Levi, draws are out, thoughts?
I just got my first eye to the draws. Maby the best odds are already gone but going to do some analyses later tonight to the matches. The weather is looking pretty promising for the first week so hopefully it is right, tomorrow maby some storms but still looking good. Last year the courts were slower than usually at Wimbledon according to some players and after the weather what has been in England I think the courts are at least not faster than previously, maby somebody has a better information about this? Good thing for baseliners and good serve returners as last year for example Nadal and Nieminen showed.
Have not got very good look to the women's draw but some thought from men's draw about some players. Federer is rightfully the favourite without bigger threats but playing without warmup tournament and maby with some smaller injuries but he owns this tournament right now. What comes to Nadal, he would have problems in the first round if Fish were at his best but he is far from that so should be easy win for Nadal. On the second round Soderling would be the hardest opponent for Nadal imo but we all know how good head Soderling owns so Nadal will be on the third round where Youzhny should be his opponent if his back is 100% in fit but he has had problems with his lower back earlier too so I would not bet him before he shows his condition but his game gives too much problems for Nadal. If Youzhny's back is not ok it will much likely be Nieminen or Mayer. Mayer might have bigger job on the first round with big serving american than Nieminen with Russell. Nieminen has showed some good fitness on the grass and played good game against Berdych at Halle so I keep him the favourite against Nadal but his weakness against high ranked players once again came up against Berdych when he lost the first tiebreak and lost the second set 6-4 after leading 4-2 and with his weak serve he should do something incredible to beat Nadal so Nadal's chances to the fourth round are bigger than you could think even Nieminen is capable to do upsets.
Then it should be game over for Nadal when Berdych comes against him. Berdych will totally dominate Nadal on this surface and I can see only one player who stops Berdych from coming this far. Bjorkman who played sensationally last year at Wimbledon but how many tricks "old man" has left? The draw is looking good for him until Berdych and Berdych can beat himself but no way Bjorkman can do it, or can he? If he could it would be the luckiest thing for Nadal if he would still be in the tournament. By then Nadal would have outburned his luck but he would have one game left before the final. Maby a favourite against every possible opponent. Baghdatis has got his game to the upper level so he has good possibilities to be so far imo. One of his most dangerous opponents should be against him on the first round when he plays against Gulbis. Gulbis's game is good for the grass and the game he has showed has been impressive but his ability to keep his level has been unimpressive.
Nalbandian is always a colourfull character and really waiting to see what he gives us this time, nothing if you watch his comments about his motivation, his latest injuries and his latest results but I will not underestimate him at least yet. Kiefer is another question. He seemed to be in fit in his match against Berdych and he definately has experience from big games and skills of course.
Other players I would like to see to have some success are Qureshi, Mahut and Tsonga. Qureshi will have a tight match against brittish Lee Childs but if Qureshi manages to beat him there will be intresting match between Safin and Qureshi. I bet Qureshi's gamestyle will give hard times for Safin and Safin's head is not the strongest so he could get a little frustrated. Clement should have the game to beat Mahut but Mahut seems to be too much for him. Maby because Mahut gives no easy serves even when he is serving his second serves. After Clement there should be Gasquet waiting who should be really motivated now because there is no real reason to his weak performances but still much weak performances and even how much Gasquet is better player than Mahut, he has serious problems against serve and volley players. After that Mahut's road to the fourth round should be open. Tsonga will be his one possible opponent but after Benneteau there should be Andy Murray against him and if Murray is fine there should be no matter how well he plays but if Murray is not he will have much easier opponent for the next round. Roddick will surely cruise far with his serve, but remember possible slower conditions. Roddick's head seems to be ok but his game has seemed to be weaker but maby that is only illusion. The only thing Roddick curses now must be that he is on the same side of the draw with Federer.
The grass is not my favourite surface but waiting to see the greatest tournament for some time.
GL
uppy:
