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Article snippet: Wimbledon, the third Grand Slam tournament of the year, is set to begin on Monday. Serena Williams, the defending women’s champion, is pregnant and will not play. Andy Murray, the defending men’s champion, is in a midyear slump. New contenders could emerge. Here are a few players who have been in good form ahead of the tournament. When Barty won the Wimbledon junior title in 2011 at 15, she was hailed as the future of Australian tennis. Those high expectations took the joy out of the game, and she took a break in 2014 and ’15, playing professional cricket instead. Now 21, Barty has reached four Grand Slam doubles finals with a fellow Australian, Casey Dellacqua — three in 2013 and one at this year’s French Open. In singles, Barty has had a superb 2017, breaking into the top 100 for the first time and winning her first W.T.A. title, in Malaysia. Her game, an all-court attack with a variety of skills, is well suited to grass. She has a powerful forehand and two-handed backhand, as well as a dangerous backhand chip that skids and stays low on grass. Although only 5 feet 5 inches, Barty serves surprisingly well, hitting her spots with power, spin and precision. She recently reached the final of the grass-court event in Birmingham, England, losing to Petra Kvitova in three sets after beating Garbiñe Muguruza in the semifinals. Sevastova, a 27-year-old Latvian, won five close matches to capture the grass-court tournament in Majorca last Sunday. Among the opponents she ... Link to the full article to read more