Photo cred Mike McIntyre
In the last 15 years, the Wimbledon men’s singles title has been shared between just four players. Of those champions, Switzerland’s Roger Federer has triumphed eight times. Arguably men’s tennis’ greatest ever player, certainly on grass, Federer enjoyed a five-year winning streak between 2003 and 2007 that was only broken when Rafael Nadal beat him in a thrilling five-set final in 2008. A year later, Federer won the title once again, defeating the United States’ power-server Andy Roddick in a gruelling match that again went to five sets.
While Federer’s hold on the Wimbledon men’s single’s title has loosened somewhat since the emergence of Novak Djokovic and Andy Murray (who have two championship wins apiece since 2010), his evergreen athleticism has seen him continue to compete at the highest level and, last year, he once again got his hands on the All England Club’s prestigious prize. As 2018’s tournament approaches, he’s a clear favourite, as Wimbledon betting puts him ahead of his long-time rival Nadal.
Of course, Federer isn’t going to find his route to Wimbledon glory easy but the signs of another title at the grass season’s premier event are obvious. Nadal might have just won a Grand Slam in Paris but that was on his favoured surface and he doesn’t find his hard-hitting back-court style as effective on grass. Meanwhile, Federer missed the event to rest for Wimbledon. You’ve, therefore, got to question what Nadal’s got left in the tank after a tough French Open just a matter of weeks ago. In fact, he was due to play at a warm-up event but pulled out claiming he was still fatigued after his efforts in Paris.
Photo cred Mike McIntyre
If Novak Djokovic and Andy Murray can get back to anywhere near their best, Federer may find they are his chief contenders for the title this year. But the signs aren’t good. Djokovic has had a tough 12 months that saw a niggling elbow injury require surgery. That coincided with him parting ways with Marian Vajda, his coach of 11 years, to join up with Andre Agassi and Radek Stepanek, hoping they could help him rediscover his best form. But the new team didn’t last long, a strained relationship ending in the Serbian player turning back to Vajda who helped him reach the quarter-finals at Roland Garros recently.
Andy Murray, a two-time winner of Wimbledon, will also hope to rediscover his best form after a similarly troublesome year with injury. He hasn’t played for months and admitted to having setbacks in his return from surgery. At one point, this meant not hitting any tennis balls for two months between April and May. Now, a matter of weeks after returning to training, he fell in the opening round at Queen's Club and he’ll try to continue to rehabilitate on-court at Eastbourne, an ATP 250 grass court event. But even he admits to having zero expectations, having not completed a game of Grand Slam tennis since last year’s Wimbledon Championship.
If Djokovic and Murray can’t find the form that made them Wimbledon champions in the past, attention will turn to young, up-and-comer Alexander Zverev. The German has enjoyed a great season, rising to number 3 in the world rankings and winning his third ATP 1000 title. Marin Cilic, last year’s losing finalist at Wimbledon, and Martin Del Potro, a semi-finalist in 2013, have also enjoyed solid seasons and like playing on grass. They could cause an upset if Federer has an off day.
But the smart money is on the Swiss. He loves playing at Wimbledon, finds his best form on the grass courts, and is well-rested. He also enters the tournament with a weakened field with his chief rivals either fatigued (Rafael Nadal) or returning from injury after long layoffs (Djokovic and Murray). It’s Federer’s title to lose.
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