Wimbledon, London
Wimbledon 2.0 really. A month later we’re back at SW19 with Rafael Nadal NOT defending the gold in singles, while Roger Federer and Stanislas Wawrinka defend the doubles.Federer’s real only omission apart from a Davis Cup in his trophy cabinet, is an Olympic gold, so this is the big one for him. A lot of pressure, but it is a helluva opportunity since it’s on the grass and he is having a great year having just won his 7th Wimbledon.Let’s break it down:
Level: Olympics ITF
Surface: Outdoor Grass
Defending Champion: Rafael Nadal – Withdraws with a knee injury. A crushing blow to him and the event.
Nasty Floater: Where to begin? - Since the structure of the event is different, it’s more like a Masters series draw.
Veteran Watch: Lleyton Hewitt – His last shot at the Olympics most likely. Playing well right now too.
Up and Coming: David Goffin – The pint sized Belgian is dangerous and patriotic.
Slumping: Novak Djokovic – Compared to his high standards, only a gold will do now.
On Fire: Phillip Kohlschreiber – The Kohlfires are burning! Top 20 now and highly dangerous.
My pick: Roger Federer – His SW19 win should be the form guide here, but best of 3 could be the biggest danger.
Did You Know? Gold medalists since Tennis began as an Olympic sport are: Miloslav Mecir (1988), Marc Rosset (1992), Andre Agassi (1996), Yevgeny Kafelnikov (2000), Nicolas Massu (2004) & Rafael Nadal (2008)
Watch: Olympics Uncovered