Wimbledon Smashtalk: Biggest surprises so far?

Day eight at Wimbledon is ladies’ singles quarterfinal day – and with four thrilling matches scheduled, it is hard to predict what may happen.

There is one certainty though, the new women’s world No.1 will be decided.

German Angelique Kerber will relinquish the top spot after her fourth round exit – and Czech Karolina Pliskova will overtake her if Simona Halep losses her quarterfinal showdown with Brit hope Johanna Konta. Should Halep win today, the No.1 ranking is hers.

It adds to the drama of what is shaping up to be another exciting day, one the #Smashtalk team of Paul Moore, Vivienne Christie, Matt Trollope and Leigh Rogers are all looking forward to…

Which ladies’ singles quarterfinal match-up is the most exciting?

Paul Moore: Rybarikova v Vandeweghe. Haha, only kidding. Venus Williams v Jelena Ostapenko is the standout women’s match for me. It will be fascinating to see how Venus deals with Ostapenko’s firepower, and how the Latvian will fare in her first match on Centre Court. I firmly believe that the winner of this quarterfinal will win the tournament.

Vivienne Christie: I’m intrigued by Garbine Muguruza v Svetlana Kuznetsova. At her best, Muguruza is simply brilliant – as the 2015 Wimbledon final and 2016 French Open victory highlighted. But Kuznetsova is a two-time major champion who has returned to career-best form at age 32. Muguruza, who at 23 is the second-youngest quarterfinalist behind Jelena Ostapenko, leads their head-to-heads 3-1.

Matt Trollope: Jelena Ostapenko v Venus Williams. Big hitting, pure ball-striking, grasscourt prowess and a fabulous intergenerational face-off between two supremely confidence athletes. What’s not to like?

Leigh Rogers: Can I choose two? I can’t wait for Venus Williams v Jelena Ostapenko, but it is Simona Halep v Johanna Konta that has the most significance. It was that match-up in Miami, and Halep’s negative on-court mindset in a three-set loss, that caused the brief split between the Romanian and her coach Darren Cahill. Since reuniting, Halep has shown remarkable improvement – and if she was now to defeat Konta to secure the world No.1 ranking, what a statement that would be.

READ MORE: Venus Williams’ winning return to Centre Court

Who has been the biggest surprise in the ladies’ singles draw?

PM: Jelena Ostapenko stunned the world of tennis when she won the French Open. It’s beginning to look like there is no reason why the former junior champ can’t repeat the feat at Wimbledon. She’s got a game style suited to the grass and is playing free and fearless (the only way she knows how). I can’t wait to see her take on Venus later today.

VC: Nobody truly expects a world No.87 to make the quarterfinals. Yet that’s what Magdalena Rybarikova has done in taking down world No.2 Karolina Pliskova and other higher-ranked opponents to reach the pointy end. Granted, she’s a former No.31 on the comeback from multiple injuries – but even fully fit, the 28-year-old Slovakian has only once progressed beyond Wimbledon’s first round.

MT: Simona Halep. I was convinced the Romanian’s heartbreak at letting slip her shot at a first major title in Paris would haunt her, particularly on a surface that’s not her favourite. But the world No.2 has rebounded impressively and now stands just three wins from the trophy. And she might not be done yet.

LR: CoCo Vandeweghe. It is no secret that the American’s game is well-suited to grass, but her lead-in form was questionable. Yet she is into the quarterfinals, has not lost a set and her confidence is rising. The top half of the draw is considerably weaker too. Does a maiden Grand Slam final beckon for the world No.25? It is suddenly looking possible.

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Who has been the biggest surprise in the gentlemen’s singles draw?

PM: It would have been a brave person who bet on Tomas Berdych reaching the quarterfinals of Wimbledon this year. Yes, the Big Berd is a gun on the grass, but his form has been dire (by his own lofty standards) this year. We could well be witnessing a 2010 renaissance, when he was runner-up to Rafa Nadal.

VC: Roger Federer. Yes, truly. Appreciate that he’s a seven-time champion and title favourite, but it’s too easy to take his epic achievements for granted. Into a 15^th quarterfinal in his 19^th Wimbledon, the soon-to-be 36-year-old is also the second–oldest man (behind Ken Rosewall) of the Open era to reach the final eight. And after another smooth win over the dangerous Grigor Dimitrov, he’s done it without the loss of a set.

MT: It’s tempting to simply say Gilles Muller. But the Luxembourg veteran has a game built for Wimbledon success and has enjoyed an excellent grasscourt season – and Rafael Nadal is always vulnerable to such a player at the All England Club. Instead, I’m going to go with Dominic Thiem. The Austrian’s game is not a natural fit for grass and his lead-up to Wimbledon was shoddy, but somehow, despite the even faster courts, he advanced to the second week and nearly knocked former Wimbledon finalist Tomas Berdych out in a five-set tussle in the last 16.

LR: Tomas Berdych. The 31-year-old Czech hasn’t been enjoying his best season, failing to reach the second week at either the Australian Open or French Open for the first time since 2005. However he has impressively returned to form at the All England Club and has to be considered a contender now at a tournament where he boasts wins over both Novak Djokovic and Roger Federer.

Are you surprised that Rafael Nadal is the first Big Four member to be eliminated?

PM: In a word, yes. I had a sneaky feeling Nadal would win the title this year, but alas opponents like Gilles Muller (and Sam Querrey, for that matter) can cause anyone a problem on their day. I thought Novak would be the first to bite the bullet, but it’s hard to see him losing before the semis now.

VC: Honestly, I’m not surprised by anything in tennis this season. And given that grass has proved Rafa’s most challenging surface in recent years, expectations weren’t sky high. That said, an upset of Andy Murray or Novak Djokovic seemed more logical given their patchy form this year.

READ MORE: Muller stuns Nadal in epic battle

MT: Yes. I always imagined Djokovic or Murray would bomb out early, what with their respective mental and physical baggage coming into the tournament. Rafa, by contrast, is playing at a higher level than he has in years and looked imperious in his first three outings.

LR: Nadal has struggled on grass in recent years, but after his impressive form in the early rounds he looked destined for another deep run. I expected Andy Murray to struggle most, especially given the hip injury that hampered his preparation. Murray is now arguably the biggest winner from Nadal’s loss, opening up his draw to be able to potentially reach the final without facing a top 25-ranked player.

Do you agree or disagree with our panel? Have your say on Facebook and Twitter using #SmashTalk.