Favourites hard to beat at Wimbledon 2015

As highly likely as there will be many upsets thrown up at Wimbledon this year, according to rankings at least, the final days are just as probably going to be populated with the favourites in the men's draw.

I cannot see the top four seeds being beaten en route to the semis - troubled at times, but not defeated.

The women's contest however is not so predictable, apart maybe from Serena Williams, if switched on to her task.

Serena is determined to brush off her last two years efforts on the hallowed grass with a win to complete a second Serena Slam, and her draw is favourable for completion of that goal.

Ivanovic and Sharapova are prospective quarter and semi final hurdles, and the only player to have beaten her this year, Kvitova, would need to reach the final to have a chance of stopping the five time champ.

For Sharapova to challenge in the semis, she may well have to first see off a Czech opponent, either her vanquisher from Roland Garros last month, Safarova, or the fast improving Pliskova.  I fancy that Safarova may repeat her French Open heroics and meet Williams in one semi final.

The other semi is even more challenging to predict.  Ordinarily, second seed and defending champion Kvitova would be an automatic choice to fill one spot, but she is not 100% coming into the tournament.  I still favour her to manage her way through the early rounds and hopefully be fully fit by the second week when things are tougher.

Simona Halep is seeded three and expected to reach the semis to play Kvitova, but could stumble in a possible fourth round encounter with Wimbledon specialist Sabine Lisicki, seeded 18 and a danger to all in the bottom half of the draw.

Also lurking in that half is in-form 10th seed Angelique Kerber, and if she can negotiate a path to the quarters, and beating Wozniacki would probably need to be part of the equation, then an all German match up with Lisicki could be the mouth watering prospect to determine Kvitova's opponent.

My prediction - Serena Williams v Lucie Safarova in one semi final; Petra Kvitova v Sabine Lisicki in the other.  Serena to defeat Sabine in a final featuring the best women's serving on offer.