WIMBLEDON 2012:
Capsules on top women's players

[June 23, 2012]  (AP) -- Women to watch at Wimbledon, which begins Monday:

MARIA SHARAPOVA

Seeded: 1

Ranked: 1

Age: 25

Country: Russia

2012 Match Record: 36-5

2012 Singles Titles: 3

Career Singles Titles: 27

Major Titles: 4 -- Wimbledon ('04), U.S. Open ('06), Australian Open ('08), French Open ('12)

Last 5 Wimbledons: '11-Lost in Final '10-4th, '09-2nd, '08-2nd, '07-4th

Topspin: Coming off title on clay at French Open, which made her the 10th woman in tennis history with a career Grand Slam. ... That championship was her first at a major tournament since she had right shoulder surgery in October 2008 -- and also moved her back to No. 1 in the WTA rankings for the first time since the operation. ... Was 17 when she won Wimbledon for her first Grand Slam title.

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VICTORIA AZARENKA

Seeded: 2

Ranked: 2

Age: 22

Country: Belarus

2012 Match Record: 38-4

2012 Singles Titles: 4

Career Singles Titles: 12

Major Titles: 1 -- Australian Open ('12)

Last 5 Wimbledons: '11-SF, '10-3rd, '09-QF, '08-3rd, '07-3rd

Topspin: Has a chance to regain the No. 1 ranking she ceded to Sharapova, depending on how both fare at the All England Club. ... Won her first major title in January at the Australian Open. ... Her 26-match winning streak was the longest at the start of a season since 1997. ... 9-0 in matches that go three sets this season.

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AGNIESZKA RADWANSKA

Seeded: 3

Ranked: 3

Age: 23

Country: Poland

2012 Match Record: 38-8

2012 Singles Titles: 3

Career Singles Titles: 10

Major Titles: 0 -- Best: QF, five times, most recently at Australian Open ('12)

Last 5 Wimbledons: '11-2nd, '10-4th, '09-QF, '08-QF, '07-3rd

Topspin: Six of her eight losses this season came against Azarenka. ... Four of the past five Grand Slam champions were first-time major title winners, and Radwanska could be the next player to make a breakthrough. ... Twice a quarterfinalist at Wimbledon -- and three times that far at other majors -- but never a Grand Slam semifinalist so far.

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PETRA KVITOVA

Seeded: 4

Ranked: 4

Age: 22

Country: Czech Republic

2012 Match Record: 22-8

2012 Singles Titles: 0

Career Singles Titles: 7

Major Titles: 1 -- Wimbledon ('11)

Last 5 Wimbledons: '11-4th, '10-1st, '09-Did Not Play, '08-4th, '07-DNP

Topspin: Tall left-hander's best Grand Slam results have come on grass at Wimbledon, where she reached semifinals in 2010, then won the championship in 2011. ... Only player ranked in top 10 who hasn't reached a final this year. ... Last year at All England Club, became first woman born in the 1990s to win a major singles title.

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SERENA WILLIAMS

Seeded: 6

Ranked: 6

Age: 30

Country: United States

2012 Match Record: 27-3

2012 Singles Titles: 2

Career Singles Titles: 41

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

Last 5 Wimbledons: '11-4th, '10-W, '09-W, '08-F, '07-QF

Topspin: Fell to 46-1 in first-round matches at Grand Slam tournaments with stunning loss to Virginie Razzano in opener at Roland Garros. ... Withdrew from Italian Open with a back injury before her semifinal match there in May. ... Shortly after winning Wimbledon in 2010, cut her foot on glass, leading to a series of health issues, including clots in her lungs; returned to the tour in June 2011. ... Reached the Wimbledon final on six of her last nine appearances.

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CAROLINE WOZNIACKI

Seeded: 7

Ranked: 7

Age: 21

Country: Denmark

2012 Match Record: 22-11

2012 Singles Titles: 0

Career Singles Titles: 18

Major Titles: 0 -- Best: F, at U.S. Open in '09

Last 5 Wimbledons: '11-4th, '10-4th, '09-4th, '08-3rd, '07-2nd

Topspin: After a half-dozen titles each of the past two seasons, still seeking her first of 2012. Only reached one final so far. ... Still looking for her first Grand Slam title. ... Won 2006 Wimbledon junior title.

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KIM CLIJSTERS

Seeded: Unseeded

Ranked: 53rd

Age: 29

Country: Belgium

2012 Match Record: 10-3

2012 Singles Titles: 0

Career Singles Titles: 41

Major Titles: 4 -- U.S. Open ('05, '09, '10), Australian Open ('11)

Last 5 Wimbledons: '11-DNP, '10-QF, '09-DNP, '08-DNP, '07-DNP

Topspin: After being sidelined for about three months with ankle and hip injuries, returns to the All England Club one last time. ... Has announced she'll retire after the U.S. Open. Already left the tour once, before returning and collecting three of her four career Grand Slam titles.

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VENUS WILLIAMS

Seeded: Unseeded

Ranked: 55th

Age: 32

Country: United States

2012 Match Record: 12-5

2012 Singles Titles: 0

Career Singles Titles: 43

Major Titles: 7 -- Wimbledon ('00, '01, '05, '07, '08), U.S. Open ('00, '01)

Last 5 Wimbledons: '11-4th, '10-QF, '09-F, '08-W, '07-W

Topspin: She's been the champion or runner-up at the All England Club eight of the past 12 years; the three losses in finals all came against younger sister Serena. ... Leads all active players with 71 career match wins at Wimbledon; Serena is next with 60, then big drop-off to Sharapova with 34. ... Coming off a second-round exit at the French Open, her first Grand Slam action since Aug. 29, 2011, at the U.S. Open; two days later, she pulled out of her second-round match at that tournament, revealing that she'd been diagnosed with an autoimmune disease.

[Associated Press; By HOWARD FENDRICH]

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