Wimbledon Week 1 Recap and Rd of 16 Predictions

Finally A Champ?

Week 1 of Wimbledon is over...we have reached the middle Sunday...

This day is the perfect example of the 'calm before the storm' as the lawns of Wimbledon lay untouched today before they are graced by every man and woman left in the draw tomorrow. Manic Monday as it is sometimes referred to could be the best day in tennis.

The first week has had it's fair share of surprises and story lines, so let's look at a few.

No Rain?: Of course, now that there is a roof on Centre Court the weather has been unreal. No indoor tennis has been played...yet.

Hewitt Reborn: Lleyton Hewitt, coming off of his hip surgery, is playing excellent tennis. He took out No. 5 Del Potro in straight sets and is finally showing emotion again on the court. Hewitt, for the past few years, has been so subdued on court, and finally something went off in his mind and he is the fiery Aussie once again.

2 Favorites Dominate: Murray and Federer have looked superhuman so far. Both dropping one set on their way to the Rd of 16, but neither have really been tested much.

A Bit Better From America: Blake and Ginepri disappointed once again, and Fish had a predictable Wimbledon. Roddick continues to be our ONLY real competitor by a mile. The good thing is that Jesse Levine had a breakthrough run to the third round, and had a look at beating Wawrinka.

Andy-monium: The Brits finally have a real favorite, who is looking every bit of the part right now. The fans might be psychotic for him, but he seems as calm and cool as ever.

Good Matches: Only 6 of the 16 3rd Round matches went straight sets on the men's side. A Lot of matches were very competitive.

Now we're caught up at Wimbledon and Week 2 is almost here, so I'll go through all 8 Rd of 16 matches and tell you what I think...

Fed/ Soderling: A rematch of the French final...surely Soderling will try to get revenge, but it's not happening on Centre Court. Fed in 4

Verdasco/Karlovic: Karlovic's serve has been untouchable so far, and I don't see why it won't be again. Verdasco has enough fire power to hang with him. This is a tough match to call because it will probably come down to 4 or 5 points here and there in the tiebreaks. I'll go Dr. Ivo in 4.

Sela/Djokovic: Sela, the Israeli, has to be thrilled to be in the 2ND week...but I'm afraid his run is over. Maybe he'll make a set close and might even take one because he'll be playing with zero pressure...I think Novak takes it in 4.

Andreev/Haas: Andreev has a monstrous forehand and plays a lot like a Spaniard, which shouldn't translate to grass right? Well he's been playing solid so far, and I think he'll give Tommy a lot of trouble...let's not forget how difficult Tommy finds it to win a big match. That said...I think Tommy will pull it out in 5.

Ferrero/Simon: Ferrero is having a nice run here at Wimbledon. He beat Gonzo in the last round, which has to give him a bunch of confidence. Simon has been going through the draw without a mention. Simon in 4.

Murray/Wawrinka: Wawrinka has a huge one-hander and is a shot maker. Murray is way too good and way too supported to lose to Stan. Wawrinka makes a set close...but Murray in 3.

Roddick/Berdych: Berdych is a huge hitter, and has the kind of game that can overpower anyone, even Roddick. The problem is the stars have to be aligned for him to play as well as he needs to in order to win 3 sets. Roddick in 4.

Hewitt/Stepanek: This match is really interesting. Both veterans who are looking for a deep run in a Slam. Step is very dangerous, but his knee seemed to bother him at the end of his 2ND 5 setter in a row against Ferrer. Hewitt is moving and striking the ball brilliantly. I think this match will go five, and I'll go with my dark horse Step in his 3rd 5 set win in a row.

Get ready for Manic Monday everyone...tune in to my Twitter Page all day with live updates( as always)...and don't forget to vote on the new poll...

Take Care,
Tiebreak

Top 5 Players To Watch

Hey everyone...with Wimbledon approaching, I figured I would write a post that highlights the 5 players that I'm going to be watching this Wimbledon.

First, let's recap this week.

Aegon: The prestigious event was won this year by Andy Murray, the British(Scottish) hopeful. He beat James Blake in the finals who put together a nice run thanks to the help of Andy Roddick retiring to him after rolling his ankle. Roddick should be fine for Wimbledon.

Halle: Halle was supposed to be dominated by Djokovic after Federer pulled out to get ready for Wimbledon, but Haas had other plans. The German won his first grass court title defeating Novak in the finals in 3 sets. Quite simply, that is tournament Novak has to win...I think it's going to hurt him going into Wimbledon.

Now that we're all caught up...THE TOP 5 PLAYERS TO WATCH THIS WIMBLEDON

1: Roger Federer: It should be really interesting to see how Roger reacts after winning the French Open. Will he have any let down, or will he return to his old dominant ways? Of course, whether Nadal is in the draw or not will have a big affect on him. You also have to think that the next Slam he wins breaks the tie with Pete, and that is some serious pressure.

2. Rafael Nadal: Before we can watch Nadal, we have to see if he is even in the draw. He is expected to play, but you never know. We also have to see how he looks physically, because if his movement is compromised, there are a lot of guys that can give him trouble.

3. Andy Murray: How could we not watch Murray this Wimbledon? The British finally have a real contender again (since the old Tim Henman days) and I look for them to be firmly behind the fiery Scott...I mean Brit. So what if he is technically Scottish? Sean Connery pulled off being a Brit in Bond.

4. Andy Roddick: The leaner Roddick has been playing very solid tennis this season. He, for the most part, is beating who he is supposed to beat. Ankle injury aside, I think he can make a real run here, and think he is without a doubt the 4Th favorite to win.

5. Ivo Karlovic: Am I the only guy who scratches his head when I see that Karlovic hasn't won a match at Wimbledon in the last 4 chances. In my opinion, he has the best and most dominant serve in the game, and on grass that is a recipe for winning. If he can ace Hewitt 55 times on clay, how many times can he ace him on grass? 80? I keep waiting for him to put together a run here again (he did get to the Rd of 16 once) because he certainly has the game to win on grass. His volleys have improved and his serve is lights out. Yes, his ground strokes are still absolutely atrocious, but if he gets to the net, he can be a dark horse.

OTHER NOTABLES: Djokovic: Will his fall continue?, the Americans: Can they rebound?

Dark Horses: Fish, Stepanek, Cilic, Haas, Mahut
Stay Tuned for more Wimbledon Preview...AND Check Out Tiebreak's Twitter

Take Care

All about the (possible) GOAT.

Well, we have a lot to talk about.
the GOAT?

First, congratulations to Roger Federer for beating Soderling in straight sets to complete his Career Slam and tie Pete Sampras for the most Grand Slams in the Open Era, 14. Perhaps the most entertaining part of the final was the Barcelona soccer fan rushing the court and trying to put a hat on Federer's head.

The only other interesting aspect of the final was waiting to see how nerves would get to Fed. I think that swinging volley that gave Soderling a break point at 5-4 was about as nervous as I've ever seen him. Luckily for Fed, he ran into someone who wasn't even close to ready to win a Slam.

As expected, this now raises the question of, "Is Roger the greatest ever?"

For once I'm actually going to agree with Mary Carillo on this one. Her response was that she was going to save her opinion until Nadal's career was complete. Nadal, if healthy, has a real shot at making a strong case for himself. Unfortunately, that seems to be a huge 'if'.

It came out that Nadal has tendinitis in both knees that has been affecting him physically and mentally over the past few months. I think we all saw something wrong with him at the French. Kudos to Soderling, but lets get real...quite simply, Rafa was about 60%. He is going to undergo treatment and try and defend his Wimbledon title later this month, but honestly, no one knows how bad his knees are right now.

Back to the possible GOAT(Greatest of All Time): Roger is a great guy, great for the sport, and quite a choice for the best ever. However, one French Open win and he is back to his old overconfident and stuck up remarks.

In an article for ESPN (found HERE) Federer was asked about Wimbledon and went on to proclaim himself the favorite because of his new found French Open title and "with all the success I've had." He didn't stop there. He then went on to downplay Nadal's injury, saying that,
" He seemed fine, [from] what I saw, anyway. I've played him so many times, I can tell when he's in pain and when he's not. "

Fed also was quoted saying, "It seems like it's not 100 percent serious, his knee injury."

Let's see, First: Rafa really seems like a faker and an excuse maker. I'm sure that he is just making up an injury that he might have to miss his favorite tournament of the year because of.

Second: "With all the success I've had." Roger, you won a French Open by beating no one. You've lost your number 1 ranking, and have only two titles this year. Not to mention, everyone was declaring you just about dead a few weeks ago. I'm sorry to say, but Federer should have lost twice in that tournament, maybe three times. Haas had him on the brink, Del Potro outplayed him for most of the match, and Acasuso should have won in straight sets. Sure, he battled his way through the draw, and beat everyone that was put in front of him. But in the end, he beat no one. There are the big 4 in tennis, and then everyone else. He beat NO ONE in the top 4. He won the French Open because he was the last man standing who had enough guts to win.

Nadal is still, by a mile, the King of Clay. He was obviously bothered by an injury in the tournament, and didn't look anything like his former self. For Federer to say he is barely injured, is absurd. It is Roger trying to prove to everyone that he won the French Open, and is now the King of tennis. To admit Rafa was a fraction of himself would make everyone say.."Yea Fed won...BUT Rafa was hurt." Say what you will about Rafa, his injury or Federer, but I think any tennis fan in there right mind knew that if that was Nadal on the other side of the net in the final...Fed would still be waiting for his glorious French Open.

14 Grand Slams and a Career Slam is amazing. But let's keep it in perspective here and not jump yourself to the king of the world again. It wasn't too long ago that an over-cocky Federer was turned into an uncontrollable crying beaten man in Australia at the hands of a humble Nadal. Roger had a feeling of invincibility, and then Rafa came along. Rafa, the quiet, humble, Spaniard slowly, but surely wrestled greatness from him one win at a time. Roger, stay humble, because if you don't it's going to come back again to bite you.

One win and he's all of a sudden unbeatable again, and the favorite? It's interesting that Federer would declare himself the favorite going into Wimbledon. Am I Mistaken or is there still a number 2 next to his name. When the draw comes out, if Rafa is in it, Federer will be number 2. The only way on earth Federer is the favorite is if Nadal comes into Wimbledon like he did the French, injured. And until Federer beats Nadal on a big stage, while there both healthy, he will be number 2.

Hopefully Rafa will get healthy enough to play, and defend his title. One thing is for sure, there will certainly be a Swiss superstar quite nervous if the first match of Wimbledon on Centre Court is the defending champion and World Number 1, Rafael Nadal.

FOLLOW FED/DEL POTRO LIVE

Hey all, since no TV coverage is available for Fed/Del Potro(sad but true...)...I'm twittering the match live while watching the live scoreboard and listening to Radio Roland Garros...

Check out my Twitter Page for all the latest...

6 Sets Away...

Fed's draw has been so good, it looks rigged. On a day where he should be getting ready for entering a Djokovic semi and then Nadal final...instead he's getting ready for Del Potro and Soderling/Gonzalez

Roger Federer is 6 sets away from his first French Open Title, and the Career Slam, something that doesn't happen quite to often in tennis.

Is it even possible for anyone to think that he is going to lose now? Let's see...

Rafa, his nemesis and King of Clay, loses.
Djokovic, a guy who gives him all sorts of troubles, is out.
Murray, another dangerous # 3 in the world that Fed was weary of, out.

Who does that leave?

Well it leaves Gonzalez, Del Potro, and Soderling. All three players combined have one win against Federer, and that is Gonzalez.

I think it's safe to say Roger is going to be moving along to his first French Open, right?
Well, after pretty much guaranteeing a Rafa victory at this tournament, I won't say anything is for sure, but let's just say I wouldn't put any money down on anyone else.

Gonzalez gives Fed some trouble sometimes(but never beats him...OK once out of 13 times), and is the most experienced of the other three, but you have to think he'll have his hands full with Soderling if the Swede continues to dominate. If Soderling makes the final, chances are that the moment will be way to big for him to handle.

So all you Rafa fans out there that want Fed to lose, the only chance I guess is Del Potro in the semis. Poetically, he has the best chance because it is his chance to avenge his crushing loss to Fed at the Australian, where I believe there were 2 bagel sets involved. Del Potro is going to come out on a mission, and wants to prove he is a legit top 5 player, and can hang with the big boys.
The bad news is that I think Roger has too much game, and is going to put Del Potro in uncomfortable positions on the court. Del Po is huge, and loves to stand back the baseline with his huge wind up and smack his forehand. His 6'6 body doesn't make him ideal for playing short slices, or really being stretched awkwardly. Who better than Roger to execute that game plan?

Semi's should be fun, and we know we'll have a new French Open Champion crowd.

Who else is rooting for a Del Potro/Soderling final?