forecourt.  She is also the better mover and is excellent at changing the direction of the ball, so she should have a style that matches up well against the German’s.

Halep should be able to mentally hang with Lisicki as well.  There is no question that Lisicki is at her most confident on these lawns, and as a result, her game flourishes.  She has done so well here year after year, that to a certain extent, she may feel it a near-certainty that she will play her best.  But Halep has improved in leaps and bounds over the course of the last 18 months.  Based on the way she conducted herself in the Roland Garros final against the likes of a seasoned veteran like Maria Sharapova, there is no doubt that Halep is ready for a big moment at Wimbledon. 

Furthermore, Halep holds the edge in her head-to-head with Lisicki 2-1, and both of her wins came courtesy of three-setters.  If things get tight here in their fourth meeting, Halep’s ability to scrape by in those two previous close encounters could be pivotal.

Angelique Kerber vs. Eugenie Bouchard

When the Wimbledon draw was announced, there was immediate speculation about the possible quarterfinal collision between Serena Williams and Maria Sharapova.  Both Williams and Sharapova failed to produce the goods to reach the final eight, however.  In their place are two other deserving competitors, Angelique Kerber and Eugenie Bouchard, who have earned the right to battle for a place in the semifinals.

For Kerber, this has to feel like a long time coming.  The German hit her stride a couple of years ago but has struggled to sustain the brand of tennis that took her to No. 5 in the world.  She has been clawing back, though, reaching the finals of three events this season, including Eastbourne.  Kerber’s opponent, Bouchard, did not match the German’s success in her tune-up for Wimbledon, but the Canadian has been right on the money at the majors.  She has firmly established herself as one of the leaders of the up-and-comers after reaching the semifinals in both Melbourne and Paris.

The impressive results Bouchard enjoyed at the season’s first two majors could be instrumental in helping her to make it three straight trips to the final four.  Having already reached that stage of a major before, she knows she has the game to do it now.  The fact that both appearances have been so recent should only strengthen her belief to do it a third time.  Furthermore, although she has split her two meetings against Kerber, it was Bouchard who won their last encounter, and very easily at that. 

None of this is to say that Kerber is a bad bet to advance at the Canadian’s expense, however.  Kerber has been to the semifinals of a major twice as well, including here at Wimbledon two years ago.  Additionally, she ought to be flying high after defeating Sharapova in her previous match.  But Kerber also expended a lot of emotion in that match and must guard against a letdown.  Having also gone a little longer without a major semifinal, she does not want to be found guilty of wanting it too much.

Wanting it too much could wreak havoc on the admirable consistency in the German’s game, which she can ill afford to let happen.  In addition to her consistency, Kerber should utilize her forehand down the line and open up the court, for Bouchard is not a great mover.  Due to her inferior mobility, the Canadian needs to be wary of falling into long rallies.  She has the bigger game and is skilled in the forecourt.  For Bouchard, this is all about playing first-strike tennis and keeping the unforced errors low.

Fans will soon see how well each woman copes with the magnitude of the occasion, and if this Wimbledon has taught everyone one thing, it is that is dangerous to predict who will be the most successful at such a task.  That said, Kerber may have the experience and shown a lot of fight, but the edge has to go to Bouchard.  She has more firepower, has played fewer taxing matches, and has a more positive attitude overall.  She is not a lock, but she does look good for a third major semifinal showing in 2014.