Fever Tree Championships 2018 preview: 4 things to watch out for
With the Fever Tree Championships starting on the 18th June, this is a good time to analyse some of the players taking part, as the grass court season gets underway. The success of players in tournaments preceding majors provides a good indicator of how they will do at tournaments such as Wimbledon. Past Wimbledon champions such as Boris Becker, Rafael Nadal and Andy Murray have won at SW19 after winning at Queen's, highlighting the importance of the event. The transition from the clay court to grass court is very difficult, as the ball moves very differently on both the surfaces. It will, therefore, be interesting to see how each player copes with this. This tournament will be pivotal for these players involved. For Andy Murray, this will signal a return to competitive action after his long-term absence. Kyle Edmund will, therefore, have to deal with the burden of being British No.1, heading into the grass-court swing. Grigor Dimitrov and Novak Djokovic will also be aiming for encouraging runs at the Queen's Club, as all players hope to get in the best form possible before the third major of the year.
Will Grigor Dimitrov fulfil his potential?
The 2014 Queen’s Club champion is capable of succeeding on grass. The Bulgarian’s fluid groundstrokes and his ability to move elegantly on the surface, make him a threat on all grass- courts. Since his victory at Queen’s four years ago, Dimitrov has not won a grass court title, failing to fulfil the early promise.
Wimbledon provides the 26-year-old with a huge opportunity to progress far into the tournament. Rafael Nadal’s recent failures at the All – England Club, do not make him a threat on grass, as Novak Djokovic still searches for his best form. The Serb however, is showing signs of improvement and is still a major force at both Queen’s and Wimbledon. Two-time champion Andy Murray is on course to return for his first tournament since last year’s Wimbledon, where he limped out of the competition with a hip injury.
The uncertain nature of some of the top seeds opens the draw for a new Wimbledon winner, like Dimitrov. However, there are dangerous players in both tournaments, with 2012 Queen's Club champion Marin Cilic and former Wimbledon semi-finalist Juan Martin Del Potro at both competitions. Furthermore, the straight sets defeat against Roger Federer at Wimbledon 2017 proved that he was a long way behind. The world No.6 must make significant improvements to his game if he is to win another title on grass.