Two of the most dangerous women on grass stand on the verge of reaching the second week yet again as third-round action concludes at Wimbledon.

Serena Williams vs. Alize Cornet

No player wants to suffer an early exit at a major, but doing so is arguably more painful for a tournament favorite.  Serena Williams experienced that pain nearly a month ago at Roland Garros.  Mercifully for her, Wimbledon was right around the corner, and here in London, she is out to prove that she is a better player now than the one who left Paris in stunning fashion.  Fans and Williams will get a feel for just how much she has possibly improved when she faces Alize Cornet for a berth in the round of 16.

The good news for Williams is that she is a huge favorite in this match based on the venue alone.  She has been to the final on seven occasions and won five of them, and only twice in the 14 trips that she has made to Wimbledon has she failed to make the second week.  That contrasts sharply with the Frenchwoman’s appearances at the All England Lawn Tennis Club.  Cornet has steadily improved her game on the grass, reaching the third round here last year, but she has also endured a number of dismal opening-round losses on these lawns. 

The court surface will not be the only element to have Williams smiling either.  So, too, will her record against Cornet.  They have played four times in the past, and the American has come out on top in three of those encounters.  Of course, while that record does not favor Cornet, the Frenchwoman may also glean some belief from her history with Williams.  Two of her three losses have been relatively close matches, including a three-setter at the 2008 Beijing Olympics.  Additionally, Cornet’s sole win was a straight-set victory that came earlier this year in Dubai.

It is a tall order for Cornet to repeat the feat she pulled off in Dubai, however.  She is going to need a good serving day to avoid allowing Williams too many looks at a second serve, and she must redline her game.  She will also need to get some help from Williams, because for all that Cornet is swift of foot with an admirable backhand, Williams can do anything she does and do it better.  The American has more firepower off every shot, and she has the best serve in women’s tennis.

Obviously, this is Serena’s match to win or lose, and she is highly likely to get through this one.  But how easily she gets through could be a good indicator of how much she has put what happened in Paris behind her.  A player can only take it one match at a time, but when the last ball has been struck – and assuming the unthinkable does not happen – fans and the rest of the field should get a better inkling for how serious a threat Williams is to win her sixth singles title here.

Ana Ivanovic vs. Sabine Lisicki

“It is a shame someone has to lose.”  “It is too bad that there can only be one winner.”  Those are two phrases that capture a sentiment occasionally felt in tennis.  More often than not, they are expressed near the end of a well-played, tight match with little to choose between the two combatants.  This Saturday, those two phrases will likely capture the mood of the crowd before the first ball is struck in the match featuring fan favorites Ana Ivanovic and Sabine Lisicki, for only one may reach the second week.

To the casual tennis fan, Ivanovic looks the likelier of the pair to capture the win.  She is enjoying one of her best seasons in recent memory.  The Serb has posted some notable wins and already picked up three titles in 2014, which has brought her very close to solidifying her place back in the top 10.  Ivanovic was also the woman who walked away victories in their only meeting, losing just four games to the German when they met earlier this year in Stuttgart.

Diehard tennis fans know, however, that Lisicki is unlikely to be concerned with that loss or anything else Ivanovic has accomplished this year.  That is because she is on her beloved lawns of Wimbledon.  Players often draw good vibes from tournaments where they have played well in the past, but Lisicki takes that to a whole new level.  Her results may be lackluster before and after Wimbledon, but for two magical weeks out of the year, she is a world-class player capable of beating even the most decorated champions.  She has reached the quarterfinals or better in each or her last four trips to the All England Lawn Tennis Club, including last year, where she came from a set down in the third set against Serena Williams en route to the final.

It is because of results like that this match has a toss-up feel to it.  After winning the title in Birmingham, Ivanovic looks to be finding her way on the lawns, but this could be a tricky match for her.  She needs to serve well and look to be the aggressor, and she needs to be particularly sharp on the return against the big serve of Lisicki.  As for Lisicki, it is imperative that her serve be clicking, and she must continue to utilize the variety in her game that makes it so suitable to grass.  She must continue to tap into the belief that has led her to become such a Cinderella story here year after year.

Suffice it to say it is difficult to choose between these two crowd favorites, who are both deserving candidates to advance.  Ivanovic looks poised to have one of her better Wimbledon showings, but against Lisicki, this one is too close call.  Grass is such a specialized surface, and Lisicki has shown on multiple occasions that she has the skill set necessary for success on it.  Assuming she does not crack under the pressure of defending her run to the final in 2013, Ivanovic could easily become just one more casualty of the German on these hallowed lawns of Wimbledon.