Top-Seed Halep Bites It at Wimbledon

Everything's hot in England right now.

Including the national football team, and they're not even here.

Everything, that is, except the Top 10 seeds in the Wimbledon women's singles this year.

They've been going down like trees.

 

The fortnight has only reached its midpoint, and nine are gone already.

Only No 7 Karolina Plíšková -- inconsistent at best in the Slams -- has gotta be wondering why she's the one who's still standing.

 

Right. Good luck with that.

For the record, Serena Williams is the 25-seed at SW19 this year. Being a new mom will do that, but give the Old England OGs credit; the WTA has her at No 183 because she's only been in three tourneys this past year.

She's 36, but no one doubts she'll climb quickly.

 

Not that it matters to her, but if Serena's gonna raise the plate this season, she's gotta wonder who'll be left to defeat.

Top seed Simona Halep's no longer in the running. She bowed out to non-seeded Sui-Wei Hsieh of Taipei, 3-6, 6-4, 7-5:

 

The 32-year-old Hsieh uses a double-fisted grip on both forehands and backhands. Given her slight stature, it's easy to see why. If the wind ever came up, she'd be playing on the next court over.

Match point was kinda weird, too. After faulting, Hsieh stepped back, asked the crowd for a little encouragement, and then laid a soft liner right over the middle of the net.

 

Exactly.

It caught Halep betwixt and between, too, and that was that.

 

It's easy to assume that parity has come to the WTA tour this year, but it would also be an oversimplification.

Because until the tour proves differently, Serena's back.

And this time, she really is a red hot mama.