If ever there was a sporting foregone conclusion it’s Wimbledon. Federer always wins Wimbledon. It’s what he does. He hasn’t lost on grass in 59 games so there’s no point in watching it, right?
But this year the knives are out for the world number one. He was humbled in the final in Paris a fortnight ago, in a match many thought he would win. How come? Well the fact is Rafael Nadal has never played better, been stronger or had such confidence. He’s just won his first ever grass court tournament (at Queen’s) and he’s clearly got the psychological edge on Federer.
Many people are saying this will be Nadal’s year. Many people are also saying: what on earth is he wearing? In the Queen’s pavilion it wasn’t uncommon to overhear grumbles along the lines of “three-quarter-length shorts?” “knee bands?” “sleeveless?” “in green?” “where does one buy such things?”
Nadal neatly divides the British audience into two groups: some get up to applaud his passing shots, others take a passing shot at his appalling get up. And this coupled with the closeness of the world numbers one and two means that this year’s tournament will be more eagerly anticipated than any in recent memory.
Will Federer have the psychological mettle to bounce back? Will Nadal be able to last two weeks on grass? Is the dark horse of Djokovic going to upset the battle at the top? And will Andy Murray stop being so annoying? Thankfully, as with the Euro 2008, the lack of genuine British expectation means that we might be able to enjoy the sport for a change. I don’t mean to be dismissive, but ever since Henman Hill became the Murray Mound you knew we were clutching at straws.
Personally I don’t think Nadal has enough in his locker to win the tournament. It is possible to win Wimbledon from the baseline, but it doesn’t happen very often. In fact only two players have done so since Connors back in 1982, and neither of those occasions had a reigning champion like Federer to overcome.
Maybe the most important factor will be the weather. A dry, hot fortnight will create dusty, slow courts which benefit Nadal; typical London weather on the other hand generates fast, green courts which favour Federer. So to tell the winner all we need do is look at the forecast, which according to the BBC website is … frankly too early to call.
Comments