Wimbledon 2014: A look at the prospects of the Big 4
So we are finally here. Amidst all the heat of the football World Cup, Wimbledon 2014 has revealed its prestigious gentlemen's singles draw. With just one day left for the grand old tournament to begin, now would be as good a time as any to have a look into the prospects of the top 4 men’s seeds this year –
1. Novak Djokovic
2. Rafael Nadal
3. Andy Murray
4. Roger Federer
Novak Djokovic
Let’s start with Djokovic, shall we? Unlike in 2011, the year in which we saw the unstoppable Djokovic winning three Grand Slams with his almost impeccable play, the Serb was unable to maintain the same consistency in 2012, 2013 and even in 2014 so far. Yes, it is true that he won back-to-back hardcourt titles at Indiana Wells and Miami, as well as a claycourt Masters at Rome. But he was unable to produce his magic in the crucial tournaments which really matter - the Australian Open and the French Open of this year. His defeat at Roland Garros in particular, that too at the hands of his arch-rival Nadal, caused him to shed tears during the trophy ceremony itself.
But we all know that Djokovic is a man of steel in crisis moments and the weapon he always has in his armour is his mental toughness. Though he is one of the favourites to win the tournament, he doesn't carry much pressure this time unlike in 2012 and 2013, which would enable him to play his natural game under the surveillance of his grasscourt specialist coach Boris Becker, which can certainly push him forward.
Rafael Nadal
Nadal is certainly energized and his confidence levels are renewed with his roaring success at Roland Garros. But his failures in the last two years at Wimbledon, that too against unseeded players, may well affect him by creating a mental block in his mind. He even stumbled in his first grasscourt tournament of this year, again in the hands of an unseeded palyer. But we can never underestimate Rafa. It is his tenacity that always bails him out and if he is in good health, it doesn’t matter to this two-time Wimbledon Champion whether it is a grasscourt or a claycourt – he can still produce the A-game that is needed to lift the Wimbledon trophy this year.
Andy Murray
Murray has built himself into a player who can beat all the odds stacked against him. He now has the status of a national hero after he chased down the dream of a homegrown player winning the Championships last year. He put to rest all the ghosts of the past from Centre Court.by winning the trophy in 2013. He is the defending champion here at London and that sounds very sweet to every English fan, but that also builds pressure on the Scot. Though his recent performances have been decent enough – he was able to reach the semis at Roland Garros – he would still have to sweat a lot for the trophy this year.
Roger Federer
It is always a pleasure to talk about the great Roger Federer, especially when the grasscourt season arrives. Yes, Federer lost in the second round in 2013 at Wimbledon, but the Swiss is certainly among the favourites this year considering his good performances throughout this season and also interestingly due to the fact that his peers are not in their best form right now. Federer was able to win the tune-up event in Halle for a record seventh time which again is a positive sign for the maestro. I believe Federer has the brightest chance to win the All England Championships 2014.
The others
2014 also seems to be year to produce a Grand Slam Champion outside the big four once again after Stanislas Wawrinka won the Australian Open in January this season. Grigor Dimitrov, Ernests Gulbis, Wawrinka and Milos Raonic are some of the players to keep an eye on this Wimbledon.