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Wimbledon 2016: Men's singles preview

Roar Guru
22nd June, 2016
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(AP Photo/Michel Euler)
Roar Guru
22nd June, 2016
3
1273 Reads

The world’s most prestigious tennis tournament starts on Monday and once again all eyes will be on world No.1 Novak Djokovic as he continues his march towards becoming the first man to achieve a golden calendar slam.

Earlier this month the Serbian won the French Open for the first time – which was the only grand slam alluding him – thus completing his career grand slam.

The top seed will start as heavy favourite to defend his Wimbledon title but there will be a pack of contenders at the All England Club, led by world number two and 2013 champion Andy Murray.

Here are some of the contenders:

Novak Djokovic

Current world ranking: 1
Titles won this season to date: Doha, Australian Open, Indian Wells, Miami, Madrid, French Open

Wimbledon history
Best result: Won three times (2011, 2014 and 2015)
Last year’s result: Won

Grand Slam results this year to date
Australian Open result: Won
French Open result: Won

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While the French Open monkey might finally be removed, there is still a lot for Djokovic to achieve this year.

Victory at Roland Garros earlier this month saw him not only complete the career grand slam, but become the first man since Rod Laver in 1969 to hold all four major titles simultaneously.

With the Olympic Games this year, there is the incentive for Djokovic to become the first man in history to achieve the golden calendar slam, something only Steffi Graf has ever achieved – way back in 1988.

If Djokovic defends the Wimbledon title, he would become the first in the Open Era (1968-present) to win five major titles in a row.

His 2016 season has been nothing short of phenomenal, having won six titles. This includes a record sixth Australian Open title and the French Open, as well as in Doha, Indian Wells, Miami and Madrid.

If that dominance is anything to go by, then it’s hard not seeing him win a 13th grand slam title, which would see him go within one of Pete Sampras and Rafael Nadal, who have each won 14.

Prediction: Champion

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Andy Murray

Current world ranking: 2
Titles won this season to date: Rome, Queen’s

Wimbledon history
Best result: Won (2013)
Last year’s result: Semi-finals

Grand Slam results this year to date
Australian Open: Runner-up
French Open: Runner-up

After finishing runner-up to Djokovic in Paris and ending his much-talked about two-year coaching partnership with Amelie Mauresmo, Murray has reunited with Ivan Lendl attempting to claim a second Wimbledon and third grand slam singles title.

The move appears to have immediately paid dividends after a win at Queen’s for a record fifth time last week, giving him the perfect preparation for Wimbledon where he was the 2012 runner-up and more importantly, the 2013 champion.

Lendl could also be what Murray needs trying to overturn a dismal 2-8 record in Grand Slam finals.

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Murray enjoyed sustained success including winning two Grand Slam titles as well as an Olympic gold medal under the Czech, and it’s hoped Murray’s second stint can produce similar results, if not better.

It seems appropriate that the All England Club would be the perfect venue for the Scot to rediscover that success, given a majority of his sucess has been in London.

It could be an indication that Murray is due for a strong result.

Prediction: Final

Roger Federer

Current world ranking: 3
Titles won this season to date: None

Wimbledon history
Best result: Won seven times (2003-7, 2009, 2012)
Last year’s result: Runner-up

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Grand Slam results this year to date
Australian Open: Semi-finals
French Open: Did not play

Federer’s absence from the French Open, his first at a grand slam tournament since 1999, could be another indication the beginning of the end is starting to arrive.

Missing the clay court major could be what he needs though, as he attempts to add to his Grand Slam tally of 17, which has remained stalled for nearly four years.

The 34-year-old recently returned to action in Stuttgart and Halle, reaching the semi-finals of both events where he lost to Dominic Thiem and Alexander Zverev respectively.

It means that for the first time since 2000, when he was still without a career title, Federer will arrive at the All England Club without having won a title in the year.

The tournament has historically brought out the best in the Fed Express, with seven of his 17 grand slam wins coming on the grass. This includes five straight between 2003 and 2007, and his last in 2012.

Could it become the scene of a record-breaking eighth Wimbledon and 18th grand slam singles title?

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Not on the basis of his struggles this season, but I still expect him to do well.

Prediction: Semi-finals

Stan Wawrinka

Current world ranking: 5
Titles won this season to date: Chennai, Dubai

Wimbledon history
Best result: Quarter-finals twice (2014 and 2015)
Last year’s result: Quarter-finals

Grand Slam results this year to date
Australian Open: Fourth round
French Open: Semi-finals

One player that has endured a disappointing 2016 season is world number five and fourth seed Stan Wawrinka.

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The 31-year-old Swiss was only able to reach the fourth round of the Australian Open, while he put up a good defence of his French Open title before he was defeated by Andy Murray in the semi-finals.

His failure to defend at Roland Garros saw him drop to fifth in the world, but Rafael Nadal’s withdrawal will see him elevated to the fourth seeding, meaning he cannot face any of defending champion Novak Djokovic, 2013 champion Murray or compatriot Roger Federer until the semi-finals.

Wawrinka’s record at Wimbledon is abysmal, this being the only grand slam where he has yet to advance past the quarter-finals. However, he did come close last year when he lost to Richard Gasquet in a thrilling five-setter.

His only grass court tournament since Roland Garros saw him suffer a first-round exit at the hands of Fernando Verdasco at Queen’s.

That does little to suggest that his record at the All England Club will improve, but if the fact that he has reached the quarter-finals in the last two years is anything to go by, then expect a good performance.

Prediction: Quarter-finals

Other contenders
Among those that are expected to do well include former finalist Tomas Berdych, recent Queen’s finalist Milos Raonic, and French Open semi-finalist Dominic Thiem.

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Berdych has reached the quarter-finals at both the Australian and French Open’s but has endured some mixed form recently, first suffering a humiliating double bagel defeat against David Goffin in Rome and more recently dropping his first match in Halle to Marcos Baghdatis on either side of the French Open.

If there is anyone who has the potential to reach the final, it’s Raonic. The Canadian last week reached the final at Queen’s and was three games from the title (he led by a set and 3-0) before losing to Andy Murray in three sets.

Dominic Thiem is emerging as one of the players to watch this season following an impressive first half of 2016 which has seen him defeat Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer en route to titles on clay and grass respectively.

It came on either side of reaching the semi-finals of a grand slam tournament for the first time, where he lost to Novak Djokovic in straight sets at the French Open.

For the first time since 1998, Lleyton Hewitt will not spearhead the Australian campaign, with that responsibility being left to Bernard Tomic and Nick Kyrgios, quarter-finalists in 2011 and 2014 respectively.

After a dismal clay court campaign, Tomic adjusted well to his most-favoured surface and last week reached the semi-finals at Queen’s, losing to Milos Raonic who in the first round had came from a set down to defeat Kyrgios in three sets.

That defeat was Kyrgios’ only grass court match since the French Open, but the lack of match practice shouldn’t impede his chances of once again going deep at Wimbledon, the scene of his biggest Grand Slam breakthrough.

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Meanwhile, 2009 US Open champion Juan Martin del Potro has been seen training on the practice courts at the All England Club, where he reached the semi-finals in 2013. He is now coached by Andy Murray’s former trainer, Dani Vallverdu.

The only major absence from Wimbledon this year is world no. 4 and two-time champion Rafael Nadal, due to the wrist injury which forced him to withdraw from the French Open.

Wimbledon gets underway on Monday night (AEST), with defending champion Novak Djokovic to open proceedings on Centre Court at 10:00pm (AEST) (1:00pm local time).

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