Venus Williams vs. Tsvetana Pironkova - 2011 Wimbledon Match Preview

Venus Williams vs. Tsvetana Pironkova - 2011 Wimbledon Match Preview

Venus Williams takes on Bulgaria's Tsvetana Pironkova for a place in the quarterfinals of the 2011 Championships at Wimbledon, season's third Grand Slam event being played here at the All England lawn tennis Club in London, England.

Venus Williams is one of the most unpredictable players ever to grace the sport. If she can lose four major finals at a stretch, she also has the ability to win Wimbledon singles titles as 23rd seed, lowest in the history. Venus' stellar performance at the All England lawn tennis Club has produced five title winning runs. The American last won the title at SW19 in 2008 by beating younger sister Serena. With three contrasting wins in the previous rounds, Venus has somehow gotten into the groove.

Venus' opponent, Bulgarian Tsvetana Pironkova beat Williams in the quarterfinals of the 2010 edition and caused a major stir. However, at this year's championships, she duly avenged her loss to the woman who handed her defeat in the semifinals last year - Vera Zvonareva. Despite such high profile wins, Pironkova has never won a WTA singles title and she is currently ranked No.33 in the world.

Both players have contested three matches before and Pironkova has a surprising 2-1 lead. The Bulgarian won both of pair's previous meetings in Australia (2006) and Wimbledon (2010).

Even though Tsvetana Pironkova manages to bring her best on the green lawns of Wimbledon, inconsistent results from the rest of the tournaments make her less likely to overcome the Venus hurdle. The American, on the other hand, is hungry to avenge her loss and was in ruthless form against Maria Jose Martinez Sanchez in the previous round. Nothing much to say here.