Article

  • Wimbledon Preview: First Round, First Quarter

    6/23/08 6:09 AM | Ricky Dimon
    - Wimbledon will get started with a bang on Monday, as a brutal first quarter of the draw features some scintillating first-round showdowns. Among the players in action are Roger Federer, Lleyton Hewitt, and Fernando Gonzalez.

    (1) Roger Federer vs. Dominik Hrbaty

    Barring some monumental upsets in this section of the draw, Hrbaty should be Federer's easiest opponent of the fortnight. Once a legitimate threat on all surfaces, Hrbaty is now 30 years old and he missed the second half of 2007 due to injury. The Slovak has been able to play only sparingly this season and he brings just a 2-3 match record at the ATP level with him into Wimbledon. So even though Federer is not as dominant as he once was, his opponent should put up little--if any--resistance. Hrbaty, surprisingly, is 2-0 against Federer but those wins came in 2000 and 2004. Expect Federer to put one up on the head-to-head scoreboard in blowout fashion.

    (20) Lleyton Hewitt vs. Robin Haase

    Hewitt missed the entire clay-court swing leading up to the French Open, but he stormed out of nowhere to score two easy wins in Roland Garros before giving David Ferrer an absolute battle in a five-set third-round loss. Even better things could be in store for Hewitt on grass. The Aussie reached the quarterfinals at Queen's Club two weeks ago and his past Wimbledon record garnered him the No. 20 seed despite being ranked No. 27 in the world. Hewitt won the title in 2002 and has reached the fourth round twice, the quarterfinals twice, and the semifinals once. Haase, by contrast, is just 21 years old and has never played Wimbledon. The Dutchman, however, stands 6'3'' and boasts a huge serve that should present serious problems on slick surfaces. Hewitt's experience and stellar return game will prove too much for Haase when it's all said and done, but don't be surprised if the up-and-coming challenger powers his way to a set.

    Robby Ginepri vs. (15) Fernando Gonzalez

    Ginepri and Gonzalez just can't get enough of each other. Check the records if you can't believe it, but this is the second consecutive year that the two players are squaring off in the first round of Wimbledon. They also met in the French Open fourth round just a few weeks ago. Gonzalez won both of those previous encounters and he holds a 4-0 edge overall against Ginepri. The American has won just one set in 11 tries against the Chilean. Ginepri is enjoying a much better season this time around so he should be able to make things competitive on Monday. Nonetheless, while most people probably think his best chance against Gonzalez is on grass, Gonzo is actually quite capable on the fast stuff. In six trips to the All-England Club Gonzalez has lost in the first round just once, the second round once, and he even reached the quarterfinals back in 2004. That kind of history and the mental edge Gonzalez seems to have against Ginepri seems like too much for his opponent to overcome.

Tell a friend »

Comments

    Write comment

    You have to be logged in to comment. If you do not have an account, click here to register. It only takes a minute and you'll be redirected back to this page.
    Username:

    Password:

Did you know that... Jimmy Connors is the only player to have won the US Open on grass, clay and hard court.

Register for newsletter:

Poll

Will Roger Federer be back as the world No. 1?
Yes
No

Poll archive

Articles - Latest commented

Blog - Latest commented

Tell a friend

Your name:

Friend's name:

Friend's email:

Other tennis links

Did you know that... Roger Federer and golf superstar Tiger Woods are good friends.

Register for newsletter:

Poll

Will Roger Federer be back as the world No. 1?
Yes
No

Poll archive

Articles - Latest commented

Blog - Latest commented

Tell a friend

Your name:

Friend's name:

Friend's email:

Other tennis links





Click Here