Wimbledon begins on Monday, which means it is time for me to write my list of 10 things to look for at the lone grass court grand slam. If you haven't yet checked out the draws, click here. If you missed my recent recap of the French Open, click here.
#1. Can Rafael Nadal prove the seeding committee wrong? When it comes to seeding players, Wimbledon marches to the beat of their own drum, not always following the ATP rankings. A prime example of this is seeding world #3 Roger Federer #2 over world #2 Rafael Nadal. Nadal expressed some frustration about this earlier in the week, saying that Wimbledon needs to reward players who have the higher ranking. As for Federer, he is saying players need to "deal with it." Click here for more on this controversy.
Personally, I don't have an issue with grand slams seeding players as they see fit. I think Nadal should be seeded #1 at Roland Garros regardless of what his ranking is. His dominance on clay speaks for itself. Similarly, Federer has done a better job on grass than Nadal and thus deserves a nod in the seedings. Of course Nadal plans to use this for motivation. It'll be interesting to see if this will fuel him to make a deep run or if the Lawn Tennis Association will be proven right in their seedings.
#2. Will Ashleigh Barty defend her #1 ranking? After winning the French Open, Ashleigh Barty is now ranked #1 in the world and eager to prove that she belongs atop the women's game. There's no better way for her to prove that she belongs atop the rankings than for her to have a strong outing at Wimbledon, an event where she's never gotten past the third round.
#3. Should Novak Djokovic be favored to repeat as Wimbledon champion? On the surface, Novak Djokovic seems like the logical favorite to win Wimbledon. He's #1 in the world and is the defending champion. That said, his success at Wimbledon has been mixed over the years (four titles in 2011, 2014, 2015, and 2018). He's not as automatic on the grass as he is on the hard courts. While I do think Djokovic should be the favorite and he is my pick, it'll be interesting to see if anyone is able to give him a scare early and make things tougher than expected.
#4. Can Naomi Osaka make a deep run? World #2 Naomi Osaka has won the last two hard court grand slams (Australian Open and US Open), but has struggled to find similar success on clay and on grass. She's never gotten past the 3rd round at either the French Open or Wimbledon, so it's far from a guarantee that we'll see her in the second week. If Osaka wants to truly establish herself as an all-time great, she'll have to start winning away from the hard courts.
#5. Can Roger Federer go the distance? As mentioned earlier, Roger Federer is seeded #2 ahead of Rafael Nadal for his superior play on the grass, making everyone think we'll see a Djokovic/Fed final. After not having won Wimbledon since 2012, Federer won Wimbledon again in 2017, showing that he's still capable of winning on the grass. I don't think two years makes that much of a difference considering how well Fed has been playing, but given that he's 37 years old, it's fair to wonder whether he should really be considered the favorite given his age and mileage.
#6. Will Serena Williams overcome her seed? Serena Williams is seeded #11, giving her a tougher road than she is used to having. Given how wide open women's tennis is, it's tempting to pick Williams, but it should be noted that she is 37 years old and hasn't won Wimbledon since 2016. The key for her will be to make sure she can survive the first few rounds and get herself into the second week. If she can avoid an early upset, one has to really like her chances.
#7. Alexander Zverev needs to take advantage of his draw: At Roland Garros, Alexander Zverev ran into Novak Djokovic in the quarterfinals, getting a tough break in the draw. This time, the #6 seeded Zverev is projected to face #4 seeded Kevin Anderson in the quarterfinals. Anderson made the final last year, so it's not like he's an easy opponent. That said, you can bet Zverev would rather face Anderson than Djokovic in the quarterfinals. In my French Open recap, I said Zverev has to take advantage of future opportunities with a better draw and this is one of those opportunities.
#8. Can Johanna Konta take advantage of home court? It's time for me to add a little British flavor to my preview, so let me address Johanna Konta, who is seeded #19 in the women's draw. If there's any Brit to make a run at Wimbledon, it's definitely Konta. She's been to the semifinals before and could be in for another run this year. If there's any dark horse on the women's side, it's definitely her.
#9. Can Kevin Anderson get back to the final? Kevin Anderson's run to the final last year has earned him the #4 seed in the tournament, positioning him well to make another deep run. At 6'8", he brings a powerful serve and a style that suits that grass well. While he's not my pick to win it all, I do think Anderson is a legit threat to go the distance. Even after what I said about Zverev.
#10. Look for Petra Kvitova to win it all: I picked Novak Djokovic to win it all on the gentlemen's side and now I'm picking Petra Kvitova to win it all on the ladies' side. She's back from her hand injury and now ranked #6 in the world. It would truly be the feel good story of the year to see Kvitova win her third Wimbledon title and I really think it could happen. Her left-handed serve throws people off and she has great timing up at the net, which is a must for grass court tennis. Given how wide open the field is, I really think Kvitova has as good of a chance as anyone else.
To connect with ATP Guy on Twitter, click here.
To connect with ATP Guy on Facebook, click here.
To connect with Ben Parker, click here.
No comments:
Post a Comment