<p class="title">Serena Williams may never get a better chance of equalling Margaret Court's Grand Slam title record of 24 with the Wimbledon quarter-finals bereft of the leading lights in women's tennis.</p>.<p class="bodytext">The 37-year-old seven-time champion is moving into something resembling her best form after an unconvincing first week but will not take Tuesday's quarter-final opponent Alison Riske lightly.</p>.<p class="bodytext">That would be wise after the 29-year-old American ousted world number one Ashleigh Barty in the last 16.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Barty was then followed out of the tournament by third seed Karolina Pliskova, two-time champion Petra Kvitova and 15-year-old Coco Gauff.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Riske was looking forward to facing her American compatriot when she said: "Bring it on!" Williams knows Riske relatively well -- they have played doubles together -- and is aware on the grass she can hold her own as well as the fact the last time she faced a relatively unheralded American, Sofia Kenin at the French Open, she lost.</p>.<p class="bodytext">"She's (Riske) a fighter on the court," said Williams.</p>.<p class="bodytext">"She's playing really great, especially on the grass. She's attacking that ball really well. She doesn't let anything limit her."</p>.<p class="bodytext">Williams is ominously talking up her improvement as the tournament has gone on after a knee problem affected her clay court campaign.</p>.<p class="bodytext">"The rust is definitely wearing off," she said.</p>.<p class="bodytext">"Most of all I feel confident that I can actually move and I don't have to, like, go for winners so soon because I'm in pain.</p>.<p class="bodytext">"It's like, Oh, now I can just play my game, hit shots, not have to worry about anything else.</p>.<p class="bodytext">"It's good when your mind is clear and you can just play."</p>.<p class="bodytext"> - 'Life is so nice to me' -</p>.<p class="bodytext">For Riske, reaching a first Wimbledon quarter-final is an early wedding gift ahead of her marriage which takes place just after the tournament.</p>.<p class="bodytext">"I'm ready for a war (with Williams). She's the greatest athlete I think that's ever been on the women's side," she said.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Waiting for Williams or Riske could well be Britain's French Open semi-finalist Johanna Konta, who must beat Czech veteran Barbora Strycova to reach her second Wimbledon semi-final.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Strycova, who beat Konta in their only previous meeting, had been talking of retirement prior to her 17th Wimbledon campaign.</p>.<p class="bodytext">The rest of the quarter-finals have just two seeds involved -- number seven Simona Halep and eighth seeded Elina Svitolina.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Former world number one Halep -- who has never been beyond the quarter-finals at Wimbledon -- plays China's Zhang Shuai, who was close to retirement in 2015, while Svitolina takes on Pliskova's conqueror Karolina Muchova of the Czech Republic.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Zhang's change of mind over retiring was down to advise from her doubles partner and close friend Australian Sam Stosur.</p>.<p class="bodytext">"That got me to thinking maybe, okay, I'm going to the Australian Open one more time, one more try," she recalled of the chat with Stosur.</p>.<p class="bodytext">"I'm really, really happy I tried one more time, and also we won this year in the Australian Open doubles.</p>.<p class="bodytext">"So life is so nice to me."</p>.<p class="bodytext">Of all the players to go out on Monday, Barty's is undoubtedly the biggest boon for Williams.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Having looked so assured in the first week -- and a decent bet to end nearly four decades of Australian being without a women's singles champion -- she lacked the answers when required as Riske fought back to win 3-6, 6-2, 6-2.</p>.<p class="bodytext">There was one consolation for Barty as Pliskova could have taken her number one spot but the Czech third seed went out as well in a marathon duel, beaten by Muchova 4-6, 7-5, 13-11.</p>.<p class="bodytext">"It is a tough one to swallow but I lost to a better player," said Barty, who had been hoping to become the first Australian champion since Evonne Goolagong Cawley won her second title in 1980.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Muchova meanwhile can call upon star power of Hollywood Rebel Wilson, the actress from Bridesmaids and the Pitch Perfect series of movies.</p>.<p class="bodytext">"It's crazy. She texted me last year when I beat Muguruza (at the US Open). I was, like, Wow. I was surprised about that.</p>.<p class="bodytext">"Yeah, she's just super chill and super nice person." </p>
<p class="title">Serena Williams may never get a better chance of equalling Margaret Court's Grand Slam title record of 24 with the Wimbledon quarter-finals bereft of the leading lights in women's tennis.</p>.<p class="bodytext">The 37-year-old seven-time champion is moving into something resembling her best form after an unconvincing first week but will not take Tuesday's quarter-final opponent Alison Riske lightly.</p>.<p class="bodytext">That would be wise after the 29-year-old American ousted world number one Ashleigh Barty in the last 16.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Barty was then followed out of the tournament by third seed Karolina Pliskova, two-time champion Petra Kvitova and 15-year-old Coco Gauff.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Riske was looking forward to facing her American compatriot when she said: "Bring it on!" Williams knows Riske relatively well -- they have played doubles together -- and is aware on the grass she can hold her own as well as the fact the last time she faced a relatively unheralded American, Sofia Kenin at the French Open, she lost.</p>.<p class="bodytext">"She's (Riske) a fighter on the court," said Williams.</p>.<p class="bodytext">"She's playing really great, especially on the grass. She's attacking that ball really well. She doesn't let anything limit her."</p>.<p class="bodytext">Williams is ominously talking up her improvement as the tournament has gone on after a knee problem affected her clay court campaign.</p>.<p class="bodytext">"The rust is definitely wearing off," she said.</p>.<p class="bodytext">"Most of all I feel confident that I can actually move and I don't have to, like, go for winners so soon because I'm in pain.</p>.<p class="bodytext">"It's like, Oh, now I can just play my game, hit shots, not have to worry about anything else.</p>.<p class="bodytext">"It's good when your mind is clear and you can just play."</p>.<p class="bodytext"> - 'Life is so nice to me' -</p>.<p class="bodytext">For Riske, reaching a first Wimbledon quarter-final is an early wedding gift ahead of her marriage which takes place just after the tournament.</p>.<p class="bodytext">"I'm ready for a war (with Williams). She's the greatest athlete I think that's ever been on the women's side," she said.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Waiting for Williams or Riske could well be Britain's French Open semi-finalist Johanna Konta, who must beat Czech veteran Barbora Strycova to reach her second Wimbledon semi-final.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Strycova, who beat Konta in their only previous meeting, had been talking of retirement prior to her 17th Wimbledon campaign.</p>.<p class="bodytext">The rest of the quarter-finals have just two seeds involved -- number seven Simona Halep and eighth seeded Elina Svitolina.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Former world number one Halep -- who has never been beyond the quarter-finals at Wimbledon -- plays China's Zhang Shuai, who was close to retirement in 2015, while Svitolina takes on Pliskova's conqueror Karolina Muchova of the Czech Republic.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Zhang's change of mind over retiring was down to advise from her doubles partner and close friend Australian Sam Stosur.</p>.<p class="bodytext">"That got me to thinking maybe, okay, I'm going to the Australian Open one more time, one more try," she recalled of the chat with Stosur.</p>.<p class="bodytext">"I'm really, really happy I tried one more time, and also we won this year in the Australian Open doubles.</p>.<p class="bodytext">"So life is so nice to me."</p>.<p class="bodytext">Of all the players to go out on Monday, Barty's is undoubtedly the biggest boon for Williams.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Having looked so assured in the first week -- and a decent bet to end nearly four decades of Australian being without a women's singles champion -- she lacked the answers when required as Riske fought back to win 3-6, 6-2, 6-2.</p>.<p class="bodytext">There was one consolation for Barty as Pliskova could have taken her number one spot but the Czech third seed went out as well in a marathon duel, beaten by Muchova 4-6, 7-5, 13-11.</p>.<p class="bodytext">"It is a tough one to swallow but I lost to a better player," said Barty, who had been hoping to become the first Australian champion since Evonne Goolagong Cawley won her second title in 1980.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Muchova meanwhile can call upon star power of Hollywood Rebel Wilson, the actress from Bridesmaids and the Pitch Perfect series of movies.</p>.<p class="bodytext">"It's crazy. She texted me last year when I beat Muguruza (at the US Open). I was, like, Wow. I was surprised about that.</p>.<p class="bodytext">"Yeah, she's just super chill and super nice person." </p>