Roger Federer, Andy Murray, and Rafael Nadal landed in a tough bottom half of the bracket when the men’s singles draw at Wimbledon was announced on Friday. Murray and Nadal could face each other as early as the quarterfinals.
Meanwhile, No. 1 seed Novak Djokovic is in line for an intriguing opener against Philipp Kohlschreiber. Also in the top half the possibility of a third-round showdown between Milos Raonic and Nick Kyrgios.
Entire men’s singles draw at the Wimbledon website
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look forward to seeing Rick’s quarter by quarter analysis of the draw, but bottom half looks very tough, for sure. Joker should be holding the trophy at the AE Club when all is said and done….w/Murray my 2nd pick.
Oh please, when are we going to stop this endless lie that Khols is a threat to the Big 4? Khols will start all hot and crumble at the first sign of an advantage to him. As sure as night follows day…………..
yeah, kohls is about as rock-steady as an avalanche…….
It is not about Kohls being a threat to the Big 4, he is not! But, the big 4 are perhaps most nervous among the field in the first round because of the burden of expectations. Remember how Falla was able to almost beat federer in 2010 wimby rnd 1? He came out firing and Roger was not quite ready.
Kohls can potentially crumble but he can potentially do a lot of damage too! he is very solid from the baseline and he takes his chances. If novak is nervous and Kohls is having a great day, things could get very interesting.
I think he got the worst possible match for a first round. Getting Kohld in the 3rd or 4th rnd is different.
At No. 33 in the world, he is by far the toughest unseeded opponent to face in the first round.
yup , the rankings just solidify that. And keep in mind that it will be Djokovic’s first competitive match on grass ! Things could POTENTIALLY get very tricky for him
I agree about Kohls. He almost beat Fed at Halle. The guy can be tough, especially as a first round opponent. Novak won’t be in his best form coming out of the gate. Kohls does have a good serve and solid groundstrokes. He can at least cause some trouble. This is probably the worst first round opponent for Novak.
Ah well, did Khols POTENTIALLY win? Apparently not. Nevertheless, his legend moves along to the next Slam where he will POTENTIALLY be drawn against one of the big 4 in the first round who will POTENTIALLY be nervous playing him because of the burden of expectations making playing Khols POTENTIALLY very tricky for them.
I think I got that right, POTENTIALLY………….
mew
or should I say…. mewry
so it took a whole match for someone to decide what potentially means! good stuff…
unfortunately, this one was not even POTENTIALLY close to rafa never losing to novak again or rafa winning calendar slam this year.
oh snap @hawkeye63, mewry :O 😉
Never say never I always say as you never know what POTENTIALLY might happen.
I save my absolutes exclusively for Antijinxings only!!!
new snappy nickname then 🙂
NO easy draws in Wimbledon for anyone. Anything can happen. Its much less predictable than other slams
Uncle Toni’s assessment about rafa’s chances is honest and I like it . My assessment is quite similar Toni’s … Here are some of the things he said :
http://espn.go.com/tennis/wimbledon15/story/_/id/13151225/wimbledon-why-uncle-toni-believes-rafael-nadal-win-wimbledon
“With every defeat, you feel less confident,”
“It’s a pity that Rafael hasn’t had a very good year, and that he has had more defeats than ever and more defeats than is normal. That’s our problem. Rafael’s game isn’t bad, it’s just that he needs more confidence.”
“When Rafael played in Stuttgart, he beat some good players to win the title, and he made a good tournament,”
“Before Rafael came here to London, I was thinking that his game is good. … Rafael didn’t play badly [at the Queen’s Club], though he had some chances in the final set. But now he begins again and he tries again. I still think it’s possible for him to make a good tournament at Wimbledon.”
“In the last few years, Rafael has had many problems with the knees when he has been playing at Wimbledon,”
“It has been difficult for him to play at Wimbledon. Last year was a little different, and this year his knees are so much better. I believe he can win Wimbledon this year. For me, yes, that is possible, but it’s true that he’s not one of the biggest favorites.
“There are many favorites ahead of Rafael. But over five sets, Rafael has more possibilities, because a match doesn’t run so fast as it did here at Queen’s. A lot depends on the draw, and whether you are lucky. At Wimbledon, if you can make the second week, anything is possible.”
The article also says:
Although Toni suggested Nadal could be the champion at the All England Club this summer — which would give him a third Wimbledon title — he put him behind Djokovic, Andy Murray, Roger Federer and perhaps even Stan Wawrinka in the list of contenders for the golden, pineapple-topped trophy. Much could depend, Toni said, of Rafa’s draw; if the 14-time Slam champion makes it into the second week, such a run could give him more confidence in his grass-court game. Then “anything is possible.”
This EXACTLY how I was trying to assess rafa’s chances. I thought he played at a very good level on grass after RG and his only issue was nerves. The fact that wimbledon is best of 5 sets will give him more ‘colm’ and if he is able to confidently march into the second week, anything is possible. It is true that he is perhaps the fifth favorite to win , as Toni says so , but he has the game to beat anyone if he reaches week 2 and SOMEHOW battles nerves well! I know it is very difficult to expect him to win WImbledon because every time we have had our hopes high, Rafa has disappointed . But, this will not last for long, right. He will overcome this at some time and who knows he might just do it here!! Nothing’s impossible.
vr, i so hope you are right. In 3 matches with rafa at wimby murray has only taken one set! let’s hope the old rafa finally makes it to the table and kicks some ass!
it may be tiresome to keep reading this… but much depends on when rafa will no longer have those terrible off-days… more or less regardless of who he is playing. I wish this was not the case this year but it is… until further notice. If Rafa has no such off days where we are all in disbelief at his lack of self-belief… then certainly he has his chances to go deep or all the way in Wimby. But I will be (very pleasantly) shocked, sorry it’s true, if he all of a sudden no longer has those bad days. Just being realistic, is all.
i know, chloro….what you say is all true and i agree with you…..!
am hoping rafa gets it together but not raising my hopes too much as that would just be foolish!
if i make a gung-ho statement it is more a matter of rote and ritual than actually believing in it…..!
“matter or rote and ritual than actually believing” …. entirely understandable 🙂
is going to be very hot in the first week at wimby…..heat is coming up from spain and could be as hot as 30C in London………Monday is just warm then it will start to really heat up. that should help rafa as the ball will bounce up and the courts won’t be as slippery as they can be early on. on the other hand, heat will make the ball travel fast! will be hard to return to serve..
very well described! You covered all the factors. More heat means better grip for rafa on the surface , more bite on his forehand and slider outwide serves, but at the same time the big servers and hitters will benefit!
“…heat is coming up from Spain” do you mean this is literal meteorological terms? 🙂 I’d like to think Rafa has a chance to at least make the QF.
nice one Jeu ! 🙂
We also have the third type of weather: the heat brewing at tenngrand… we need Wimby to start to clear the air a bit 🙂
Chloro: i’m scared to go see how hot the temperatures are rising 🙂 I left TT because it got so toxic. I hope this site stays more neutral and tennis-oriented.
TT has been almost entirely tennis oriented and not too ‘hot’ for most of the time. Hopefully the current weather is just passing, like a bit of hot air. 🙂
@jeu nadal…..yes, literally!! the weatherman actually said this! (I am english btw and live quite close to london) so rafa even gets authentic spanish heat…hope this will inspire him! is really going to be very hot in london next week!
don’t go anywhere, Jeu, tengrand has never gotten particularly ‘hot’… certainly not at all like TT when violent comments were in full swing.
Agree with everything that Toni said in chloro’s post except for the comment on Queens.
Fact is Rafa DID play badly up a break in the third set. He got extremely anxious (which has been the whole problem for the last year. He was anxious throughout much of the match (profuse sweating in cool conditions) but managed it very well until then.
That match wasn’t won by his opponent. Rafa lost it.
Badly.
Yes Toni is right Rafa CAN win of course.
But he has two problems:
First, the first week and the new grass.
Second, he hasn’t had enough play against the top guys to be as ready as he needs to be vs Muzza, Nole and perhaps even Federer.
Yup….he did mess it up in Queens. It was completely on his racket and he succumbed to nerves.
He lost to both Muzz and Nole in straight sets on CLAY so it is natural for him not to have the needed belief . But, may be with lower than ever expectations when playing against the top guys , he can be a little calm?
As Toni says, the only way to regain confidence is to win matches, I hope winning four matches on grass and a couple here in Boodles will give him the needed confidence/
He will play Robin Haase today (the guy who pushed him to five sets in wimby 2010 Rnd of 64) so good practice.
I’m just glad Rafa is not in Nole’s 1/2 and also glad Nole got Stan. I don’t see Rafa’s draw that tricky.
I think landing in Murray’s quarter makes this the worst draw for Rafa! I would much rather he was in anybody’s else’s quarter . If Andy eliminates Rafa, he will lose in the next round to Fed ( curse of Rafa). Rafa in his current form doesn’t inspire confidence. But if he eliminates Andy, and Andy hasn’t fought tooth and nail ( i.e. Rafa is not too tired) then Rafa will beat Fed.
My wish is that Rafa should win and if not, then anybody but Djoker. If Andy had been in Djoker’s half, I would have felt more secure. I have nothing against Djoker but I know if Djoker wins, his fans will become intolerable.
“if Djoker wins, his fans will become intolerable.” I agree 100%. I get Rafa has been going on walkabouts, but Murray has the pressure of a nation. My wish is for Rafa to make the QFs (which he hasn’t done since 2011), and if he plays Murray, then let it be a thrilling 5-setter. I don’t want Rafa to get blown off the court or lose because of lack of confidence.
Taking my first look at the draw, I think Rafa has gotten probably the best draw possible. He avoided those big serving guys. This is definitely doable. He also got Ferrer in the quarters, which is probably the best for him.
The early rounds will be tricky as always. If Rafa can get himself going and reach the second week, then who knows what might happen.
I also agree that Rafa let that match with Dolgo get away. At least in a best of five set match, he has a better chance.
However, I am still concerned by Rafa’s mental lapses. If he goes walkabout, then it could mean defeat early on. That’s why I am hedging my bets.
I also think that Novak got a tough draw. It’s not a cakewalk for sure!
Yes. at this point it seems the only person who can beat Rafa is Rafa. Please no more walkabouts.
Rafa is playing the game of “Where is Rafa?”
I hope Rafa finds Rafa.
Then all will be good. Very good. Please, when?
Sorry, I meant to say that Rafa got Ferrer in the fourth round. It’s Murray for the quarterfinals and of course, that will be tough.
Djokovic loses 6-4 6-3 to young Zverev! Really impressed with the younsgter. Djokovic was not giving his all as it was an exho but there were times he started smiling he was not too serious but he was in fact getting outplayed.
He is vulnerable on slippery grass and with less than ideal prep, kohls could cause trouble.
Rafa vs Haase in 15 mins!
Good to hear! do you have a link for a stream or at least live-scoring?
Jeu Nadal, go to boodle’s youtube channel for live streaming…TheBoodleTennis is the channel.Perfect streaming
VR: found it thanks!
vr, sorry to keep banging on about the weather but won’t the very uncharacteristic hot weather heading to england dry the grass out and stop it being slippery? even on monday it will be low 20s, on tuesday it will be high 20s already and hot!
yup….you are right… it will make it less slippery
amy why do you need vr to confirm that hot weather would dry the grass and make it less slippery? He may be this site’s tennis expert but you probably know more about British grass and British weather than he does. I am somewhat like you and keep needing affirmation from others but my family always comes down heavily on me when I do that.
because i don’t understand too well how the grass on the court alters under variable conditions…. ie also the effect from players on baseline and so on….
grass in the parks is a different matter!
Do you think vr is an expert on that? He is just 23 and he is an armchair analyst , not a tennis pro or coach or even a researcher specializing in researching on the factors you mention. Even the experts are unable to predict how weather affects the Wimbledon grass except to make some generalization about how it affects friction, elasticity etc. It is easier to predict about hard courts because they are man made.
Trust your own judgment and share your opinion ( I value your opinions and your posts). The so called experts (not just vr) probably know less than you about grass and weather.
mary, vr is 25 I think…and a brilliant tennis analyst……i want to learn from people who know a great deal more about the sport than i do….
rafa is looking good today…..
lovely play rafa!! such great touch at net!
How is he playing? What’s the score?
Rafa looking particularly gorgeous today in his whites
Blowing him a kiss ?
ed, he is looking hot!
nice! Rafa was down triple BP and manages to hold. leads 5-3.
uh-oh with the rain….is pissing it down here….moving from here towards london so should be ok for a while….
oh dear…sorry about that….major disinformation on the weather front……
In the first half of the year Rafa looked thin and fragile. He looks more sturdy now. Good sign! Rafa’s becoming stronger! Good luck Rafa. I am sure good things will happen if you keep working at getting better.
Last year took a heavy toll and he was looking years older too.. he’s lost that strained, tense expression………… I know it’s just an exhibition but he look positively carefree today.
agreed. i get a good feeling seeing how much more like himself he looks today…..
he looks so much stronger….
Hilarious watching the gaggle of ladies wot lunch trying to protect their bouffant hairdos as the rain starts to come down…………..I read the seats in the members enclosure cost from £375.
Young Zeverev speaks fluent English and came out with some witty repartee during the match, as well as playing a mean game of tennis. Plus he’s very good looking – he’ll have a huge following amongst the younger generation of tennis fans.
Oh drat! A rain delay! I have to go out in about an hour, so if they don’t resume play before then I won’t get to see the rest of the match.
NNY: Don’t fret. It’ll come up in the replay section later on. Incidentally the Boodle YouTube channel was listing the Rosol Wimby match yesterday. Bloody cheek 🙁
I should think he is right pissed off being known only for that one match
ed,
Thanks for that. I found out about the Boodles channel on youtube from vamosrafa. So here I was all excited to be able to see Rafa play. Then the rain!
Thanks for letting me know about the replay!
I really wish that everyone who just let go of that Rosol Wimby match. It’s getting really old hearing about it all the time.
Yes, as you said Rosol should be pissed off because he has not done a single thing of note since then! 🙂
rafa alert!! bull on court….
rafa! what a point! talk about one more ball…..!
I’m struck as always, when watching him play exhos, apart from the odd pluck at his shorts the rest of the tics are abandoned. Would that he could tone it down in matches and lay to rest the whole time violation fiasco.
wow ed, so well noticed and said! if only he could……
Rafa moving very well, especially the point where he broke to go up 4-1.
I think Rafa has an okay first 4 rounds. It is not that bad could have been worse. THe Kyrgios, Rosols, Isners are all not in his 1/8th.
Is there anyone who can take out Murray? Any chance?
Fed Sock can be tricky too. If he could take a set off Rafa on clay..he can trouble Fed on grass. He has a very hard serve and slaps his FH really hard
Yes, he socks it.
Ye Karlovic, Stachovsky or Coric are there that can trouble Murray
esp Stachovsky and Karlovic
Tsonga can too but guess he is injured
murray is amazing against french flair players including tsonga….
Its not a given that Rafa will lose to Murray if they reach the qtrs. Anything can happen on 2nd Wednesday
I bet Rafa Murray wont train anymore on grass this year 🙂
You are thinking ahead! That’s a dangerous thing to do. Rafa and Murray both have to get through to the quarters. For me it’s one match at a time. 🙂
Cute pic
http://media.fyre.co/41iPdFYaSdO6oTu5qPeM_11150491_10204069892173610_1076070234909872286_n.jpg
Yes thinking ahead..bad bad
Only Belucci 🙂
wow rafa saying he has never watched the whole of the 08 wimby final, only highlights…..
Rafa seems to have an incredibly detailed memory of many of his matches… from the comments he made at various interviews, about past matches even long in the past. I wouldn’t be surprised if he remembers a lot of that match without reminders.
even so , you would think he would watch the whole match through at least once……
revealing about his mindset, no? ie part of his humility not to bask in former glories…
anyone else notice the rows of cougars there today eyeing up rafa like a piece of meat??
Yeah. Average age over 50 and testament to the art of botox, collagen, nips and tucks etc. etc.
Are they playing now? Because I can’t get it on the Boodles youtube channel. It just says – next on court!
have just finished rafa winning in straights….my stream kept dying on me but from the little i saw rafa looked very relaxed and solid in his game….
was heartening to see….
NNY: Wait a bit and it should come up in the list of replays.
NNY
If you haven’t already tracked it down, here is the link for the Nadal/Haase match
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FL_2J8envmM
ha ha weathermen at it again…’really hot air wafting its way up from spain next week…just don’t know quite how hot it will get..’
now saying it will be 32c in south east corner ie london next week
c’mon rafa capitalise on that spanish air…..
ed,
I just got back on here. I was out this afternoon. I had to leave right after I posted that I couldn’t get the match.
At least I know that Rafa won! Good news!
Thanks so very much for the link! 🙂
Good article on Rafa
http://www.theguardian.com/sport/2015/jun/26/rafael-nadal-wimbledon-2015-injuries-beautiful
nice article
despite more ‘ballet’ descriptions 🙂
…and Rafa resembles a capybara…what? and I think capybaras are super cute but wow, seriously?
Very insightful. The last paragraph quote from Rafa is also revealing…….
“I am seed 10 because I didn’t play well enough and because I was out injured for six months last year. I am where I deserve to be now, and I hoped to be in a higher position back here. I am going to work for that, but what gonna happen gonna happen. I need to do it my way.”
As Sinatra sang:
http://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=I+did+it+my+way&FORM=VIRE6#view=detail&mid=646C3D8637B429586F78646C3D8637B429586F78
Love it! Sinatra’s My Way!
Thanks for that.
I do appreciate reading Rafa’s words.
So we have to let the man do it his way! 🙂
““It is obvious that he hits the ball easier than me, he serves better than me and he is able to do the things easier than what I do. So his talent is much better there.”
Take note that rafa says fed’s serve is better , he hits the ball easier than he does BUT he will never say things like federer has a better backhand or a forehand! As always, whatever he says, he means it. Most honest assessments.
Reblogged this on Tennis Abides.
I think Andy has the toughest draw, followed by Rafa, then Djoker, then Stan, then Fed. If only Stan and Andy had exchanged places!