WIMBLEDON 2014: Capsules on top women's players

Women to watch at Wimbledon, which begins Monday:

SERENA WILLIAMS

Seeded: 1

Age: 32

Country: United States

2014 Match Record: 24-4

2014 Singles Titles: 3

Career Singles Titles: 60

Major Titles: 17 - Wimbledon ('02, `03, `09, `10, `12), U.S. Open ('99, `02, `08, `12, `13), Australian Open ('03, `05, `07, `09, `10), French Open ('02, `13)

Last 5 Wimbledons: `13-Lost in 4th Round, `12-Won Championship, `11-4th, `10-W, `09-W

Topspin: Coming off two early-for-her Grand Slam exits - fourth round at Australian Open, second round at French Open. The last time she failed to get past the quarterfinals at either of those tournaments was 2012, when she went on to win Wimbledon and the U.S. Open. ... If Williams wins four matches this year, she will equal seven-time champion Steffi Graf with 74 victories at Wimbledon, fourth-most in the Open era, behind Martina Navratilova (120), Chris Evert (96), Billie Jean King (95). ... Winning 81.2 percent of her service games this season, by far the best on tour.

SIMONA HALEP

Seeded: 3

Age: 22

Country: Romania

2014 Match Record: 25-8

2014 Singles Titles: 1

Career Singles Titles: 7

Major Titles: 0 - Best: F, at French Open ('14)

Last 5 Wimbledons: `13-2nd, `12-1st, `11-2nd, `10-Did Not Play, `09-DNP

Topspin: Retired from a match because of a right shoulder injury Wednesday at a grass-court tuneup tournament. ... Coming off a runner-up finish at the French Open, the first Romanian woman since 1980 to reach a Grand Slam final. ... Had never made it past the third round at a major tournament until last year's run to the fourth round at the U.S. Open. Has kept improving, getting to the quarterfinals at the Australian Open, followed by her final in Paris. ... All seven of her WTA titles came over the past two seasons.

MARIA SHARAPOVA

Seeded: 5

Age: 27

Country: Russia

2014 Match Record: 31-6

2014 Singles Titles: 3

Career Singles Titles: 32

Major Titles: 5 - Wimbledon ('04), U.S. Open ('06), Australian Open ('08), French Open ('12, `14)

Last 5 Wimbledons: `13-2nd, `12-4th, `11-F, `10-4th, `09-2nd

Topspin: Earned fifth major trophy at French Open; first Grand Slam title she's won more than once. ... Will try to become the first woman since Serena Williams in 2002 to win French Open and Wimbledon in same year. ... Won her first Grand Slam title as a 17-year-old at Wimbledon, beating Williams in the final. Since then, though, Sharapova has returned to the championship match at the All England Club only once in nine appearances.

PETRA KVITOVA

Seeded: 6

Age: 24

Country: Czech Republic

2014 Match Record: 16-10

2014 Singles Titles: 0

Career Singles Titles: 11

Major Titles: 1 - Wimbledon ('11)

Last 5 Wimbledons: `13-QF, `12-QF, `11-W, `10-SF, `09-1st

Topspin: Left-hander consistently produces her best Grand Slam results on the grass at the All England Club, making it to at least the quarterfinals each of the last four years. ... Still, as 18-time major champion and ESPN analyst Chris Evert put it, Kvitova is ''somewhat under the radar right now.''

EUGENIE BOUCHARD

Seeded: 13

Age: 20

Country: Canada

2014 Match Record:

2014 Singles Titles:

Career Singles Titles:

Major Titles: 0 - Best: SF, at Australian Open ('14), French Open ('14)

Last 5 Wimbledons: `13- , `12-QF, `11-3rd, `10-3rd, `09-2nd

Topspin: Only woman to reach the semifinals at each of this season's first two major tournaments, although she lost at that stage both times. ... Wimbledon will be only the sixth Grand Slam main-draw event of her career; she won the girls' title at the All England Club in 2012. ... Winning 60.4 percent of points on second-serve returns this season, which ranks fourth on tour. Converting 51.8 percent of break points, which ranks 10th.

SLOANE STEPHENS

Seeded: 18

Age: 21

Country: United States

2014 Match Record: 17-14

2014 Singles Titles: 0

Career Singles Titles: 0

Major Titles: 0 - Best: SF, at Australian Open ('13)

Last 5 Wimbledons: `13-QF, `12-3rd, `11-DNP, `10-DNP, `09-DNP

Topspin: Has reached at least the fourth round at each of the past six Grand Slam tournaments, the longest active streak among women. ... For her career, she has a 31-12 record at majors (a .721 winning percentage), but is only 55-54 in all other main-draw matches (.505).

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