Juliane Schenk

The world’s top-ranked European, Schenk will be making her third straight Olympic appearance. She lost her first match in the 2004 Athens Games to Britain’s Tracey Hallam while reaching the second round in doubles with Nicole Grether. Schenk also had no success at the 2008 Beijing Games with a first-round loss to Indonesia’s Maria Kristin Yulianti. Ranked as high as No. 6 in the world, Schenk is building some momentum after a solid semifinal showing in the 2011 world championships, losing to Taiwan’s Cheng Shao-chieh. Some impressive results have given the German hope of contending in London, most notably upsets of two Chinese stars - Jiang Yanjiao at the 2011 worlds and Wang Shixian at the India Open in April. Schenk still hasn't proved that she can come through in the big spot, losing in finals at the 2010 and 2012 European championships to Denmark’s Tine Baun and also falling to China’s Li Xuerui in the title match in India this year. But with a home-continent advantage in London in the same venue as last year’s worlds, Schenk could be poised for Olympic glory.