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They?re Off?Wimbledon Gets Underway

June 20, 2005 - As the prestigious Wimbledon fortnight gets underway, one thing is clear: there are a number of players who could emerge as Queen of the All England Club's grasscourts.

Wimbledon's current title holder, 18-year-old Maria Sharapova, will be fighting to keep her crown. Last year, the talented Russian burst to prominence when she defeated Serena Williams, the No. 1 seed and champion of the previous two years. Two weeks ago, in a Wimbledon warm-up tournament at Birmingham, Sharapova won her third straight title. She heads to the All England Club seeded No. 2 and boasting a 17-match win streak on grass.

Standing in Sharapova's way is American Lindsay Davenport, the World No. 1 and top seed who last won Wimbledon in 1999. If the draw holds, Davenport will face France's Amelie Mauresmo, the No. 3 seed, in the semis. Mauresmo cannot be counted out. For the past two years, she has reached the Wimbledon semis and is always dangerous on grass.

Equally worth watching is American Serena Williams, seeded No. 4 and in Sharapova's half of the draw. In January, Williams won her seventh Grand Slam when she captured the Australian Open, her first major title since Wimbledon in 2003. Williams seems to always bring her A-game to The Championships.

Also, in the chase are the two Belgians, Kim Clijsters (No. 15) and 2005 French Open champion Justine Henin-Hardenne (No. 7). Both have overcome career-threatening injuries and illness and have bounced back with remarkable resiliency. Clijsters confidence will be running high as she just won Eastbourne, her 24th career title. French Open winner Henin-Hardenne, was the runner up at Wimbledon four years ago. If she gets to the final 16, it could be a repeat of the French final where she faced Mary Pierce.

Let the Games begin.

The stars of the Sony Ericsson WTA Tour will debut at the world class Rexall Centre in Toronto as part of the Rogers Cup August 13?21st. To purchase tickets please call 1-877-2-TENNIS ext. 4333 or visit on-line at <a href="http://tickets.rexallcentre.com/English/tickets.asp" target="_blank">www.rogerscup.com</a>

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