Wimbledon day one men’s draw preview
The pristine lawns of Wimbledon are about to be trampled, and as the process of whittling away 128 hopefuls to just one champion begins, we highlight three day one matches to watch.
Roger Federer v Alejandro Falla
Defending champion Federer should be pretty pleased with the first round opponent the Wimbledon draw delivered this year, having beaten him on all four of the previous occasions they’ve played.
Falla, however, must have felt that sinking feeling that would have to be common to all players who find their names alongside the Swiss in the opening round of a Grand Slam.
It’s not just reputation that should intimidate the Columbian, but results. The first time he played Federer was at Wimbledon, in the second round in 2004, when Falla won just three games in a match that was over in just 54 minutes.
Two losses in the second round of the French Open (in 2006 and 2010) followed. His most recent loss against Federer came just last week at the Gerry Weber Open in Halle, a match the 16-time Grand Slam champion won 6-1, 6-2.
They are results that point to what should be a Federer master class on grass at the All England Club as the top seed opens proceedings on centre court.
Andy Roddick v Rajeev Ram
Last year’s beaten finalist Roddick is another seed who was given a reason to smile when his first round opponent was announced. The fifth seed has never played his American counterpart before, but that shouldn’t matter here.
While Roddick has been runner-up at Wimbledon on three previous occasions, Ram has played in the main draw just once, when he won through qualifying last year before losing to Philipp Petzchner in the opening round. Ranked as the world No. 92 at present, Ram avoided the need to play his way through qualifying this year but his main draw result should be the same. Just with a bigger audience watching.
Mardy Fish v Bernard Tomic
Not a seed in sight here, but this might prove to be one of the more intriguing matches on the outside courts.
Teenaged Tomic earned his place in the main draw at Wimbledon by winning his way through qualifying, while Fish defeated world No. 4 Andy Murray at the Aegon Championships at the Queen’s Club last week.
There are big wraps on Tomic’s potential back home in Australia, and the 17-year old has shown promise that he may just live up to them, winning his first round matches at the Australian Open for the past two years, and pushing Marin Cilic to five sets in a late-night second round match this year.
For his part, after an injury interrupted end to 2009 the 70th ranked Fish (he’s been ranked as high as world No. 17) shed the pounds this year, and is reaping the benefits. A finalist at Queen’s this year, he’s got grass court form but shouldn’t have it all his own way against Tomic.
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