With these performances, it should be a Terrific Tuesday at Wimbledon

Yeah, Manic Monday. Better than most Mondays at the office. But based on what we saw this morning at the All England Club, it should be a Terrific Tuesday of ladies’ quarterfinals.

Garbine Muguruza’s 4-6, 6-4, 6-4 victory over No. 1 seed Angelique Kerber was the highlight of the day—Steve Tignor will have his thoughts on that battle shortly—but by no means was it Monday’s only compelling match. Before we discuss what’s next for the women, here are thoughts on three other entertaining fourth-round matches at Wimbledon:

Jelena Ostapenko [13] d. Elina Svitolina [4], 6-3, 7-6 (6)

In the French Open quarterfinals, Svitolina lost from a set and 5-1 up against Simona Halep. The fourth-seeded Ukranian was never in such an advantageous position today, but she could forgiven for thinking—OK, hoping—that karma might come around. That was because her opponent, French Open champion Ostapenko, had seen seven match points come and go. To lose from that position would be on the level of the collapse Svitolina experienced at Roland Garros.

The difference was that Svitolina tightened with every game that began to go Halep’s way—while Ostapenko took her missed opportunities in something of a stride. She couldn’t have been comfortable, knowing that each time she failed to put the match away, she was testing fate. But her smiles, less sarcastic and more a sign of blissful youth, showed that she wasn’t panicking. And having already won a Grand Slam final, why should she?

Ostapenko continued to go for her shots, while Svitolina, despite a valiant effort in trying to force a third set, never raised her level to the degree of her confident opponent. And on her eighth match point, Ostapenko said that enough was enough. In Ostapenko, we’re not only seeing physical strength, in the way she crushes her forehands and backhands, but mental fortitude that eludes players far more experienced than her.

Coco Vandeweghe [24] d. Caroline Wozniacki [5], 7-6 (4), 6-4

Don’t let the seedings fool you—Vandweghe was expected to win this match. The American's power game is built for grass, and she's a former quarterfinalist at Wimbledon. And after a difficult stretch in Europe, including a first-round loss at Roland Garros and an injury suffered in Birmingham, Vandeweghe made her way through the first week of Wimbledon without losing a set. She maintained that level of dominance on Monday, striking 38 winners against Wozniacki in another straight-sets win.

Vandweghe did her part on serve; that was a given. But so did Wozniacki. That’s in part because the former No. 1 does well to mix up her service placements, and also because of Vandeweghe’s struggles on return. There were mishits, shanks and returns that landed long and wide. Returning at 4-3 in the second set, Vandeweghe failed to convert two break points because she couldn’t keep either return in play.

But at the moment Vandeweghe needed to return successfully—with Wozniacki serving to stay in the match—she did. It wasn’t because of a bomb return winner, or a hard reply; it was a return simply hit deep, without much pace. Ironically, that’s a shot Wozniacki has more trouble with than a cannon return, as she generates much of pace from her opponent. This match could have easily gone to a third set, but Vandeweghe’s ability to hang in there and win some pivotal late rallies sends her to the quarterfinals of Wimbledon for the second time in her career. Her reaction wasn’t as explosive as some of her forehands—it looks like she expected to be here.

Read our cover story on Coco Vandeweghe from the Wimbledon issue of Tennis Magazine here.

Simona Halep [2] d. Victoria Azarenka, 7-6 (3), 6-2

Not every match on Manic Monday was particularly competitive, but most of them were revealing. That was the case for Halep’s win over Azarenka, a match that showed the limitations of the latter—at least at the moment, having only recently returned to the tour after an extended absence—and some of the former’s title-contending potential.

Halep’s best surface, strictly based on results, is clay. She’s a two-time French Open finalist. But while the Romanian’s movement—some of the best in tennis—is extremely useful on dirt, it’s an imperative skill needed to succeed on grass. On turf, the balls stay low, particularly against a flat-ball striker like Azarenka. You need to move quickly and decisively to time your reply, or risk being at the mercy of your opponent’s racquet.

Today, Halep nimbly traversed the baseline to catch up with Azarenka’s time-tested groundstrokes. Halep’s groundstrokes weren’t too bad herself. Her timing with her shots is Rolex-like, and she has unheralded power. After a close first set, Halep broke the match open and took a 5-0 lead in the second. Azarenka won two games to make the set scoreline look respectable, but Halep closed things out before they got out of hand. A down-the-line forehand swipe earned her match point, and a point later, she completed the elite octet that will play, again, tomorrow at Wimbledon.

—GRAND SLAM WEEK: WatchWimbledon Primetime on Tennis Channel, and catch up on the other 2017 Grand Slams on Tennis Channel Plus

—Watch encores from the 2017 French Open and Australian Open on Tennis Channel Plus, including matches like the AO Final showdown between Serena & Venus Williams**