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Nick's Pick's: Bollettieri Previews Wimbledon Men's Field
Tennis Week is partnering with legendary coach and New York native Nick
Bollettieri to provide previews and in-depth analysis of Wimbledon, which
starts on Sunday. Nick analyzes the top men's seeds today. Look for Nick's
Picks of the most exciting Wimbledon matches on a round-by-round basis in the
coming days.
Roger Federer (SUI)
Height: 6-foot-1
Weight: 177 pounds
Born On: August 8, 1981
Turned Pro: 1998
Seed: 1
Plays: Right-handed (one-handed backhand)
2008 Titles: Estoril and Halle
2007 Wimbledon: Champion
Nick’s Thoughts:
When you talk about grass court tennis, you talk about three of the very best
players in the history of the game: Pete Sampras, Federer, and don’t forget
about Boris Becker! I feel certain Federer’s win at Halle was very positive
in more ways than one, and it helped erase his loss at the French. No matter
how much Federer is able to block out his 2008 results to date, I am sure he
knows the entire tennis world is wondering if he is still the best of the
best. There is no question in my mind that he has every shot in the book, and
even more (especially on grass). Recently, there has been chatter that he has
lost some of that fear factor from other players. In fact, some of them want
to play him!
If I was working with Federer I will tell him not to over-think things, take
one match at a time, and be prepared to adjust during the match. Keep in
mind, his backhand slice and drop shots will stay very low the first week. He
needs to use his wide slicing serve and attack whenever possible. In my book,
he is still the man to beat, but it will not happen unless he believes it!
Rafael Nadal (ESP)
Height: 6-1
Weight: 188 pounds
Born On: June 3, 1986
Turned Pro: 2001
Seed: 2
Plays: Left-handed (two-handed backhand)
2008 Titles: Monte Carlo, Barcelona, Hamburg, Queen’s Club, and Roland Garros
2007 Wimbledon: Finalist
Nick’s Thoughts:
The past two weeks have shown why sports will always be the talk of the town,
especially with the French Open finals, Big Brown at the Belmont, the U.S.
Open golf tournament, the NBA finals, and Rafael Nadal winning his first
career grass court tournament. It was no fluke, as he beat Andy Roddick in
the semis and Novak Djokovic in the finals.
Nadal doesn’t want to be solely labeled the best clay-courter ever; he wants
to be #1 in the world and winning on all surfaces. Forget about what people
said, that he should have beaten Federer in last year’s Wimbledon final.
Last year is over, and he needs to focus on the here and now. Nadal’s
confidence has never been higher, and his chances of winning this title have
never been better.
Novak Djokovic (SRB)
Height: 6-3
Weight: 176 pounds
Born On: May 22, 1987
Turned Pro: 2003
Seed: 3
Plays: Right-handed (two-handed backhand)
2008 Titles: Australian Open, Indian Wells, and Rome
2007 Wimbledon: Semifinals
Nick’s Thoughts:
Djokovic has never won a grass court title, but would it be a total shock if
he won Wimbledon? His game suits the grass, and he has the mentality of a
Grand Slam champion. His biggest problem is going to be getting by Federer or
Nadal in the semis. He just lost to Nadal in the finals at Queen’s Club, but
he did jump out to an early lead showing that he is capable of competing. He
cannot make unforced errors on crucial points, and he must win a high
percentage of break points. I wouldn’t necessarily call him the favorite,
but I wouldn’t totally discount him either. If he gets hot, watch out!
Nikolay Davydenko (RUS)
Height: 5-10
Weight: 154 pounds
Born On: June 2, 1981
Turned Pro: 1999
Seed: 4
Plays: Right-handed (two-handed backhand)
2008 Titles: Miami, Poertschach, and Warsaw
2007 Wimbledon: Round of 16
Nick’s Thoughts:
Last year was Davydenko’s best showing at Wimbledon, as he had previously
never been past the second round. For a player of his caliber, you would
think that he would have better results here but perhaps the grass doesn’t
suit him too well. I think his 2007 result was a better indication of how he
can perform here than his previous appearances. I wouldn’t be surprised at
all to see Davydenko’s name around in the second week.
David Ferrer (ESP)
Height: 5-9
Weight: 160 pounds
Born On: April 2, 1982
Turned Pro: 2000
Seed: 5
Plays: Right-handed (two-handed backhand)
2008 Titles: Valencia
2007 Wimbledon: 2nd Round
Nick’s Thoughts:
Ferrer reached the fourth round back in 2006, but like Davydenko hadn’t been
past the second round in his other appearances. We know how good Ferrer is on
clay, but don’t forget he did reach the semis at the 2007 US Open and the
quarters at the 2006 Aussie Open, so he can play on a faster surface as well.
I think his results will depend on how his draw looks, because if he gets a
good grass-court player early on he could be in trouble.
Andy Roddick (USA)
Height: 6-2
Weight: 195 pounds
Born On: August 30, 1982
Turned Pro: 2000
Seed: 6
Plays: Right-handed (two-handed backhand)
2008 Titles: San Jose, Dubai
2007 Wimbledon: Quarterfinals
Nick’s Thoughts:
Roddick is a two-time finalist here, with both of those losses coming to
Roger Federer. He is coming off of a shoulder injury that held him out of the
French Open, but played pretty well at Queen’s Club before losing to Nadal
in the semis. If his shoulder holds up, he is a threat to reach the finals,
but if it’s hurting that could be a big problem. If I was his coach I would
tell him very simple instructions: "Andy, you know what your weapons are. Go
out there and do what you do best as much as possible!" He needs to play
within himself and just take one match at a time. Grass is one of Roddick’s
best surfaces, and winning Wimbledon now would be his greatest
accomplishment.
David Nalbandian (ARG)
Height: 5-11
Weight: 175 pounds
Born On: January 1, 1982
Turned Pro: 2000
Seed: 7
Plays: Right-handed (two-handed backhand)
2008 Titles: Buenos Aires
2007 Wimbledon: 3rd Round
Nick’s Thoughts:
Nalbandian reached the finals back in 2002, which seems like an eternity ago
in tennis years. He just got to the semis at Queen’s Club, and beat Gasquet
in the quarters before falling to Djokovic fairly easily. This entire year
has been a roller coaster for Nalbandian, but he always seems to come up big
when you least expect it (see 2007 Madrid and Paris). Translation: Don’t
count him out just yet.
Richard Gasquet (FRA)
Height: 6-1
Weight: 165 pounds
Born On: June 18, 1986
Turned Pro: 2002
Seed: 8
Plays: Right-handed (one-handed backhand)
2008 Titles: None
2007 Wimbledon: Semifinals
Nick’s Thoughts:
We all remember the match that Gasquet and Roddick had from last year’s
Wimbledon. This year it may be a different story for the Frenchman if he isn’
t 100 percent healthy. Injuries have been the biggest problem for Gasquet
this year, as they caused him to miss much of the clay-court season. He did
play well at Queen’s Club, reaching the quarters, but that is his only
quarterfinal appearance at any tournament in 2008. Personally, I really enjoy
watching Gasquet play, he just needs to believe in himself and he will be
okay.
James Blake (USA)
Height: 6-1
Weight: 183 pounds
Born On: December 28, 1979
Turned Pro: 1999
Seed: 9
Plays: Right-handed (one-handed backhand)
2008 Titles: None
2007 Wimbledon: 3rd Round
Nick’s Thoughts:
James has gone through plenty of adversity in his life, but in the end he has
come out a better person and tennis player. His forehand and backhand have
vastly improved over the last five years, and so has his entire game. He has
never really had the greatest success at Wimbledon, but the faster courts do
suit him pretty well. With that being said, he needs to forget the past and
wipe the slate clean. It would be great for American tennis to see him still
playing come the second week, but he is going to need to have everything
working for that to happen. A good tournament for Blake would go a long way
in boosting his confidence heading into the US Open Series.
Marcos Baghdatis (CYP)
Height: 6-0
Weight: 181 pounds
Born On: June 17, 1985
Turned Pro: 2003
Seed: 10
Plays: Right-handed (two-handed backhand)
2008 Titles: None
2007 Wimbledon: Quarterfinals
Nick’s Thoughts:
Baghdatis was the biggest beneficiary of the Wimbledon seedings, as he is
seeded 10th but ranked 25th in the world. This is for good reason though,
because he reached the semis back in 2006 and was a quarterfinalist in 2007.
He has been battling injuries and inconsistency all season, and comes into
the tournament with just 19 singles matches under his belt in 2008. Needless
to say, he needs a good tournament.
Others to Watch
Tomas Berdych (CZE)
Height: 6-5
Weight: 200 pounds
Born On: September 17, 1985
Turned Pro: 2002
Seed: 11
Plays: Right-handed (two-handed backhand)
2008 Titles: None
2007 Wimbledon: Quarterfinals
Nick’s Thoughts:
It seems like every single Grand Slam I talk about Berdych and how he is a
sleeper, but so far he has yet to deliver. The talent is there, but it seems
like his mind isn’t totally in it right now. He is a pedestrian 16-12 on the
year (and hasn’t been ranked this low since May 2006), but the grass at
Wimbledon seems to be a surface he enjoys playing on. Last year he reached
the quarters before falling to Nadal in straight sets. Another quarterfinal
appearance here would certainly help turn 2008 around.
Andy Murray (GBR)
Height: 6-3
Weight: 175 pounds
Born On: May 15, 1987
Turned Pro: 2005
Seed: 12
Plays: Right-handed (two-handed backhand)
2008 Titles: Doha and Marseille
2006 Wimbledon: Round of 16
Nick’s Thoughts:
Murray has been in the papers recently stating that he is ready to go out and
compete for the Wimbledon title. Now, he will get his chance to prove it. He
had to withdraw from last week's scheduled match vs. Roddick at Queen’s Club
because of a couple of injuries (groin, thumb), but he insists that he is
healthy and ready to roll. The one thing Andy can’t worry about is playing
for England. He has to play for himself, and if he wins the British fans will
be there to support him in the end!
Paul-Henri Mathieu (FRA)
Height: 6-1
Weight: 163 pounds
Born On: January 12, 1982
Turned Pro: 1999
Seed: 14
Plays: Right-handed (one-handed backhand)
2008 Titles: None
2007 Wimbledon: Round of 16
Nick’s Thoughts:
Mathieu is one of my favorites, as he came to the Academy and trained for a
couple of years. He has fantastic groundstrokes from both sides, and is
comfortable on the grass. It seems like he and his new coach, Mats Wilander,
are working extremely well together and in my eyes this is a perfect pairing.
Wilander knows how to communicate with Mathieu and not overwhelm him.
Wilander was a former quarterfinalist here, and we will have to see if he can
now get his protégé there as well!
Mario Ancic (CRO)
Height: 6-5
Weight: 180 pounds
Born On: March 30, 1984
Turned Pro: 2001
Current Ranking: 43
Plays: Right-handed (two-handed backhand)
2008 Titles: None
2007 Wimbledon: Didn’t play
Nick’s Thoughts:
Ancic is a player that I really enjoy watching. He competes as hard as anyone
on the ATP Tour, and comes up with some beautiful shots. After starting 2008
ranked No. 85 in the world, he has worked his way back into the top 50. He
has had great success at Wimbledon in the past, as he reached the semis in
2004, the fourth round in 2005, and the quarters in 2006. Also, don’t forget
that Ancic is the last player to have beaten Roger Federer on the grass at
Wimbledon (2002 first round). If the draw opens up for him, he can be a real
noise-maker in this tournament.
P.S. Mario, to get through the first week you need to get to the net A LOT!!!
You are very comfortable up there and I think this will give you a big
advantage on the grass.
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