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The third tennis Grand Slam of the year, the Wimbledon Open begins next Monday on the grass court of Wimbledon. The Wimbledon Open is the only Grand Slam contested for on grass, and the build up to this Grand Slam has been exciting as British number one, Andy Murray clinched the Aegon Championship at Queens Club. We look at some of the favourites for the crown in the male category
RAFAEL NADAL
The Spaniard is favorite to retain his Wimbledon title, after clinching the French Open last month.Nadal has won 10 Grand Slams in total, he has won the Wimbledon title twice and is definitely the favorite to retain his crown. At the French Open, he renewed his rivalry with Roger Federer in the final, where the two men met and it was their eight time they are meeting in a Grand Slam final.
Nadal has won six out of his eight finals meeting with Federer. The Spaniard has set his sights on catching Federer’s record of 16 Grand Slam titles. He started the French Open poorly but regained his form at the latter stages to retain the trophy. Last year after winning the French Open,Nadal also won the Wimbledon and the US Open and will be hoping to repeat the same success this. year.
ROGER FEDERER
Federer is regarded as the greatest tennis player of all time. He has 16 Grand Slam titles and will be hoping to extend his titles in Wimbledon.Before the French Open,Federer was regarded as a washed up player after losing many games prior to Roland Garros,but he showed why he is rated the best tennis player ever by reaching the final and even beating Djokovic, the most inform tennis player who was on a 43 match winning streak before losing to Federer in the semi- finals.
Federer seems not to have found a solution to Nadal. Federer won his first Grand Slam at Wimbledon in 2003 and also won his 15th Grand Slam at Wimbledon to surpass Pete Sampras record of 14 titles.
After the French Open final, Federer said: “It was just important to get to another Grand Slam final and to keep playing well. I am feeling better physically than I have for a long time, so that has been very positive.For Wimbledon, Federer said: “This is where it all started for me, in 2003, or even with Sampras in 2001, so that is why I always enjoy coming back. It is obviously a huge priority now, that is always for me number one goal for the season.
NOVAK DJOKOVIC
Going into the French Open,Djokovic was the most in form tennis player with an unbeaten run this year. Djokovic, the Australian Open Champion was seen as the man to stop Nadal’s recent domination, after beating Federer three times this year and defeating Nadal twice on clay in Rome and Madrid Masters to prove to the world that Nadal can be beaten on clay,Federer ended Djokovic’s 43 match unbeaten run in the semi final at Roland Garros.Djokovic cracked under pressure against Federer and many will be hoping he shows some of the form that have seen him beat Federer and Nadal this year and break Nadal-Federer hemogony on the sport
ANDY MURRAY
The British number one is chasing his first Grand Slam title of his career after losing two Grand Slam finals and recently, the Australian Open where he lost to Novak Djokovic.In the build up to Wimbledon,Murray won the Aegon Championship at Queen’s Club and will be heading to Wimbledon full of confidence and hoping to break his Grand Slam jinx. The last British-born player to win Wimbledon was Fred Perry in 1936.
His best at Wimbledon was a semi final place. “I am going to Wimbledon with the feeling that I am going to win the tournament; I don’t think you can go in with any other attitude.
“I feel like I am playing good tennis. I will need to improve the next week or so and work on some things going into Wimbledon, but I need to play my best tennis throughout the tournament.
Meanwhile, barring any upset, these four are the favourites to win the Wimbledon Open,other players who have outside chances of winning are Robin Soderling, who is the only player to have beaten Nadal at Roland Garros and has kind of lost his steam lately.Nadal defeated him in the quarter-final of the French Open and will he hoping on springing surprises this time. Also,the likes of Tomas Berdych – who knocked out Federer in the quarter-finals last year cannot be ruled out.Former US Open champion, Del Porto is also in the running for the title.
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