When the third round begins at a major, the intrigue rises a notch as seeds begin to collide. Two women who meet on Friday have tasted the ultimate triumph at Wimbledon, but only one of them can reach the second week.

Petra Kvitova vs. Venus Williams

No matter how great is a champion, time, illness, and injury eventually take their toll.  Venus Williams has seen her share of all three, and as a result she comes into Wimbledon seeded No. 30.  But Williams’ lack of a higher seed is the fans’ gain.  In a match that a mere few years ago would easily have occurred in Week 2 of Wimbledon, Williams will take on Petra Kvitova in the third round.   

This battle has all of the trappings of a compelling contest, starting with the fact that Wimbledon is typically where both women play their best.  For all of her ups and downs, Kvitova has reached the quarterfinals or better here in London the last four years.  Similarly, Williams has always managed to flip the switch on these lawns, irrespective of how she has performed elsewhere during the year.  She has been to the final here eight times, and she has left victorious on five of those occasions.

Their records on grass are hardly the only indicators that this could be a thriller, however.  The head-to-head between these two also suggests that this could be a long one.  They have met four times in the past, and while it is the Czech who holds the edge 3-1, all four matches have gone the distance.  Their most recent meeting is apt to be in their minds as well.  It occurred earlier this year in Doha, and Kvitova just scraped through by securing the third-set tiebreak 9-7.

With little to choose between the two, this latest installment in their rivalry comes down to execution and confidence.  Here the edge has to go to the Czech.  Based on her higher seeding, Kvitova has clearly been playing better tennis than Williams coming into Wimbledon, but she has also played far better in her opening two matches here.  Where Williams has already dropped a set, Kvitova is barely dropping games.  She also exhibits a little more variety in her game than Williams and gets slightly more pop off the ground.  But Williams will likely force Kvitova to maintain a high level of consistency.  The American is by far the superior mover and will make Kvitova hit the extra ball, but she needs to commit to playing as aggressively as she can to avoid being put on the defensive too often.

When it is all said and done, this match will come down to who is mentally up to the challenge.  Kvitova has played better to get to this point, and she is younger and healthier.  But she also knows she has never had an easy outing against Williams, and that knowledge alone could take her out of her comfort zone.  Hopefully both will ultimately bring their A-games, because this could be something special.

Dominika Cibulkova vs. Lucie Safarova

When the women’s draw came out, virtually all were in agreement that the bottom half was fairly open.  Now, with the losses of players like Victoria Azarenka, Sara Errani, and Garbine Muguruza, that third quarter of the draw has really been blown apart.  That is why the matchup between Dominika Cibulkova and Lucie Safarova could prove key in this section of the draw.

Neither woman is probably happy to be thrust into the spotlight, for neither is particularly at home on grass.  Cibulkova has expressed some love for the hard courts, but both women prefer the clay.  Their lack of enthusiasm for the grass is hardly a surprise when looking at their track records at Wimbledon.  Safarova has suffered a number of early losses here and only once, seven years ago, has she advanced to the third round.  Cibulkova has fared a bit better, having made the third round on a few occasions and even the quarterfinals once, but like Safarova, the lawns have never been an overly happy hunting ground for her.

What comfort Cibulkova lacks on grass, however, she might make up for by reviewing her history against the Czech.  It has been three years since they last met, but the Slovak has won all three times that they have played.  She is yet to drop a set against Safarova, and that includes their one meeting at Wimbledon.  All of that said, Safarova may feel she is finally in a position to turn the tables and get one on the board against Cibulkova.  While Cibulkova was pushed to 8-6 in the third set in her last round, Safarova has yet to drop a set. That includes having the mental fortitude to win three of four sets via a tiebreak.  Plus, while Safarova has not taken a set off Cibulkova, the closest she came to doing so was here at Wimbledon.

Wimbledon may once again be her best chance of getting the better of Cibulkova.  She hits relatively hard and is capable of flattening out her groundstrokes.  More importantly, as a former top-20 doubles player, Safarova also possesses ample skill in the forecourt.  If she can get up there with any kind of frequency, that could be a difference-maker in this match.  The Czech is going to need to be consistent, though.  Cibulkova has a great set of wheels and sits lower to the ground, so it will be difficult to hit through her.  Cibulkova also has enough firepower of her own to control her share of the rallies and a great swinging volley she will not hesitate to use when the moment is right. 

With a golden opportunity awaiting anyone in this section of the draw, this match, too, comes down to who best rises to the occasion.  Cibulkova has to be considered the favorite to do so.  She has history on her side and has played the better tennis to this point in the year.  But Safarova has a real look at this one also.  This is arguably her best shot to notch a win over the Slovak, and it would hardly raise eyebrows if she sent another seed packing early.