Richard Michael
DeanoHarmoWimbledon - Strawberries, cream and Federer
June 22nd 2007 11:02
Category: No Category
Lleyton Hewitt - Leading the Aussie challenge
Wimbledon. It's the centrepiece of tennis tradition. English country gardens, perfectly manicured lawns, strawberries and cream, players wearing white. It's always a magnificent spectacle; and it starts again on Monday night.
Seeded second is Spaniard Raphael Nadal. Nadal has proved himself to be the king of clay, and recently took out the French Open in fine style. Grass has never been his favourite surface, but it's a challenge Nadal will have to take on if he is to have any hope of deposing Federer from his number 1 ranking.
Marcos Baghdatis - popular hero
Andy Roddick can never be discounted. He has won a US Open title, and is often in contention at the business end of a tournament. Rising Serb star Novak Djokovic is another player to watch as the tournament unfolds. Lleyton Hewitt, the only player in the men's draw other than Federer who has won it before, hasn't played much tennis lately but when in form is hard to beat. Another player to watch is Fernando Gonzalez, the Chilean who captured the imagination of the Australian public with his rise from relative obscurity to make the final of the Australian Open last January. And of course, there'll be plenty of colour and excitement from 2006 fairytale and cult figure Marcos Baghdatis.
Fernando Gonzales - Rising star of 2007
In the womens' draw, Justine Henin comes in as number 1 seed. The Belgian missed the Australian Open for personal reasons, but bounced back in style to take out the French Open. Hard-grunting Russian Maria Sharapova is number 2 seed - she won the Australian Open, but how easily could it have been a different story after she melted in the blistering first-round heat and faced match-points from obscure French journeywoman Camille Pin.
Jelena Jankovic - Seeded 3
Jelena Jankovic, spearheading the Serbian rise up the tennis ladder, is seeded third ahead of defending champion Amelie Mauresmo. Former champions Serena Williams and Martina Hingis are also among the top seeds, while the Aussie charge will be led by 27th seed Samantha Stosur.
It's a tournament that throws up uncertainty and often some surprises. Who will ever forget the 2001 tournament, when unseeded wildcard Goran Ivanisevic made his way through to the final and overcame Pat Rafter in an epic 5-set final. Will we see an unknown come through this time? Two weeks of sensational tennis will warm our cold nights.
Sam Stosur - Seeded Australian
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