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Wimbledon. It is a single word
for a singular event, refusing the unnecessary fuss of
additional adjectives that conjure images of the pinnacle of
sport. With three simple syllables it calls to mind the
beauty of meticulously manicured lawns that flourish beneath
the austere white boundaries of court, uniform, and manners;
it is the hallmark and definition of what tennis was
designed to be: class demanded within the confines of
highest competition, whether from its victor or its
vanquished.
Wimbledon. It is an event that
transcends the grounds of the All England Lawn Tennis and
Croquet Club, needing not common tools such as racquets or
nets to earn the respect it deserves. Avid followers of
other games might be ignorant of names like Laver, Sampras,
or Navratilova, but they all know . . .
Wimbledon. It is history come
parallel with destiny. The modern era of tennis prefers hard
courts that reward ability and clay courts that reward
endurance, but for an all-too-brief summer the sport returns
to its roots to find its summit. Grass courts are the
standard from which the game was borne and by which it will
always be judged. The surface rewards ingenuity, honoring
both the mental skills and physical reflexes that infuse
tennis with greatness. The 2005 field is set to bloom; to
win at London’s SW19, players must outlast rain delays and
one another, traversing the slick greens of day one through
to the worn patchy browns of The Championships’ final.
The Gentlemen
Top-ranked Roger Federer
is the personification of Wimbledon. Blending history and
the current generation with every fluid stroke of his
all-court game, Federer reigns as two-time defending
champion of this event and stands alone despite a multitude
of worthy adversaries. Having failed to capture a Grand
Slam title in either Australia or France this year, he will
be most determined to dominate The Championships’ lawns and
woe unto the arrogant opponent who believes he can stop
Federer from claiming a third consecutive trophy.
Regardless, Wimbledon exists to uphold sporting tradition.
Federer may be without peer but he will not want for
challengers.
 Top-ranked
American Andy Roddick
(left; click for larger view,
photo by Granger Huntress)
was runner-up to Federer in 2004. Like Federer, Andy has
not lived up to his own high standards this season, and
grass courts are an ideal facilitator for a turnaround
victory via his blazing serves. Roddick’s pre-Wimbledon
preparation looked promising as he snared a third
consecutive title at the Stella Artois Championships. So
powerful is Roddick’s delivery on grass that his serve may
very well be the only weapon in the tournament capable of
dislodging the crown from Roger Federer’s head.
Australian Open winner Marat
Safin equals Federer in physical talent but lacks the
mental character to remain a consistent, weekly threat.
Safin has chosen to save his finest tennis for the majors
this year and is more than capable of advancing deep into
the second week at Wimbledon, but the mighty Russian is
struggling with tendonitis in his knee and isn’t fond of the
archaic grass surface at SW19. A quarterfinalist in 2000,
Safin is sufficiently skilled and capable of winning the
tournament – so much so that he challenged the omnipresent
Federer in a close, three-set loss in the final of the Gerry
Weber Open in Halle, Germany. Should Roger be off his game
in London, Marat Safin is another man who could take
advantage.
Lleyton Hewitt does not
play the attacking style of tennis made famous by his
Australian predecessors, but he still flourishes on grass in
proud Aussie custom. The added velocity of grass bolsters
the 2002 Wimbledon champion’s speed, groundstrokes, and
heart. Hewitt may need a few rounds to find his form,
having only recently returned to competition after
undergoing toe surgery and then subsequently breaking a
rib. He could also be distracted by his impending
nuptials. Most likely, however, his biggest obstacle will
remain Roger Federer, who has outclassed and embarrassed
Hewitt in the past two major matches they have contested.
Britain’s Tim Henman is
always a presence at Wimbledon. His best opportunities to
give England a men’s champion have passed, swallowed
unforgivingly during the Pete Sampras era and now doomed by
the inevitability of Roger Federer, but he is a safe bet to
advance to the last eight – perhaps even the semifinals – on
the strength of a game that was developed precisely for
grass and is bolstered annually by the dreams of a nation
longing for its first home-grown titlist in sixty-nine
years.
Grass courts require maturity
from their champions. Dark horse threats to take the title
at Wimbledon are few and far between; nonetheless, American
serve-and-volleyer Taylor Dent, crafty Frenchman
Sebastien Grosjean, talented Belgian Xavier
Malisse, as well as Swedish up-and-comers Joachim
Johansson and Robin Soderling are cause for
caution from top players. Strong servers are also perennial
threats at Wimbledon. Wild-card entrant and 2003 runner-up
Mark Philippoussis leads an intimidating pack that
includes six-foot, ten-inch tall Ivo Karlovic,
adopted Brit Greg Rusedski, Croatia’s “Super”
Mario Ancic, and Australian veteran Wayne Arthurs.
Each man is capable of causing first-strike havoc.
Former runner-up David
Nalbandian from Argentina performs best on faster
surfaces, but his year has not been productive and he has
precious little momentum coming back to the site of his big
stage breakthrough. Another marquee player unlikely to make
much of an impact is newly crowned French Open champion
Rafael Nadal. To his credit, Nadal is dedicated to
playing on grass and one day winning the title, but that day
lies in the future.
The
Ladies
In contrast, Nadal’s counterpart
on the women’s side - French Open champion Justine
Henin-Hardenne – is capable of challenging for The
Championships’ unique silver salver known as the Venus
Rosewater Dish. The 2001 runner-up, Henin-Hardenne is one of
the most ruthless competitors in women’s sport and Wimbledon
is the only Grand Slam crown that she has yet to claim.
Justine is not the overwhelming presence in London that she
was in Paris, however, and is more susceptible to being
overpowered on the slick grass.
Defending champion Maria
Sharapova would like nothing more than to be the woman
who throws those punches. Sharapova entered the clay-court
season on the brink of obtaining the number one ranking for
the first time in her career, but was stopped at seemingly
every turn by the resurgent Henin-Hardenne. Maria will
surely fight tooth-and-nail to repeat as Wimbledon
champion. Her agility, powerful serve, and stinging
groundstrokes are all well suited to the grass, but an
encore to her “in the zone” blitz to last year’s title will
be difficult to achieve.
1999 Champion Lindsay
Davenport has managed to waste multiple chances for one
final Grand Slam victory over the past year. At Wimbledon,
Davenport can unleash her razor-sharp strokes to end points
more quickly. The All England Club undoubtedly provides
Lindsay’s best shot at fulfilling the goal of one more major
victory that keeps her in the game – and she knows it.
Two-time champion Serena
Williams is similarly eager to reclaim the Wimbledon
title after falling in last year’s final. Serena can defeat
the majority of her opponents on motivation alone, but her
conditioning is suspect. Her physical health – along with a
lack of match play – could leave her rusty, something
opportunistic early-round opponents may exploit. Still, it
is not wise to bet against a hungry Serena. When Serena
Williams plays, she plays to win.
Older sister Venus Williams
was hustled out of last year’s Championships by
scandalous officiating and an on-fire opponent, but she is
also a two-time champion and has the game to do well,
especially if she finally makes good on promises to venture
into net more often. Attacking the net will serve France’s
Amelie Mauresmo equally well. The demands of grass
add a nice aggression to her game, allowing last year’s
semifinalist to play more offensive tennis. Mauresmo was a
junior champ here and has to feel liberated at Wimbledon
after succumbing to overwhelming pressure in Paris. It
could be that grass – and not clay – is the surface best
suited for her overdue breakthrough.
Kim Clijsters is another
former Wimbledon semifinalist in search of an elusive Grand
Slam title. Kim’s game works well on all surfaces, but she
is more vulnerable to heavier hitting, all-court players,
and the faster conditions of grass court competition. Her
first major is not likely to come in London unless the rains
hold off and the courts dry out, which would give the balls
a higher bounce and allow Clijsters a fraction longer to
employ her brilliant defensive game or claim the offense as
her own.
Women not in contention for the
title but capable of playing spoiler include Tamarine
Tanasugarn and Lisa Raymond, who both
relish the short grass court season. Daniela Hantuchova
sporadically shows signs of the form that once ranked
her inside the world’s top five and her aggressive, flat
groundstrokes are grass-court ready. Talented rising star
Ana Ivonovic, French Open runner-up Mary Pierce,
and Australian Alicia Molik all have the power – if
not the fluidity – to conquer grass as well.
Quiet, Please. Play.
Wimbledon is the most
prestigious title in all of tennis, the major amongst the
majors. The grass courts promise a variety of speed and
bounce over the course of two weeks that is, quite simply,
the greatest test for the game’s most able athletes. Many
elite talents have faltered on the now-unfamiliar blades of
the All England Club … but the greatest champions in tennis
always have been and always will be Wimbledon champions.
Predictions:
Men's Semifinals: Federer
d. Safin, Roddick d. Mirnyi
Men's Final: Federer d. Roddick
Women's Semifinals: Davenport d. Mauresmo, Serena
Williams d. Sharapova
Women's Final: Davenport d. Williams
Wyman Meers is a writer living
in New York. He is
Gaga4Gaby on the Outsports Discussion Board.
June 15, 2005 |
