Tennis: Wimbledon 2008 Preview

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In a matter of weeks, ballers must endure the toughest transition in tennis: going from the slow red clay of Roland Garros to the quick green lawns of Wimbledon, the third Grand Slam of the year. And, success at Roland Garros doesn't usually translate to big wins in London; the last ballers to win the "double" in tennis were Bjorn Borg in 1980 and Serena Williams in 2002.

So I wouldn't pencil this year's French Open champions Rafael Nadal and Ana Ivanovic into the Wimbledon winner's circle just yet. In fact, they are only two of a handful of ballers who could walk away with the championship trophies this year. Let's take a look!

The Boys

“Roger Federer is done.” That seems to be the mantra these days after the Swiss was obliterated by Rafael Nadal in the French Open final 2 weeks ago. But let’s face the facts: He lost on his least favored surface to arguably the best clay-court baller EVER playing his A+ game, so full credit to Rafa. But, Wimbledon and Fed go together like the ubiquitous (and apparently outrageously priced) strawberries and cream at the All-England Club and he owns a staggering 59 straight match wins on grass - nothing to sneeze at for sure. A sixth consecutive Wimbledon championship is not out of the question for the world no. 1, no matter what the haters say.

Rafael Nadal is riding some serious momentum after crushing Fed for a fourth consecutive Roland Garros crown. A finalist the last 2 years at The All-England Club, the Mallorcan Matador won his first grass-court title ever when he defeated Andy Roddick then Novak Djokovic in a thrilling Queen’s Club final, becoming the first Spaniard in 36 years to accomplish the feat. Rafa has transitioned from clay to grass with near perfection and made subtle but smart adjustments to his game for the surface including a stronger serve, flatter forehand and closer baseline stance. All of these elements together make him a strong favorite for the final Sunday.

Though Novak Djokovic gave up big leads in that Queen’s Club loss to Rafa, the Serb served notice that after only three years ever playing on the green stuff, his game is well-suited for the surface: his strokes are flat, his game athletic and his competitiveness is second to none. A semifinal loser the last two years to Rafa, Nole will be keen to take the next step towards a second Grand Slam this year and continue his march towards the top ranking. But he’ll need to make sure his recent health woes are kept in the past.

The world of Andy Roddick has been quiet since his injury withdrawal (shoulder) from the Rome semifinals. But the American baller reappeared last week at Queen’s Club looking recovered but short of match play, falling to Rafa in the quarterfinals. A-Rod can take solace in the fact that he's beaten the top three ballers in the world this year, snapping a 11-match losing streak to Fed, and made the finals of Wimbledon in 2005 and 2006 on the back of his trademark powerful serve. No one would be surprised if A-Rod made it deep in the draw this year but what's surprising is his seeding at no. 6 this year below Nikolay Davydenko (4) and David Ferrer (5). Fortunately for A-Rod, though, the draw gods were smiling on him today with Kolya and James Blake the highest seeds in his section.

I have a “tough love” approach towards my darkhorse pick Richard Gasquet. I’m fighting myself even as I write this preview since I’ve been hyper-critical of the Frenchie baller this year. But his colorful game seems to come alive on the grass, particularly that ethereal backhand down the line. How can anyone forget watching that shot pick away at A-Rod’s hopes, and his 2 set lead, in last year’s epic quarterfinal win for Richard? Moreover, the 22-year old recently brought in Guillaume Peyrea which will hopefully bring refreshed approach. Richard has been due for a major breakthrough and there’s no place like Wimbledon to make that happen.

Click here for the full men's draw.

The Ladies

Last year, Venus Williams became the lowest seed and lowest ranked baller to ever hoist the Wimbledon trophy, the fourth time overall for the former no. 1. She may arrive on the grounds with little in the way of match play and her game may falter on other surfaces, but when those EleVen-designed sneaks (from her fashion line) hit the green turf her serve is smacking, her forehand ferocious and her net game neutralizes anyone on the other side. Venus is the most dominant grass-courter of her generation and a fifth title is well within her (long) reach.

Lil’ sis Serena is no stranger to the winner’s circle at The All-England Club having been the champion here in 2002 and 2003 besting her sister in both encounters. She had been on serious run this year with three titles (Bangalore, Miami, Charleston) before suffering a shocking third round loss to Katarina Srebotnik at Roland Garros. But never one to dwell in the past, the 8-time Grand Slammer’s power game and superior serve are ideal for the quick skidding grass not to mention her world-class athleticism. The former no.1 has been drawn on the opposite side to Venus so they could only meet in the final and with her conqueror last year, Justine Henin, happily retired a final meeting is a very real possibility this year.

Someone who’s familiar with battling and beating Serena at Wimbledon is Maria Sharapova. The 2004 champion began the year with a dominating run to the Aussie Open title and continued with wins in Doha and Amelia Island. But like Serena, Maria was bundled (and booed) out of the French Open earlier than expected. She’ll be more than happy to be back on the grass, though, where her flat, penetrating groundstrokes are at their most lethal and first-strike tennis is rewarded. But her serve has been inconsistent most noticeably at the French Open where double-digit double faults became the norm for the Russian. If her serve is on the way it was in 2004, she could make her second trip to the final Saturday. If it’s off, however, Maria could be reliving Paris all over again.

The newly crowned French Open champion and current world no. 1 Ana Ivanovic is living the dream. The Serb arrives at Wimbledon as the top seed at a Grand Slam for the first time and a newfound belief in her game. Ana has shown all year that when the going gets tough she gets going and she owns the best forehand in the women’s game. But her serve can be inconsistent and she can be overpowered by bigger, stronger foes, which could pose a problem for her on the quick grass. But the draw gods were kind to the 20-year old  - Anna Chakvetadze (8) is the highest seed in her quarter.  A potential semifinal meeting with Serena Williams is waiting in the wings for Ana.

Call me crazy but I’m picking Lindsay Davenport as my darkhorse this fortnight. The 1999 champion hasn’t been playing much lately and just pulled from Eastbourne with a knee injury. But she has the experience and weapons to make a run here. The 32-year old could have a tricky third round meeting with French Open finalist Dinara Safina, who admittedly isn’t fond of the grass, and a potential quarterfinal Marquee Matchup with Maria Sharapova. But with nothing to lose and her personal life in great shape, Lindsay can really swing for the fences and if a few hit the lines in key moments in the coming two weeks, who knows?

Click here for the full women’s draw.

Source: Down the Line!

Originally posted by Rich Rodriguez