Plenty of heavy hitting should be on display in two notable women’s matches as the second round starts at Wimbledon.

Petra Kvitova vs. Mona Barthel

Just as a major is about to get underway, pundits and fans immediately start to talk about the favorites, the dark horses, and the dangerous floaters.  There are also those players that are hard to pigeonhole.  Petra Kvitova is one of those players.  With her talent and No. 6 seeding, she looks like a dark horse to take the title. But the inconsistencies and puzzling losses that have plagued her throughout her young career have her looking more like a dangerous floater.  It is hard to know what to expect from the Czech on any given day, but Mona Barthel will be hoping it is the erratic Kvitova who shows up on Wednesday.

The good news for Kvitova is that the All England Club is historically one of the venues where she plays her most consistent tennis.  She has reached the quarterfinals or better in each of the last four years, including her stunning run to the title in 2011.  With a power game that can rival anyone else in women’s tennis and admirable skills in the forecourt, it is no wonder that grass has been one of her best friends over the years.

In contrast to Kvitova, Barthel does not have as many reasons to feel optimistic.  Wimbledon has traditionally been the German’s worst major.  Only once in three attempts has she managed to escape the first round.  But she does have flat, penetrating ground strokes that should translate well to the grass if she can use them consistently.  Barthel also has plenty of grass matches under her belt after reaching the round of 16 at ‘s-Hertogenbosch, where she came through qualifying.

The German may be able to draw confidence in other areas as well.  She knows she is a better player than her current ranking of No. 59 would suggest, since last year she was knocking on the door of the top 20.  Furthermore, Barthel will remember that she played Kvitova close in their lone encounter.  It came two years ago in Cincinnati and was won by the Czech 7-5 in the third set.  No doubt Kvitova is aware of this history and will not be taking this contest lightly.  Of course, that does not negate the fact that she is the clear-cut favorite.  She has more variety, more firepower, and vastly more experience of getting the job done on the sport’s grandest stages.

It goes without saying that this is Kvitova’s match to win or lose.  Whether she wins or loses depends heavily on which Kvitova shows up.  How competitive it is depends on which Barthel shows up.  This could be one compelling tussle or else one lopsided affair.  Either way, if this ends in anything short of a victory for the Czech, it will be a major setback for Kvitova.

Caroline Garcia vs. Varvara Lepchenko

It may be only the second round, but already Wimbledon has seen some seeds tumble out.  The early exit of a top seed, however, means the draw opens up and creates opportunities for others.  Such an opportunity awaits Varvara Lepchenko and Caroline Garcia as they battle to make the third round in London.

Garcia is the woman who did the bulk of the heavy lifting to carve out an opportunity in her section of the draw by upsetting Sara Errani.  In spite of Garcia having a poor lead-up to Wimbledon, her defeat of the No. 14 seed was not altogether shocking.  She has posted some noteworthy results this year, including capturing her first singles title in Bogotá.  Additionally, she has proven she can play against the game’s best, as evidenced by her pushing Serena Williams to three sets in Miami.  She never was likely to shrink away from the task of slaying Errani.

Garcia is not the only woman to answer the call, however.  Lepchenko rose to the occasion in her opening match as well.  She had to come from a set down against Tsvetana Pironkova, which was no easy feat given that the Bulgarian is a former Wimbledon semifinalist with an established reputation as a grass-court specialist.  It was a solid win for the American, who, like Garcia, has not been overly impressive on the grass but has earned her share of confidence-boosting results in 2014.

Both women will be feeling that confidence when they take to the court on Wednesday, knowing that they have a good look at going at least one round further.  Between the two of them, the edge has to be given to Garcia.  Despite her thin frame, the Frenchwoman hits quite hard and relatively flat.  She also owns a very effective serve, which should translate to controlling the majority of the rallies. 

But Garcia does not hold the advantage in every department.  Lepchenko is unquestionably the superior mover of the pair.  She might do well to turn this into a running match, but only if she can make Garcia put in her share of the hard yards.  Additionally, Lepchenko needs to look to keep it close, for her veteran years of experience could prove valuable down the stretch.  She may presently be ranked 11 spots below Garcia, but the American was once ranked as high as No. 19.  Also, she has been to the third round of Wimbledon before, a stage that her younger opponent has never reached at any of the four majors.

If ever there were an opportunity for Garcia to wade into unchartered territory, it is right here and right now.  She has the bigger weapons, so she will be in control of her own destiny.  If she plays within herself and keeps the errors low, she should advance.  But Lepchenko is a fighter, and if she is able to use her speed to cause Garcia to press, she might book a spot in the third round of Wimbledon for the second time.