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