4 players who can dethrone Roger Federer to win Wimbledon 2018
The 2017 grass court season was all about one man, by the name of Roger Federer. After his loss to Tommy Haas in Stuttgart last year, people started to question Federer's decision to skip the clay court season. Those doubts were very much put to bed at Halle and Wimbledon as he won both titles without dropping a set. His attacking style suits the grass perfectly due to the fast pace of the courts, allowing the Swiss maestro to get on the front foot early in the rally. At the age of 36, his game is looking better than ever, especially with the new and improved backhand.
If anyone other than Federer is to win, they will most likely need to beat the Swiss legend, if they are to win the title. However, no player is invincible or without weakness and there are certainly frailties that can be exposed. In this four-shortlist, are players with all the skill and experience needed to defeat the eight-time Wimbledon champion.
Juan Martin Del Potro
The Argentine has all the weapons to beat Roger Federer on grass. He has a powerful and accurate serve which will give him a lot of aces and free points and he will need these free points, to avoid engaging in long and tiring rallies. Furthermore, his flat groundstrokes are ideal for such a fast surface, with the forehand being the shot to avoid for any player.
The forehand can reach speeds of around 100 mph, making it very difficult to defend against. His backhand too is starting to become a force again, with Del Potro now free from all his wrist injuries. In the past, the Argentine hit too many sliced backhands as normal backhands placed too much strain on his right wrist. He is now hitting winners from that side, rather than playing defensive shots.
The Argentine is the only man to beat Federer in a Grand Slam in the last year and a half, with Del Potro defeating Federer at last year’s US Open. He also beat the Swiss No.1 at this year's Indian Wells Masters. The victory secured Del Potro's first Masters 1000 title of his career. In his win, the world No.4 saved three match points and showed the character required to beat the 20-time Grand Slam champion.
Del Potro announced recently that he would not play at Queen’s this year, based on advice from his medical staff. The world No.4 will look to reach the latter stages of Wimbledon this year and hope to be a threat to any player in the competition.