The 2010 Wimbledon Championships begins this Monday, June 21, 2010 with a top field of women and men vying for the prestigious title. After a predictable course for the men at the French Open with Nadal winning easily, more questions are posed and more answers for the fate of the ATP tour will arise.
Can Andy Murray Find His Game?
No other player has as much pressure at the all-England club than Mr. Murray. Of course, the tabloids will be ablaze with article after article discussing as little as what he’ll be eating for breakfast. On the other hand, though, Murray is hardly the favorite by any means, having had a miserable stretch of tennis after losing to Roger Federer in the Australian Open finals. Murray needs to find his game, fast, to have any type of chance. By taking more risks and releasing the pressure that’s built up in him for months, Murray might be able to make a run or is just as likely to be out by the first week.
Is Roger Federer the Favorite? Or is Nadal?
The public opinion each year is that Roger Federer is the favorite at each year’s Wimbledon Championships. This year, though, Federer has had lousy results since winning the Australian Open. His loss to Soderling in the quarterfinals of the French Open also doesn’t bode well. Nadal has looked electric, by contrast, murdering his opponents in Paris. Even though Federer prefers the faster surface of grass, Nadal is going into this tournament as more of a favorite that Roger.
Can Andy Roddick Win?
Nothing was more heartbreaking for American tennis than Andy Roddick’s devastating loss last year in the classic five set final against Federer. With great results in the Spring before the clay-court season, Roddick has continued his fine form. The only thing standing in his way is, possibly, nerves. With wins over Nadal and Soderling this year, and Federer slumping, this might just actually be Roddick’s year. Something that could, quite possibly, make up for last year’s heartbreak.
Who Will Emerge from the Dark-horses?
Every Wimbledon is full of surprises, and with so many top players having lost to lesser ranked players in the past year, this year should be no different. The questions is: which dark horse will make a real run at this year’s Wimbledon? Real contenders include Marin Cilic, Ernest Gulbis, and Mikhail Youzhny. More probable, though, is Tomas Berdych, fresh off his strong run in France. The grass should suit his powerful game.
With all these questions about the men’s field this year, there should be some entertaining and enticing match-ups. The past couple Wimbledon’s have been classics with this year promising to be just as exciting.
Patrick Berkley - I'm an English teacher and writer currently residing in beautiful Fort Lauderdale. I've written for The Edge in Fort Lauderdale and also ...
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