Federer - Falla
Bozoljac - Massu
Tipsarevic - Clement
Luczak - Robredo

Lopez - Levine
Berankis - Ball
Kunitsyn - Troicki
Brown - Melzer

Berdych - Golubev
Sweeting - Becker
Tursunov - Schuettler
Istomin - Wawrinka

Hanescu - Kusnetsov
Ilhan - Daniel
Andreev - Brands
Anderson - Davydenko

Djokovic - Rochus
Chela - Dent
Evans - Huta Galong
Lorenzi - Montanes

Monfils - Mayer
Beck - Petzschner
Schwank - Korolev
Gonzalez - Hewitt

Cilic - Mayer
Fish - Tomic
Zeballos - Lu
Pryziezny - Ljubicic

Kohlschreiber - Starace
Delgado - Gabashvili
Llodra - Witten
Ram - Roddick

........................

Verdasco - Fognini
Russell - Riba
A Beck - Baker
Vliegen - Benneteau

Almagro - Seppi
Kamke - Garcia-Lopez
Chuidinelli - Dolgopolov
Kendrick - Tsonga

Ferrero - Malisse
Reister - De Voest
Hernandez - Dodig
Stakhovsky - Querrey

Simon - Alcaide
Marchenko - Berrer
Nieminen - Koubek
Hajek - Murray

Soderling - Ginepri
Gil - Granollers
Soeda - Fischer
Mello - Bellucci

Baghdatis - Lacko
Chardy - Gimeno-Traver
Greul - Serra
Kiefer - Ferrer

Youzhny - Sela
Gicquel - Mathieu
De Bakker - Giraldo
Mahut - Isner

Gulbis - Robert
Kavcic - Kubot
Haase - Blake
Nishikori - Nadal

Tough draw for Nadal.Kind of balances the French open draw he enjoyed.I thought Almagro was hurt though.

The draw is good Fed , Nadal, Rod and Murray all can make it to semis if they keep winning till quarter.

As usual, Federer always enjoys the easiest draw at Wimby.........and i bet rain-free too!!!!

This just sucks!!!!

The advantage of being the champion:) LOL

Thanks Ricky.
This year Wimbly seems a bit more mysterious than usual, (in terms of who might win).

SMR,

this is due to the vulnarable FEDEX Express...

True, champ. Also with Murray's and Djokovic's recent playing form who knows what might happen.

Dont think Fed is vulnerable, he always has a way of coming out of the abyss when u least expect.......I dont trust him not one bit!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Despite Rafa's tough draw, I know he will do his best to come out with good results. I wish him all the best!

VAMOS!!!!!!!!!!!!!

@Monalysa

"As usual, Federer always enjoys the easiest draw at Wimby.........and i bet rain-free too!!!!

This just sucks!!!!"


Roger has no contral over weather.. why are u so pathetic when it comes to talk about federer.

IMO ...

Rafa has the toughest draw and roger has easiest but considering the current form of roger even this draw will call as modest... may be he will raise his will power !!

About Rafa ,he will surely reach the semis and if he will able to hold his nerve at grass then he is the MOST likely contender to win the trophy :)

rafa-nishikori
rafa-blake
rafa-gulbis
rafa-isner/youzhny
rafa-sode rling/ferrer/bagdhatis
rafa-murray
rafa-federer

one of the toughest roads to a final of a grand slam iv seen

I don't think the draw is tough for Rafa. He can beat all those along his path. There is no need for any worry. He can win if he plays his best tennis, I prefer him winning by playing his best tennis rather than meeting and beating 'easy' opponents. If he wants to win Wimby again, I want to see him as a worthy champion!

I don't care what draw Fed has, if he is good he should be able to reach the final. If we have Rafa vs Fed final, I know Rafa can win, but personally I wish for a Rafa/Hewitt final. I want to see Rafa against Hewitt on grass and this time Rafa to beat Hewitt. (Hewitt had beaten Rafa once on grass at Queen's a few years back)

expected, murray ends into rafa's half. nice job wimby officials!

Why would Blake or Youzny trouble Rafa or do you guys know something I don't?!

well, well, well!!
I just saw it now..
gonzalez vs hewitt??
which gonzalez??

ok,
maximo gonzalez..

Off topic, I have Llodra vs Dolgopolov at Eastbourne on my TV screen. Interesting S & V game by Llodra. I always love Llodra's S & V game. This Dolgopolov is playing beautifully at the net. I understand why Rafa having some problems with Dolgo at Madrid, this guy moves well too.

asking and answerin on ur own...eh clayking....;)

@DEUCE...blake has always troubled rafa on faster surfaces...if u look up their past matches(though i dont think he will trouble him this time around)......

YOUZHNY took rafa to 5 sets at wimby 07....he is capable player....can worry anyone

youzhny has also taken rafa to 5 in oz open as well.....

I want to see Rafa against Hewitt on grass and this time Rafa to beat Hewitt. (Hewitt had beaten Rafa once on grass at Queen's a few years back)

luckystar , 6/18/10 3:32 PM


Actually, Hewitt did not beat Rafa at Queens, they were 1 set all 3.6 6.3 in 2006, when Rafa retired due to injury to his shoulder:

INJURED SHOULDER

Nadal and Hewitt were locked at one set all when Nadal signalled to umpire Gerry Armstrong that he could not carry on.

The Spaniard had needed treatment on his left shoulder throughout the match and after losing the second set shook his head and walked off court.

Blake is a good player but still even he is missing his charm

blake sucks these days,so i doubt he will even TROUBLE nadal at wimblyy. Gulbis and Soderling might tho.

@nadline , 6/18/10 4:48 PM

Technically it was a win for Hewitt, but for the purposes of this discussion, it doesn't count. It doesn't prove that Hewitt can beat Rafa on grass.

OK nadline, noted. Still I like to see Rafa/Hewitt for a change. If not Rafa/Roddick, of course with Rafa winning. It will be sad for Roddick if he gets to final and get beaten again, but I'll never root against Rafa!

Blake and Youzhny - I think Rafa is good enough to beat them. Rafa had beaten Youzhny at the Wimby 08. On grass I think Rafa is better than Blake.

tj600: re Blake, that's what I thought, he's way past his sell by date. As for Youzny, I like him very much, but he promises everything and delivers nothing. A bit harsh, but you know what I mean!

Rafa's draw is more difficult than Federer's, but as #3 in the world, I think Nole's is the toughest. Just-beat-theFed-Hewitt in R3? I'll be happy if he makes it to the QF!

poor roddick must be lamenting always ending up in federer's draw. he would be confident of taking on rafa on grass i guess.. isnt roddick a tougher draw than the sod on grass??

it is really sad for Novak as he got few good players in his route..
Hewitt-Rod-Fed

Rodick could have played better against Nadal on grass.

Hello, didn't you know that Rafa had beaten Roddick at Queen's in 2008, in the semifinal in straight sets! What's all these Roddick could have played better against Nadal on grass? Judging by Roddick's form at the moment, whoever he meets, he may lose - be it Fed, Rafa or Hewitt. If both make it, I hope to see Roddick/Llodra in the second round of Wimby. Most likely, we will see Roddick vs Hewitt again, just like last year, unless Nole can do something to stop Hewitt.

@deuce
thats what i thought as well.

This is off topic,but the WC referees suck. First they send of Klose for no apparent reason,then they disallow a legitimate goal from the US which prevented them from winning.

because the whistle was blown before the goal was scored but all i saw was the slovenian players physically holding back the american players in the box. did something happen right before that we missed?

Wow! Nadal's definitely gotten a raw deal with the draw i.e Nishikori, Blake, Gulbis, Youzhny/Isner, Soderling, Murray, Federer to win. I can't imagine how he could have handpicked worse opponents. Gulbis is a huge threat and was BY FAR Nadal's toughest opponent in the entire clay court season. And he plays better on grass than clay. To face him, as early as the 3rd round would be extremely tricky.
Then in the 4th round, Rafa has Youzhny who nearly beat him at Wimbledon once, or Isner, who NO ONE would like to face early, as the American could beat anyone if he serves out of his mind.

Then in the quarters Nadal faces Soderling. Make no mistake about it, Soderling is by far the TOUGHEST opponent for anyone in the quarters, be it Fed/Nadal/Djokovic/Murray. He's beaten both Federer and Nadal in a slam which is MUCH MORE than can be said of the other players. Nadal's unfortunate to have drawn him. Then Murray in the SF is definitely much tougher than Djokovic in the SF on grass.

Federer's draw definitely does look easier if we compare round by round. Davydenko is poor on grass and won't make it to the QF, so Federer shouldn't have much problems in the QF. And that's true even if he faces Berdych. Certainly his main test would be running into Roddick in the SF. But then Roddick is about to make his 10th attempt to beat Federer for the FIRST TIME in a slam! In fact there is probably a better chance of Nadal hitting twenty 140 MPH+ aces in a match, than a Berdych or Hewitt beating Federer at Wimbledon. I would say Fed has a great chance to atleast reach the final. If he doesn't with this draw, then he must be really playing bad.

Nadal has a tortuous path to the SF/F and there is a good chance that he could get upset fairly early. And whoever gets to the final will probably be more fatigued while playing Federer.

@homos
Nope. The commentators and hosts(who discussed this after the match) were at loss as to why the referee disallowed it. They said that it really should not have occurred.

@luckystar...did u read wat STEVE TIGNOR wrote...he predicts a rafa-hewitt final too

i personally think its gonna be fed-murray or nadal-fed at the finals

yes i know tj, the commentators said that but they also said that the whistle was blown before the goal was scored and they think that's why it was disallowed - but the reason for the whistle being blown still seems a mystery.

vrael,
did you read the article about bopanna qureshi in deuce on atp website??

clayking,
what happened with it ???????

yep...i also read the article on juan carlos ferrero...such a class act...always gracious....last year he did well at queens....hope he goes deep at wimbledon this time...

interesting video for u clayking

http://goo.gl/MogP

jason goodall is my fav commentator...he is talking in this vid

so eager for wimbledon to start...WC has been a bit dissapointing for me...hopefully wimby will bring joy...just like it did at 08

VAMOS!!!

oh ya juanqui one i read..
really my fav article :P
thanks for the video..
I knew that avg RPM but the max RPM, seriously??
that's viciously vicious!!!
and I thought fed's avg was 2400, here I saw it as 2700..

champ,
nothing happened.
i just asked if vrael read it since it is about our countryman..

I'm going to miss the first week of Wimbledon except for Monday, so I shall see Federer's first match, but not Rafa's, I hope that by the time I get back, Rafa will be safely through the tricky early rounds, at least I won't have to sit nervously through those matches.

I might be able to catch the matches in Washington DC, but when you are away from home you can't gaurantee anything.

Rafa has never had an easy path through any tournament, he always has to earn his place in the final when he gets there, so nothing new here, whilst Roger always seems to sail through until they meet in the final, so I keep my fingers crossed that they will meet again this time.

We musn't forget that Roger was taken to 3 sets by Petzcthner in a very close contested match in Halle and eventually lost to Hewitt on grass, so Roger is not unassailable on grass anymore. There are a lot of hungry players out there, and the aura is a little bit dented.

vrael, this Steve Tignor's predictions almost always didn't come true. I hope he picks some other players instead.

For Murray, I see nothing from him that tells me he is ready to win Wimbledon this year. Likewise for Nole. I really don't know whether the two of them can turn things around soon enough for Wimbledon. At least Rafa has the winning momentum with him; likewise for Hewitt. Fed being Fed we cannot discount him at Wimbledon. Roddick I think he can at least reach the QF, thereafter he most probably will meet Hewitt or Nole (my feeling is Hewitt). If it is Hewitt then it will be Hewitt to the SF; if Nole then I think it will be Roddick for the SF.

I'm positive that Rafa can make it to the final, regardless of his draw. Sometimes seeds or dangerous players along the way may fall, so seemingly 'difficult' draw may turn out not so 'difficult' after all.

There are quite a few early matches that are interesting:
De Bakker vs Giraldo;
Tsonga vs Kendrick and then maybe against Dolgopolov(he is an interesting player with entertaining shots);
Isner vs Mahut (big serve vs S & V);
Roddick vs Llodra (if they meet)

It seems that Almagro always scheduled to meet Tsonga, if they really meet this time, it is the fourth or fifth time this year!!

"This is off topic,but the WC referees suck. First they send of Klose for no apparent reason"

second yellow card from the back while serbia was building offense; totally deserved. also, always happy when free world resists to the american arm wrestling and world policing.

the queen is visting wimby on thursday. just as well it worked out that muzz was in rafa's half so she wouldn't miss him...

@clayking...yep vicious it is!!!!

some other expert picks here

http://goo.gl/LoN3

rafa had the easiest route ever to the FO, whilst Roger's was much tougher. Thank goodness that things have evened out at wimby. Also good for murray that he seems to have an easier draw at wimby, as he had the hardest route at FO.

Come on Federer!

Nadal gets an easy draw quite often and the draw at FO was simply ridiculous -starting with No 655 and till the final he didn't face any top 20 player!

And Monalysa: you can believe me - any draw Federer gets is claimed by Nadal fans as an easy one which do not fit the facts!!! Look at Fed's draw for the last Slams:
AO 2009: Safin, Berdych, Del Potro, Roddick, Nadal
RG 2009: Acasuso, Haas, Monfils, Del Potro, Soderling
W 2009: Kohlschreiber, Soderling, Karlovic, Haas, Roddick
USO 2009: Soderling, Djokovic, Del Potro
AO 2010: All players in the Top 50- Andreev, Hewitt, Davydenko, Tsonga, Murray

Try to calm your emotions and simply analyze what is written black on white...

@maxi....u were one of those who said that hewitt is considered an old man on tennis circuits these days in response to my post....where i had said that rafa had a pretty good draw for FO...HEWITT just proved wat i was saying...hilarious,u were comparing wawrinka and hewitt...lol......rafa faced all the clay courters which are seriously much tougher than all those federer faced...toughest of them was wawrinka(LOL)....FEDERER lost to soderling...and rafa just OWNED soderling(who was the toughest roger faced at FO THIS YEAR)in the finals....AND u still feel that rafa had an easy FO...news flash....RAFA JUST MADE IT LOOK EASY...it wasnt EASY AT ALL!!!

@ystd...."Nadal gets an easy draw quite often and the draw at FO was simply ridiculous -starting with No 655 and till the final he didn't face any top 20 player".....how many top 20 atp players are good at clay???? horacio zabellos,almagro...these are easily one of the top 15 clay court players present...

@vrael if your logic is correct, then why this whole discussion - how many players at all are good on grass? If any then Hewitt and Roddick and they both are on Fed's side...

@vrael - the first prediction of the year was that Federer would not win any major this year and Sharapova would win AO - both were wrong...

yep hewitt and roddick are the best at grass after federer and nadal......BUT roger's not gonna meet them b4 quarter's or semis i guess....nd he will face only ONE of them.....whereas rafael's has murray,(one of the best at grass as well) for semis...gulbis(good on grass) for third round.....ppl like soderling,isner,youzhny which are dangerous as well....so OVER ALL...i feel rafa's draw is tougher

@ystd....wat are u trying to say by bringing up the predictions????

i dont endorse them at all!!!

IV NEVER PREDICTED ANY GRAND SLAM B4 HAND.....i just posted a link for clayking,which had predictions!!

@vrael - that is your right to feel what you feel, but everybody else also has the right to feel and think. Why are you so nervous? Nobody is saying that you are predicting something, I just feel that all the predictions are silly since they only show what this particular person feels, as you say, nothing else. I just commented on the predictions in the link you posted.
Gulbis never achieved anything spectacular on grass, as well as Isner etc. but you are right - they can be dangerous. But we also have seen - Lopez is dangerous on grass after Nadal lost to him in straight sets... Everyone who is playing well is dangerous for someone who is playing (maybe on this particular day) not that well...
No reason to attack the others if they don't feel the same as you do...

ATTACK??? wow....

not nervous at all...smiling and counting down the days left for capello as england's coach...lol...nd yeah waiting for WIMBLEDON!!!

Fed has quite easy draw, but he will most likely lose in the QF to Andreev.Nole will get to the semifinals and he will be beaten by Andreev,too.Novak will lead 6-2 6-3 5-1 ,but in the end Andreev will prevail in 5 sets. For the finals, I predict Juan CF to beat Andreev in 3 sets.

Oh, Ice, when was the last time Andreev won a match? But lets just wait and see and enjoy the exciting tennis matches!!!!

i would be surprised if berdych doesn't reach the quarters to meet federer.

the Swiss was sober in his assessment. "I?m not going to support his opponents in the quarters, semis or whatever here just so that he doesn?t take the No.1 spot off me," he said as the Majorcan honed in and eventually took the top spot with his defeat of Soderling in the final. "The best player deserves to have the top ranking and at the moment, he is the best player."

Here is what I think about the draw- SQUAT ALL!!!!!!
Draws are only threatening with the assumption that all in it will be playing 'lights out tennis'...
You heard it hear first- this years Wimbledon will be shambles with a fair few of surprise exists or as Nadal likes to call the unexplainable, "disasters".

Thats all I am saying!

I am not worried at all, because I have a very good feeling as how the cards will fall.

All I am going to say is this- for all those who bet, bet SMART...ie. put your love affairs with your favourite player aside and bet based on instinct and object analyse of form and consistency.

I don't think there's a doubt that Rafa's draw is extremely tough on paper. However, as isabeau said, things don't always play out as scheduled. That's one reason why I am not hitting the panic button. I got what I wished for already - a happy, healthy, fit Rafa who has been playing brilliant tennis, won the unofficial clay slam and now has the #1 ranking! He has nothing to lose and everything to gain.

Rafa has a way of overcoming even the most difficult obstacles in his path. Whoever he faces, I am confident that he will do well. I have not joined the Gulbis bandwagon yet. I want to see if this kid can play well consistently. He has been all over the place and hasn't put in the hard work and effort required to be considered a serious contender. He will not be able to stay with Rafa in a best three out of five set match. As for Blake, his best days are behind him. Youzhny is a tough opponent, but Rafa knows him and has beaten him in the past. No surprises there.

I am trying not to think past the early rounds at this point. It just doesn't make much sense to worry about what may or may not happen, who may or may not get through. The early rounds are the most dangerous, so that is where my focus will be for now.

The fact that Rafa is in excellent form bodes well for him as he tackles it one match at a time. Djoker, Murray, Fed and even Roddick have not been in good form, so easy draw or hard draw, their work is cut out for them.

Let the games begin!

http://goo.gl/jS9G

lot of questions answered by rafa and andy here!!!

I agree NNY & Isabeau.

Rafa is fit & healthy and ready to play. No need to panic as he is going to face them one by one (not simultaneously) if he is lucky to get through every round until the finals. I like it matter of fact, the tigher draw the better.

Rafa play well and get W crown.

Vamos !!!

NNY- You are absolutely right! Match by match

EVERYONE ELSE- If the World Cup has taught as anything is to play the ball, not the name of the opponent! Spain, Germany, England, Italy

All those who are having premature heart attacks about the draw are basing their assumption on the 'players name'. For example, what has Djokovic done lately...nothing, he is but his name.
Same goes for ANdy Murray who hasnt even won a slam, unlike Djokovic and what has Gulbis consistently proven???...The answer is that they are all inconsistent and not only inconsistent but are having a horrid time of things at the moment on the tennis court. See how everyone is stressing over the name of the player, because its Murray, because it Djokovic, because its Soderling...
etc etc etc.

Now lets all takes a chill pill and let the cards unfold match by match...:)

So isabeau77 is it a Querry v. Hewitt final?

Deuce- it will definitely not be Querry in the final. Hewitt there is an actual possibility.
For those calling hewitt an old man,isn't federer his age! Give it a break, you people would be lucky to have as much talent in tennis as hewitt has as an 'old man'

Good as his form is I'm not sure Hewitt can hold up for two weeks and peak for a QF, and SF , particularly as the weather is unsettled for mid-tournament and we can expect the usual rain disruption to the schedule. There are only a very few players capable of playing tough five-setters on consecutive days and coming out on top!

Raindrops is right. Rafa thrives on tough early rounds and five-setters on grass don't trouble him.

isabeau77, I love Hewitt's fighting spirit and wouldn't mind him being there at all, though as Ed says, 2 weeks, 6 matches and he's had a heck of a lot of surgery. Am amazed at Querry's success, very likeable guy but very limited tennis player. Perhaps he was just there at Queens at the right time and Fish was very helpful collapsing in second set.
As I said b4, I know you guys are all worrying but honestly, providing he's injury free, who actually has a realistic (underlined) chance of upsetting Rafa in the early rounds, given his current form?

Deuce- I agree. The reason I said hewitt has a chance over querry is because is a fighter! No one is going to stroll in and win Wimbledon without having to fight, mighty hard and querry doesn't have the same fight or versatility as hewitt.

But when all is said and done, what chance does the rest of the field have against a fit, well rested, physically and emotional sound, happy rafa with nothing to lose... My answer, not much!

Didn't Hewitt stretched Roddick to five sets during last year's Wimbledon third or fourth round? He has the stamina and the know how to do it, unlike some young and inexperienced players who expended too much energy in the earlier rounds and run out of steam later on. I think if Hewitt meets an off form Nole, Hewitt can beat him. If Roddick and Hewitt meets and both on form, that will be an interesting match. If they go the distance, then the one who benefits will be the one meeting one of them in the SF, unless that player too went through a tough match.

I think Berdych can play on grass and most probably we will see a Fed/Berdych QF. I'm not sure about the outcome of that match, though if an upset is on the card, Berdych is the most likely person to do that in that quarter.

vrael there is a big difference when considering hewitt on clay and hewitt on grass - a whole different story, proved when rafa blasted hewitt off the clay court - did you expect anything different?

For any of the rafa fans to say that roger always has it easy is just not the case. See it however you want to, but you cannot argue with the facts. Federer has not got it easy, otherwise you are being disrespectful to roddick, hewitt and novak. Particularly with roddick and hewitt, who are both excellent grass technicians. Novak is too. I would never write him off on grass.

Like I said, Federer is in the same top half of the draw with Roddick, Novak and Hewitt. Did you see the final last year vrael? roddick could easily have won the final, lost it by a whisker - great match though it was. It is going to be tough.

Nadal has Murray and Soderling in the bottom half of the draw. I dont think murray or soderling will bother rafa too much on grass - though i hope for more of a match from both players as they were walkovers when rafa played them at FO.

Stop making excuses all the time.

""""rafa had the easiest route ever to the FO, whilst Roger's was much tougher. Thank goodness that things have evened out at wimby. Also good for murray that he seems to have an easier draw at wimby, as he had the hardest route at FO.
Come on Federer! maxi , 6/18/10 9:34 PM

Tuwiiit tuwiiiit hypocrite, watch out your crocked tail maxi.

Everyone thought that Roger would walk Halle, but the reality was very different, so Fedfans should stop sounding so smug, Federer could be anybody's these days, even Petzchner ran him ragged in Halle.

I'm gald that Fedfans acknowlege that Rafa has a tough draw, so no back-tracking if he comes out of it unscathed, and Roger doesn't.

VAMOS!

@vrael, thanks ! very interesting, the first comment from andy was funny..lol

and i think hewitt is a contender this time...one of the best competitors of this generation and a veyr positive attitude..he beleives he can win and he can do it i think.for me he is gona beat roddick and nole...fed would be too tough an obstacle but with his victory in halle he might be feeling good and who knows we might get to see a shocker.

nadal is not gona lose to gulbis/soda i think...they will only push rafa to 4 or may b 5 sets but rafa will prevail ...muzza has a easy draw but even then he i s not certain to rech the semis , if does reach there and confronts rafa...i think rafa wont spare him , murray really needs to do sumthing with his 2nd serve.in 08 rafa just murdered his weak 2nd serves. Muzza is a quality player so u never know but roger-rafa final seems likely. potential party crashers are hewitt,roddick,muzza and may be soda

vrael, you addressed me, so i responded to you.

federer is so lucky to finally not be on söderling's half of the draw

I think Rafa has sussed Sod out, and I don't think Sod has any other agenda as far as his style goes, that's it, he serves well, and slaps the ball as hard as he can, but he'll find that Rafa is now more than a handful for him. Rafa learns from his mistakes, and his game is evolving all the time, his serve is more reliable now to get him out of trouble, and providing he is calm he'll be hard to beat.

@maxi.....dont blame for somthing i never said....i believe all federer's grand slams are well earned...so are rafa's......not making any excuses at all......why are u feeling that i am making an excuse....rafa has the tougher draw this time...its a FACT....but i expect him to win nonetheless.....and if he doesnt...i wont be crying abt his DRAW....

"Roger will on 1 side on centre court at All England Lawn tennis club "

and if on otherside it will be rafa then match will be interesting otherwise we all know the destiny!!

Anyone can confirm this post on 4th of july !!!

its sort of surprising...even at wimbledon majority of experts/analysts are piacking Nadal to win. I came across to wimby previews from two diff authors from bleacher report and both picked rafa as the champ , one said rafa over roger and one said rafa over roddick...similarly 3/6 editors from tennis.com have picked rafa and only one picked roger .. brad gilbert has also rated nadal as the favorite with roger as the 2nd favorite.. seems as if they are making picks with RG in mind but its wimbledon and still...so majority thinks rafa is the favorite this time.... i wonder what the experts here have to say.

vamosrafa, I'm no expert here, but I agree with the experts that Rafa is the hot favorite to win. He missed the Wimbledon last year, so I know he is really determined to win it this time; just like in 2008, after suffering that heart breaking defeat in 2007. We know how Rafa is like when he puts his heart and his mind into doing something.

I see Fed as more vulnerable this year compared to the past years. From the NA hard court season through the clay season, even until Halle, we see him having lapses in concentration here and there, and his forehand misfiring more often than during the earlier part of the year. I think the lung infection has affected his training schedule. He may right the ship during the earlier rounds but if he meets some players who are able to capitalize on his weaknesses, he'll have hard times. (AO & USO 08, AO & FO 09 come to the mind). Players like Berdych, Hewitt, Roddick and Nole (if he regains his form) are capable of giving him hard times on the court; not forgetting Tipsy in the third round(if Tipsy gets that far) who always plays above his normal level when he faces a top player (he took out Roddick in the 2008 Wimby).

Anyway, favorite or not, what matters is how the player plays and wins his matches. Fingers crossed, and hope that my favorite player will come through and be the winner of the trophy!

and now tim henman also hailed rafa as the top favorite !

Kind Wimbledon draw favours Andy Murray and Roger Federer

http://www.guardian.co.uk/sport/2010/jun/18/wimbledon-draw- andy-murray-roger-federer

Talk about throwing down the gauntlet!! ...Rise and shine Rafa...Vamos! Campion.
Btw Love your post and attitude Nny.

vrael,
?

It's saturday! I'm relaxing! not blaming you for anything. You asked me a question earlier, and I responded. Nothing more than that. There seems to be a lot of discussion on the seedings, but this has always been the case with this rule, it has nothing to do with Roger Federer and the No.2/No.1 argument. This is wimbledon's AELTC rules, not Federer's or anyone elses.

and i think if you look at the past performances:Federer is a 6 time Wimbledon champion, he is also the defending champion and has defeated Nadal twice before at Wimbledon. He should be the top seed.

Yes Nadal has won Wimbledon once before and made the finals two other times, but he is ultimately the second favorite on that surface (meaning he should be seeded second).

The only argument with the men's seedings should be who should be seeded higher, Nadal or Roddick. Roddick should be the third seed because his results on grass and Wimbledon have been superior to that of the players ranked above him except Federer and Nadal. He is a three time finalist and last year's finalist as well and won the Queens Club tournament 4 times.

Lleyton Hewitt should also be seeded much higher than his current ranking since he is a previous Wimbledon champion, also a 4 time Queens club champion and just took out Roger Federer at Halle on grass.
vrael, one thing. you are saying that soderling is better on grass than rafa?
how come?

http://www.thetimes.co.uk/tto/sport/tennis/article2563159.ece





Relentless Rafael Nadal focused on reclaiming his lost crown
Nadal knows that he is capable of a second back-to-back Paris-London triumph
Graham Hughes for The Times


Rafael Nadal photographed at Wimbledon
Neil Harman
Last updated June 18 2010 9:00PM

The comment was delivered under his breath, but spoken just loud enough that you suspected he wanted you to catch it.

Andy Roddick was practising with Rafael Nadal on No 15 Court at the All England Club. His backhand approach was placed on a sixpence, but Nadal was to it in a flash and the forehand pass caressed the inside of the line. ?The lower it goes, the better he hits it. This is f***ing weird,? Roddick said, his admiration not the least bit forced.

Contriving winners from impossible positions has long been Nadal?s forte. ?I love that shot,? he said yesterday.

It is why he has won seven grand-slam tournament titles, the latest of which, in Paris a fortnight ago, rounded off another season of clay-court tennis in which he had been irresistible. It is one of the reasons you want to watch him play, to gawp at his superhuman abilities, his breathtaking intensity, to try to work out how he makes the shots he plays. And yes, it is weird.........................

"http://sify.com/sports/true-champions-are-only-made-at-the-wimbledon- news-columns-kgtrr5ggihc.html"

some thoughts about seeding at all!!

wimbledon has exclusive ranking system because unlike other surfaces slams ATP doesnt have proper grass season preceeding GRASS slam

So everyone is areed that Roger and Murray have an easy draw, so if either of them win we will all know why.


VAMOS!

corr.
so if either of them winS we will all know why.

Gulbis is out, so Nadal's draw is somewhat less taxing

A defeat is defeat whatever the reason may be AS CALLED injuries, cry on tough draw etc. No one will remember the reason of defeats.

A loser can give 100 of reasons (e.g. not healthy, tough components, not find my game and blah blah blah) of his defeat but a winner accept the defeat as it comes!!

sorry for gulbis but TBH i feel a little relieved becoz gulbis was a dangerous 3rd rnd opponent. gulbis retired due the same injury, ricky?

yep, hamstring

thanks. now the draw has balanced up to a good extent imo.

Petzschner now No. 33 in Gulbis' spot

Yes we all know its because they won all the 7 matches!

Those who are living in the real world, know that Fed and Murray have the easiest draws. Anyone who tries to somehow turn it around for their personal agenda, is simply not being honest! Let's at least be real with each other here.

Rafa fans don't make excuses! I hear this nonsenical comment so many times and it's just become positively ludicrous! If you go on any pro-Fed tennis forum, you will see them talking about how what an easy draw Rafa has at Wimby! Now that's propaganda. Fed fans would be the only ones to have the gall to say that Rafa's draw is easy. What else is new in the world?

Rafa will be tested from the start, in the early rounds, which can be the most dangerous. That is simply not the case for the likes of Fed and Murray. Why facts and reality must be constantly distorted by certain Fed fans continues to baffle me.

Rafa will handle his tough draw like the great champion that he is and will always be. He will stay calm, focused and take it one match at a time. If Rafa freaked out every time he had a tough draw, he would never have been able to do what he has done in tennis.

So Gulbis is out. You see, you never know what may happen in a draw so there is no point in worrying about it. However this does not surprise me as I did say that this years Wimbledon will be a shambles with a fair few suprising exists and Wimbledon hasn't even started yet.

Even though gulbis is out rafa still has a harder draw that Murray or federer but that's ok, because the draw won't influence who wins, form
will. A player can lose to a much lesser player if he plays poorly, even if their draw appears easy.

Now Gulbis is out, so that's one less guy for Rafa to worry about, even though he still has some very tough possible opponents in the early rounds. The only reason I am not all that worried is because Rafa is in great form. I just dislike people rewriting reality. It's a very obvious attempt to demean a possible win by Rafa, essentially saying that he had an easy draw. We heard the same refrain when he won RG. Some things never change. Facts and reality are twisted to be something which they are not.

Rafa has had tough draws before and he will again. If he was the kind of person who worried and fretted about all his prospective opponents, then he'd never be able to go out there and win each match, one at a time. Rafa is more than up to the task at hand. I have absolute faith and confidence in him!

Not until QF do all these players meet others who can defeat them in a 5 setter .. rafa's fans must be kidding if they feel that Nishikori/Blake/even Gulbis can defeat him in a five setter ... the only danger lurking is Isner .. who tends to have a on and off game and Rafa will tame him... Sod on grass - no worries ... similarly Fed faces good players, but none he should fear in a 5 setter .. Robredo is a potential banana peel, but Fed might handle him well .. QF is where the action starts .. and I have a gut feel that Murray might keep his date with the queen ....

Having an EASY DRAW can be a curse in disguise, because a player can plod along winning easily and thinking that he/she is playing well because they are winning without to much physical or mental effort...hence giving them a false sense of form.

Easy matches do nothing to prepare you mentally to fight, to scramble, nor do they play you into form as some think. Rather they play you into second or third gear, that at times players cant get out, because they have left it too late..ie. when they come up against a stiff opponent, when it is at these moments they need to be able to play their A game or at least dig deep enough to find it.
This is how and why Federer lost to Soderling at the French and why he lost to Hewitt at Halle (and Fed fans. No one enters a final not wanting to try their hardest to win it).

And this is why i am not worried about Rafa, because he lives for the fight and if the draw is difficult even better, because thats what feeds him. It means by the time Rafa gets to the final he is well oiled so to speak and in prime form, provided he isnt spending over time on court, just ask Soderling

Rafa had the hardest draw at the French because he had most if not all the clay courters on his side of the draw before the final and the French OPen is a claycourt event! Anyone who thinks Rafa had is easy is kidding themselves.

Wimbledon still hasn't amended he draw, but I found this on the internet, so it can't be a rumour, and I'm sure that Ricky's source must be reliable.

Gulbis Out of Wimbledon

June 19, 2010 · Print This Article
Ernest Gulbis of Latvia serves during his match against Julien Benneteau of France at the French Open tennis tournament at Roland Garros in Paris, May 23, 2010. REUTERS/Bogdan Cristel (FRANCE - Tags: SPORT TENNIS)

Current world No. 29 Ernests Gulbis has withdrawn from Wimbledon with a right thigh muscle tear.

Sustaining the injury against Julien Benneteau during the first-round of the French Open, Gulbis and his camp decided to forgo the third Grand Slam of the season and fully recover for the upcoming hard-court swing.

Gublis? stellar year had included wins over Roger Federer in Rome, and taking a set off of Rafael Nadal later in the event in the semifinals.

The 21-year-old Latvian was slated to meet 2008 champ Nadal in the third-round at the All England Club.

Well yes Rafa does have the draw from hell, but if he is healthy and playing well I shan't worry, and that is a big if. I saw Rafa at Queens and he was clearly tired so I am hoping his trip to Mallorca for a few days has refreshed him, I also thing the Clay slam took alot out of him emotionally so its normally for him to have a dip afterwards. Btw why is everyone righting off Soderling on grass? did anyone not see him against Federer last year? sure Federer one but it was not an easy match by any account! He also had a greuling five setter against Rafa 2007! all be it over rainy days! well at least with the center court roof there shan't be such problems. I think its best to take one match at a time like the players do before one judges, Nishikori Rafa's first opponent took a set off him @ Queens 2008! he isn't to be taken lightly! *fingers crossed Rafa fans*

Not that i think Rafa is going to be troubled too much in early rounds but how is this Petzchener guy who has replaced Gulbis.
Not heard too much of him. Is he a big or good server or a hard hitter guy type. If he is decent ground stroker guy then i think Rafa will have it easy till fourth round because he matches well with ground stroker players but has much problems against big hitters and big servers.

@iMaFaN....petzy is very good on grass...did you not see the match between him and federer at halle this year???

federer was all praise for him!!!

@vrael......well actually i didn't see the match. the scoreline was 7-6 6-4 to federer so i assume Petzhener is a good player. but what i wanted to know was that is he as much as threat as a fit Gulbis would have been i.e does he has such ground strokes to trouble Nadal or not or he happens to be just a good player on grass.......i am not underestimating anyone's talent but just want a liitle analysis of how much he could trouble Nadal.....although there are also other players which have to be taken care of before Nadal progresses further and deeper in the wimby championship.

To all Rafa fans. I had a look at all the draw right through the clay season. Rafa has the most easiest draw going, he didn't face anyone in the top ten during clay apart from two. Stop moaning about Roger, Roger faced tougher draws than Rafa put together. I don't know why all of you moaning about Rafa draw. I found the whole clay season very boring and no compettion at all. I am glad to see there is a balanced draw for Rafa and Roger. I want to see more competition on Rafa side as it is boring in straight sets all the time, I want to see proper tennis from Rafa not straight sets all the time like the clay season was.

@iMaFaN....iv not seen much of petzchner either......but i did see some of the halle match....he has a good serve for grass,has a great slice...moves well....can hit it flat and hard from both wings as well.....but he is no THREAT to a healthy rafa......gulbis at his best is a better opponent for rafa at grass imo......

I have seen Petzchner play, he has got strong serve and very hard hitting forehand. He can be dangerous given on the day. It depends on what his form will be like.

@ vrael. thanks....just wanted to know that .. so now i think the the draw balances slightly well for Nadal.... Not that i don't expect him to get pass through with ease if he is fit and playing well but just perhaps a little less to worry about first week of Wimby for Nadal fans... don't you think :)
By the way sorry for Gulbis....would have liked to see him play but perhaps not Rafa so early in the tournament :)

Tennisball- clearly you know NOTHING about tennis.

The reason why Rafa wins in straight sets on clay and makes it look easy when it isn't, is because he is THAT GOOD on clay! Also when on clay the hardest possible draw is to draw the best clay courters in the world in your half. Rafa has played them all, including Vedarsco and Almagro were both sent packing!

I cant believe you can seriously sit here and write what you have written after 'apparently' looking at all the draws and say that Rafa had easy draws throughout the clay court season than Federer who not only didnt play all the masters tournaments but entered Estoril (tournament 250) which he ended up losing to Clement. I mean short of Federer playing juniors how much easier do you want Federer draws?
And to further prove my point, below is a list of all the clay tournaments and opposition Rafa and Roger to prove to you that you are in fact biased and wrong.

ROGER FEDERER

Masters 1000 Monte Carlo
Skipped

Masters 1000 Rome
R64 Bye N/A W
R32 Ernests Gulbis (LAT) 40 L 6-2, 1-6, 5-7

Tournament 250 -Estroril (No one significant was even there!)
R32 Bye N/A W
R16 Bjorn Phau (GER) 138 W 6-3, 6-4 Stats
Q Arnaud Clement (FRA) 83 W 7-6(7), 6-2 Stats
S Albert Montanes (ESP) 34 L 2-6, 6-7(5) Stats

Masters 1000 Madrid
R64 Bye N/A W
R32 Benjamin Becker (GER) 46 W 6-2, 7-6(4) Stats
R16 Stanislas Wawrinka (SUI) 23 W 6-3, 6-1 Stats
Q Ernests Gulbis (LAT) 34 W 3-6, 6-1, 6-4 Stats
S David Ferrer (ESP) 12 W 7-5, 3-6, 6-3 Stats
F Rafael Nadal (ESP) 3 L 4-6, 6-7(5) Stats

ROLAND GARROS
R128 Peter Luczak (AUS) 71 W 6-4, 6-1, 6-2 Stats
R64 Alejandro Falla (COL) 70 W 7-6(4), 6-2, 6-4 Stats
R32 Julian Reister (GER) 165 W 6-4, 6-0, 6-4 Stats
R16 Stanislas Wawrinka (SUI) 24 W 6-3, 7-6(5), 6-2 Stats
Q Robin Soderling (SWE) 7 L 6-3, 3-6, 5-7, 4-6 Stats


RAFAEL NADAL

Masters 1000 - MOnte Carlo

R64 Bye N/A W
R32 Thiemo de Bakker (NED) 77 W 6-1, 6-0 Stats
R16 Michael Berrer (GER) 51 W 6-0, 6-1 Stats
Q Juan Carlos Ferrero (ESP) 16 W 6-4, 6-2 Stats
S David Ferrer (ESP) 17 W 6-2, 6-3 Stats
W Fernando Verdasco (ESP) 12 W 6-0, 6-1 Stats

Masters 1000 Rome

R64 Bye N/A W
R32 Philipp Kohlschreiber (GER) 29 W 6-1, 6-3 Stats
R16 Victor Hanescu (ROU) 39 W 6-3, 6-2 Stats
Q Stanislas Wawrinka (SUI) 26 W 6-4, 6-1 Stats
S Ernests Gulbis (LAT) 40 W 6-4, 3-6, 6-4 Stats
W David Ferrer (ESP) 17 W 7-5, 6-2 Stats

Masters 1000 - Madrid
R64 Bye N/A W
R32 Alexandr Dolgopolov (UKR) 62 W 6-4, 6-3 Stats
R16 John Isner (USA) 19 W 7-5, 6-4 Stats
Q Gael Monfils (FRA) 18 W 6-1, 6-3 Stats
S Nicolas Almagro (ESP) 35 W 4-6, 6-2, 6-2 Stats
W Roger Federer (SUI) 1 W 6-4, 7-6(5) Stats

Roland Garros
R128 Gianni Mina (FRA) 655 W 6-2, 6-2, 6-2 Stats
R64 Horacio Zeballos (ARG) 44 W 6-2, 6-2, 6-3 Stats
R32 Lleyton Hewitt (AUS) 33 W 6-3, 6-4, 6-3 Stats
R16 Thomaz Bellucci (BRA) 29 W 6-2, 7-5, 6-4 Stats
Q Nicolas Almagro (ESP) 21 W 7-6(2), 7-6(3), 6-4 Stats
S Jurgen Melzer (AUT) 27 W 6-2, 6-3, 7-6(6) Stats
W Robin Soderling (SWE) 7 W 6-4, 6-2, 6-4 Stats

So there you go!!! Facts are facts!
Clearly Rafa had the hardest draws which seem to be the case no matter what surface he plays on!

To Isabeau77 I have been a tennis fan for years. Rafa had the most easiest draw in Monte Carlo the final was laughable (it was more a practice than a match), Rome until he met Gulbis then a walkover in the final to a Spainard who let Nadal win anyway. Rafa always get spainish players in his draw. They let Nadal win anyway. The French Open was a bore. I think you need to get your act together. Nadal always have the easiest draw on Clay.

Did Nadal face anyone in the top forty in his first round match in Monte Carlo. Roger did and Federer was land up with hard draws in the Masters series. In Estoril you got that wrong Roger did beat Clement. He got to the Semi final.

Alot of you got to remember that Roger just coming back from illness. Monte Carlo was too soon after Miami, that why Roger didn't play. He got a family to consider. Alot of you think Nadal is a robot. Nadal is beatable like all players are.

Does anybody else see a marked similarity between comments by tennisball and another trolling poster with an obsession about Federer?

Like some of you are obession with Nadal. Federer fans are entitled to their opinion and Nadals to theirs. You cant everything on Nadal, Nadal all the time. This site is for everyone who are fans of other players.

Excuse me tennisball, just because Rafa meets and beats only two top ten players during the clay season does not mean that his draw is easy. If you want to blame anyone, please blame those top ten players scheduled to meet him but failed to do so. You may have watched tennis for a long long time, but from your post I sensed that you are a biased viewer. Nobody says Rafa is unbeatable, its just that he is very very hard to beat on clay. Just ask Fed and Sod. BTW didn't some Fed fans also said that Fed is untouchable when he plays to his potential? So is Fed a robot too?? The pot calling the kettle black here, I must add.

ed,
this person has a better grammar than the person you refer to (even though the grammar is still poor.. "like some of you are obsession with nadal".. )

Well some of the top ten are injured and not playing their best, that is not their fault or they tanked the match to avoid Nadal. I am not biased I see things, that some of you don't understand.

Rafa's draw on clay is not easy, but neither is it difficult, as there is no difficult draw for Rafa on clay. Big hitters or clay courters or any top ten players, Rafa can handle them all. Just like Fed on grass, there is no difficult draw for Fed on grass, since he already had 6 Wimbledon titles to date. If Fed is fit and healthy, he'll sweep the field, except for one guy.

Yes, and we see things that you don't understand either, tennisball. We all can say what we want and we all can see what we want to see. It does not mean that you are always right, neither are we. To each his own, no point arguing.

What do you think of this peace, i am a Federer fan but i dont think this is realistic.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/tennis/rogerfederer/784 0429/Wimbledon-2010-Pete-Sampras-tips-Roger-Federer-to-win-10-Wimbledo n-titles.html

@taxon
very interesting. I personally think that 8 is a realistic number for him to end up with by the end of his career.

Rafans,

from her alias, replace the "ball" with something to do about "feeling" then you'll know who's this troll we are dealing again. I think she said, the spaniards are no good but bridesmaids to Rafa. She will never ever get over with that hairbrain rant of hers. haha

Raindrops

Your predicitons about Rafa will lawnmow and shear all his opponents to win Wimbledon. What planet are you from?

Oh, I was thinking of someone else, the one obsessed by the state of Roger's health.
Not much to choose between them!

haha don't get too upset tennisbal, just watch a healthy & fit Rafa will do it.

Raindrops

It sounds to me that you expect Rafa to be a robot. It would be boring if Rafa wins in straight sets all the time. Where is the true beauty of tennis. Rafa hasn't got true beauty, his game is so brutal and boring to watch. Rafa uses disgusting gamemanship to make his opponents look defended before they even start. I would like to see real tennis. Rafa takes so long to serve. He takes his time getting up to the net. Rafa uses bad gamemanship.

Draw just got easier for Nadal.

tennisball - You may call Rafa a robot but we certainly don't think he is one. Some may think the world of Fed but many don't. No need to feel bitter that Rafa can do well at Wimbledon, he did steamroll over all players, and beat Fed, at the 2008 Wimbledon. Rafa need not resort to gamesmanship to win, he is good enough to win his matches. Please do not feel like sour grape, or feel insecure, just because Rafa is threatening to win the Wimbledon for the second time. The matches are not played yet, so just keep our fingers crossed and see what will happen.

Rafa's game doesn't have true beauty? Beauty lies in the eyes of the beholders. I prefer Rafa's intensity and his incredible gets, his passing shots, and his speed and footwork. His forehand is unique and his footwork on clay is of extreme beauty. No one can match his movement on clay. I prefer his unique kind of tennis, (rather unorthodox I must say), over the traditional kind of tennis. Rafa is special! Of course I'm not trying to deny Fed's achievements, unlike you who tried hard to belittle Rafa's.

"""I would like to see real tennis."""

This is our tennis in this planet tennisball. You sound alienated with the tennis of normal human beings. What tribe you are from?

Just enjoy your guy with his type of play. There is no Rafan criticizing anyone's game as wicked as you do. It shows how ill you are.

Agree Raindrops. There is no need to criticize anyone's game and no need to be so 'narrow minded' and speaks ill about other players. I think tennisball just feels bitter that Rafa beats his/her favorite guy. Nobody stops tennisball from enjoying his/her fave's tennis and nobody says tennisball has to watch Rafa's tennis. Just leave us alone to enjoy our Rafa tennis!

Raindrops

Your predicitons about Rafa will lawnmow and shear all his opponents to win Wimbledon. What planet are you from?

tennisball , 6/20/10 3:59 PM


I think from planet earth, of course!

VAMOS!

Thanks Nadline for bringing me back to earth. I started to doubt if I am in Pluto which is no longer a planet anymore. :-]]

Raindrops,

No, YOU are not on Pluto, it's tennisball or whatever name this person is using these days, who is living in the outer reaches of our solar system! The rest of us are still here on planet earth, living in the real world where facts cannot be twisted and distorted to mean something different, just to promote a particular disturbed Fed fan's agenda.

Just think - Wimbledon hasn't even started yet and already the crazies are coming out to attack! :)

Federer who not only didnt play all the masters tournaments but entered Estoril (tournament 250) which he ended up losing to Clement.
isabeau77 isabeau77
, 6/20/10 2:17 PM


Isabeau, Federer lost to Montanes in the semi finals and Montanes went on to win Estoril, not clement.

for fans Nadal's game is a beautify of spirit... of course for haters is so boring, not gamemanshipship and so many others negative comments.... Why so jealous??? RAFA IS SIMPLY THE BEST.... NO 1 TENNIS PLAYER... VAMOS!!!!

Maxi- sorry my error it was Montanes...and the difference is, not much! Fed still lost!

Tennisball-

I have never name called anyone anything on these forums but it is safe to say that you are an IDIOT!

Seriously, you are rambling on about rafa having it easy at Monte Carlo, when your beloved Federer didnt even show up!!!!!!!!!
It is not Rafas fault that Federer and the rest of the top 10, lose before they get to meet Rafa. Rafa was in ever final of every clay event he entered and in the process whipped Federer in Madrid in the final. So Fed is a useless easy player then, since he lost to Rafa and Rafas draws are soooo easy!

@tennisball......NONESENSE!!!!!

isabeau, montanes is a natural, and quite successful claycourter. Clement isn't - there is a big difference! But ultimately the result was as you said.

isabeau, i meant in terms of the two players being different players. Montanes is a much more accomplished player than clement, 4 clay court titles since 2008 (I think), and Clement is more a doubles player, isn't he? Though Clement has been runner up on grass, can't remember his doubles partner? Think it might have been Llodra but can't be sure. Anyway, ultimately, your point was correct, that federer lost at estoril, a tournament most people think he would/should have won. Am hoping he puts all of that right at wimbledon this year. That would be just sweet.

I am surprised that ricky has said soderling will beat rafa. I dont think that is going to be the case. John McEnroe said this morning that he thinks rafa will win wimbledon, so that should make you happy, he's rarely wrong is he? I hope he is wrong though.

In any case, it is more wide open this year, I think, than ever before. 4 or 5 names out there all capable of taking the trophy, fed,nadal,roddick,novak,murray, and a possible "unknown". Who knows?

maxi: Ricky hasn't said Sod will beat Rafa. After jinxing the 08 RG, I suspect he is playing safe by implying it is not a foregone conclusion.

that should read it is not a foregone conclusion Rafa will reach the final.

The "unknown" could be none other than Berdych. He is mature enough to reach semis & finals of any Grandslam and I suspect that he will reach the finals of Wimbledon this year.

Don't worry guys, even if Andy has an "easy" draw, he will make it "difficult."!!
isabeau77: your wise words about "easy" and "difficult" draws are spot on.

Raindrops, I like your comment about Berdych. I hope he can go far this Wimbledon. If Fed continues to play like he did the first round and survives till the QF and happens to meet Berdych there, then I think Berdych has a good chance of defeating Fed. In fact other than a Rafa/Hewitt final, the next best I hope for is a Rafa/Berdych final. I don't wish for a Rafa/Roddick final as I want Rafa to win and it would be sad if Roddick lost again in the final for the fourth time.

I try to put Roddick away but I can't shake him off too in my mind as isabeau does. His image is so strong and Berdych as well. I am not going to say this just to upset some fedfans but most likely Berdych will discard Roger.

I am not going to spend sleepless nights if I am proven wrong but that's how I see them at the court.

luckystar: Fed was presumably feeling complacent about that match with Falla but after that rude awakening he's not likely to repeat that mistake.

I too would dearly love to see Berdy do well but it's unrealistic to believe he can get the better of Roger in a Grand Slam. But if they do meet it could be a humdinger of a match!

ed, Fed is not at his best at the moment, and Berdych is doing well lately. As long as Berdych is not stretched to five sets, he has a chance. Berdych has gone the distance with Fed at the AO 09, leading with two sets up before he faltered like Falla did. For Berdych to beat Fed, he has to do it in 3 to 4 sets. That Miami match between them may give Berdych some confidence, just like Berdych's match against Sod in Miami giving Berdych confidence at RG this year, though Berdych ran out of steam then and lost to Sod at RG. It was a match that Berdych had a chance to win, but Sod wanted it badly and he outlasted Berdych for it.

Murray will prevail fed in five sets to become king of grass

Before Berdych can reach the QF, he has to get past Benjamin Becker in the second round. Becker played well during the grass court warm up tournaments. Thereafter, he may have to play against Istomin, who ousted Stan the man in the first round. This Istomin guy is a big server, reached the semifinal of Eastbourne. Fourth round for Berdych may be Davy (I hope is Davy, that means Davy is doing well reaching the fourth round). Not an easy path for Berdych, hopefully he'll survive to meet Fed in the QF.