With both of the Williams sisters out of the tournament, the competition for the ladies' singles title has opened wide - although one thing is for sure: the 2011 champion will be a European. For the first time since 1913, all eight Wimbledon quarter-finalists hail from Europe.

Of the eight, only Maria Sharapova holds a previous Grand Slam title, with her first coming at Wimbledon in 2004, won when she was just 17. At the other end of the scale, Tamira Paszek is the only one of the eight who has never previously reached this stage at a Grand Slam.

All eight are different nationalities. As well as Russian Sharapova and Austrian Paszek, Belarus is represented by Victoria Azarenka, Slovakia by Dominika Cibulkova, Bulgaria by Tsvetana Pironkova, France by Marion Bartoli, Germany by Sabine Lisicki and the Czech Republic by Petra Kvitova.

Success for Paszek, Azarenka, Cibulkova or Pironkova would mean a new country joining the list of those with a Wimbledon ladies' singles finalist to its name.

The other four countries have not only supplied finalists but have champions on Wimbledon's roll of honour.

Kvitova is trying to follow in the footsteps of compatriot Jana Novotna who won here in 1998; Russia's sole winner was Sharapova herself in 2004; Amelie Mauresmo won in 2006 to add to the legendary Suzanne Lenglen's six titles; and Lisicki has the most to live up to - with not only Steffi Graf's seven titles but Cilly Aussem's triumph in 1931.
In 125 Wimbledon Championships, just 10 nations are represented on the list of champion ladies. Apart from the four still represented in the draw, the others are Great Britain, the USA, Brazil, Australia, Spain and Switzerland