Wimbledon 2015 Preview

Wimbledon has snuck up on us once again and players are dusting off their grass court shoes (trainers?) in preparation for a fascinating fortnight of tennis. It is that time of year when everyone becomes tennis experts for a couple of weeks and yes, the irony of writing this article is not lost on me, don’t worry.

The balance of power has seemingly shifted away from the Big Four for the first time in a decade, just as it seemed like Federer, Nadal, Djokovic and Murray would continue to dominate until their children grew up and could continue their family names. It’s like Game of Thrones without the dragons and frequent nudity (thankfully). Two of the last three Grand Slams have gone elsewhere, suggesting that the lay of the land is changing for good.

Rafael Nadal’s Woes

Nadal has looked strangely short of confidence so far this year, epitomised by his first round loss at Queens last week. It has got to the point where whenever the umpire announces ‘new balls’ in a Nadal match, for a second you wonder if he is targeting the Spaniard with some top class banter about needing to grow a pair. He now heads into Wimbledon as the 10th seed, which, I’ll have you know, is not all sunshine and rainbows when it comes to the draw.

Sometimes it is hard to forget these top guys aren’t machines, they experience emotions and doubts like everyone else, although that does put to bed a long standing theory I held that Roger Federer was a robot. I thought it was a little bit of an oversight for his creators to not program sweating into his body, but then he started losing more often and we realised he was human after all. Maybe.

It is hard not to feel sympathy for Nadal, who looks like a lost puppy at the best of times. You would think now, in arguably the worst form of his career, would be the best time to abandon his superstitions and buy new underpants, but in respect to such a successful athlete, we will keep it brief.

Rules Causing a Stir

One feature of modern day tennis that has been receiving more attention of late is the time players spend between points. Personally I don’t begrudge players taking in excess of 20 seconds between points; sometimes I need a breather reaching for my drink when I’m sat watching tennis on the sofa. People who argue that some players take so much time that you can take basically a break between points forget that that is exactly what the players are doing and they are actually physically exerting themselves.

The bouncing of the ball the players do before serving, however, is something that gets to me more than it should. Before a big point Rafael Nadal will bounce the ball specifically 117 times before going to serve. He is not alone in this. Novak Djokovic bounces the ball with such intensity that you feel like he is secretly attempting to force the ball through the ground, into the earth’s core and out again in Australia (where, funnily enough, he would stand a much better chance of winning).

Tennis on TV

Whilst Wimbledon does the hugely honourable job of eradicating the horrors of day time TV from BBC One and BBC Two, at what cost? If you haven’t noticed the way John Lloyd exhales like a giddy child after any above average point, trust me you will now. Apologies if I have just ruined Wimbledon coverage for you, but watching the tennis on mute really isn’t the worst decision that you could ever make.

Andy Roddick has joined the commentary team, which might provide a nice balance from hearing Andrew Castle regale us about the time he met the second cousin of a nice old lady called Edith who once ate a strawberry, but refused to have cream on it because it reminded her of Wimbledon, and since she was a huge Tim Henman fan, the memories were just too painful. Poor Edith.

British Hope(s)

All eyes will be on Andy Murray this week, who has responded to the increasing media scrutiny down the years by not changing at all. His bizarre straight sets defeat in the quarter finals last year still haunts me, with his opponent stating after the match he knew there was something wrong with Murray’s preparation during the knock up. Apparently he was overseen warming up that morning and then berating his coaching team with a string of expletives in the locker room, so nothing unusual there, it must have been something else.

Despite assertions from portions of the British public that Murray’s 2013 Wimbledon victory was a fluke, these are the kind of people that would hear that Murray, according to statistics, is on paper one of the best players of all time at Wimbledon, and respond by saying the game isn’t played on paper. These people need to seriously reconsider their use of clichés, although they might well be onto something for a new fifth Grand Slam played on paper. In my eyes it would be tearable.

Dangerous Floaters

No, I haven’t veered wildly off topic and started discussing my bathroom based dramas. Floaters are the term for the unseeded players in the 128 man draw. As much as I want to say that Yen Hsen Lu comes under this category, creative license can only stretch so far. It would however be nice if the Taiwanese player made it through his first round match, if only for the ‘Lu rolls into round two’ headline that will surely thrill the nation. Those fans who can’t resist a little pun here and there could be in for a treat over the Wimbledon fortnight. Murray may well face a certain Serbian for the second event in a row, which would certainly be a Troicki draw.

Now that British hero Alex Bogdanovic’s wildly successful Wimbledon career has come to an end, players can mostly breathe a sigh of relief. Some of the bigger name floaters include Victor Estrella Burgos and Pablo Carreno Busta, but they aren’t really threats, they just have long names… In all seriousness, Nicholas Mahut is a dangerous floater in 2015, having been awarded a wild card into the event. Admittedly a wild card sounds like it should be something to do with Pokémon, but isn’t, sadly. I’m so sorry.

A number of other Brits have been afforded wild cards into the main draw, a role in which they play cannon fodder to much better players who have actually earned their place in the tournament. Rising British youngsters are often given wild cards to show them what motivation levels are required to get to the top and that nothing is handed to you in life, by handing them entry into Wimbledon on a plate. Secretly I am actually just jealous.

Other Story Lines That Don’t Fit Anywhere Else

There has been an interesting to do between the Djokovic and Federer camps, a far cry from the seemingly cordial nature of relationships at the top of men’s tennis. Federer has, shock horror, been accused of not being as pleasant as everyone has been led to believe, to which he responded by saying he was raised to be nice and his childhood has shaped the way he treats people. It must have also been upbringing that a broom went missing in the Federer household, explaining why he behaves like he has the handle stuck up his bottom.

At the French Open, surprise winner Stan Wawrinka was receiving more publicity for his picnic blanket style shorts than some of his tennis. Thankfully the strict all white dress code enforced at Wimbledon will put an end to this madness and let everyone focus on the tennis (and all the celebrities in the crowd). Similarly, Novak Djokovic’s latest attempt to squeeze that extra 1% out of his game by blending into the court with the same coloured kit will not be possible at SW19. Camouflage attire is just as out of place on the courts of Wimbledon as it ought to be in everyday life.

All in all, we are set for a wonderful fortnight of entertainment that really is a hallmark of the British summer. If only the whole country had a retractable roof that could keep the fun going when the heavens open. I am pretty sure that Murray will win Wimbledon this year. That might seem like a bold statement, but in reality it is what I predict every year for the Brit. I probably can’t even call it a prediction; it is more the result of an endlessly loyal support that is bound to pay of here and there. Please, Andy, please…



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