Wimbledon 2018 : Men's Singles Top 5 Picks
Wimbledon will kick of from tomorrow. Federer will open the proceedings on center court as he begins his title defense. It's been a decade since the match which many considered as the greatest match to be played on the lawns of SW 19 happened. Time sure does flies fast. If anybody had said that the two finalist of 2008 Wimbledon championship would be the hot favorites coming into Wimbledon 10 years from now, we would have made a fool of that person. But as it so happens that seems to be the case. Federer and Nadal both have exceeded every expectations. So clearly, they both are the hot favorites at the moment. But they do have competition. So without further ado, here's my list of top 5 men who can lift the trophy on Sunday :
1) Federer :
Federer is the obvious choice as he will go into the tournament to defend his title. He is going for a record 9th Wimbledon crown. Nobody has won as many Wimbledon titles as Federer has. Though the surprise loss in the finals of Halle is a bit of a concern, surely Federer and company would have thought about it and would have worked on things that did not go well in Halle. Now if we look at Fed's section of the draw, He starts of against Lajovic, a Serb. He shouldn't have any problems till a tricky semi-final. If seed do unfold he will play Anderson in the quarters and Cilic in the Semi-Final, which could be tricky given how much Cilic has improved. It should be a cracker to watch as the defending champion plays against last year's runner up. And if Fed reaches the final, he will either play Nadal/Delpotro, Or Zverev/Thiem, if seeds do unfold. So all in all, at this moment, Roger Federer is the clear favorite to win the tournament.
2) Nadal :
Now, I know many would be skeptical about picking Rafa as the favorite, given his recent struggles at the lawns of SW 19 in the past few years. But one thing that even the critics of Rafa would agree is the tenacity of the guy. If he stays healthy and reaches the 2nd week, then he becomes a clear favorite along with Roger. If we look at Rafa's section of the draw, he has a very tough quarter-final. If seed do unfold, he will have to face another tenacious and motivated guy. The big Ar-gentian JM Delpotro. If he surpasses that test, he will play Zverev or Thiem in the Semis. In short, If Rafa stays healthy and reaches the 2nd week, he is also a favorite to win the tournament.
3) Cilic :
By now, everybody is aware of this big Croat, and the threat he possesses. Cilic is in great form going into the Wimbledon having grabbed the title at Queens last week. It would have given him a hell lot of confidence winning in Queens beating Djokovic even after losing the first set. If the seeds do unfold, he will have to play Dimitrov in the Quarter-finals, who is known as the baby fed and if he manages to overcome him, he will come against the mighty Fed himself in the Semi-Finals. Given the current form, Surely Cilic is the favorites to win the title after Federer and Nadal.
4) Djokovic:
If there is anyone who knows how to lift the Wimbledon trophy multiple times, it's this Serbian. Though Novak's ranking has fallen and it's been a while since he won any tournament, we did see him reach the finals in Queen's last week. If his performance there is any indication, it's that he is back and hungry and motivated to win another major. But it's easier said than done. He will have to overcome the ever improving Brit Edmand and Thiem just to reach the Quarters. If he gets there he will face the young German Alex Zverev. And Nadal or Delpo awaits in the Semis. So it's a very tough Draw for Djokovic, but he has the ability and skill to do what it takes to lift the trophy. Djokovic is also a favorite to win the tournament.
5) JM Delpotro
The 6'6 inch Ar-gentian is a tricky player and the toughest to overcome. Seeded 5th , Delpo has a first test in the 3rd round where he will have to face the 2013 champion Andy Murray. If seeds do unfold, Delpo has a big task to play against the World No. 1 and 2nd Seed Rafa Nadal. It should be a fun match to watch. They both possess great Forehands. It would be a battle of Forehands and an enticing encounter to watch. If Delpo is able to get past Nadal, he will play either Thiem, Zverev or Djokovic in the Semis and possibly the Swiss Maestro Federer in the Finals. This bottom half of the draw is very exciting and it would be great treat for us fans to see who comes on top to reach the finals.
So, guys, these were my top 5 pick for the Gentlemen's Singles of Wimbledon 2018. This year Wimbledon sure does promises to be a fun and exciting tournament to watch. So let's wait and see what it unfolds for us.