Tennis Now Magazine Wimbledon 2012 Preview

2011 Year in Review 1

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WHAT’S INSIDE LETTER FROM THE EDITOR

p.5

A CONSTANTLY CHANGING SURFACE

p.6 Q&A WITH SABINE LISICKI

p.8-9 DOES PRACTICE MAKE PERFECT?

ATP MEN’S PREVIEW

p.16-19 WTA WOMEN’S PREVIEW

p.22-24 SHARAPOVA DEMANDS RESPECT

p.26-27 LONGING FOR LONDON

p.28-29

p.14-15

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Letter from the Editor

Editor

Theodore L. LePak ted@tennisnow.com Erwin Ong Blair Henley

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To advertise with us ads@tennisnow.com General comments or questions media@tennisnow.com

Writers

I love Wimbledon.

How can you not love the smell of fresh cut grass, tennis balls, and strawberries and cream? Simply writing that sentence makes me smile. Wimbledon is a nice change from the other slams with its all white attire, the presence of royalty, and the classy British ambience you just can’t get anywhere else.

Alas, the unfortunate end to an extremely short grass season is upon us…but don’t be sad tennis fans, this year we have the Olympics in London! That’s like having a second Wimbledon!

Erik Gudris

Erwin Ong

Blair Henley

Chris Oddo

Design

Juan Esparza Alberto Capetillo

TennisNow

200 West 39th Street, Suite No. 11 New York, NY 10018 914-595-4211

In this edition we put Roger Federer and Maria Sharapova on the covers, took a peek at their Wimbledon gear, and wrote feature articles touching on their back stories as they attempt to take SW19 by force. We also have an interview with last year’s semifinalist Sabine Lisicki, an article on the constantly changing grass court, and we dissect the decisions of players to rest or play before Wimbledon.

I thank our other editors Blair Henley and Erwin Ong for their hard work. I praise the entertaining writing of Chris Oddo and Erik Gudris.

Finally, I salute Juan and Alberto who brilliantly showcased all the hard work of Tennis Now once again in this issue.

We invite you to take a look at the royal tournament that is Wimbledon! We hope you enjoy this issue and we look forward to bringing you more tennis coverage!

Theodore LePak Editor, Tennis Now Magazine Ted@tennisnow.com

A Constantly Changing Surface ­– Chris Oddo

It’s very hard to sum up the sheer magnificence of the grass at Wimbledon, and yet we’re all aware of it implicitly. Ah, the grass. That perfectly groomed, living, breathing surface. It’s what makes Wimbledon so special and so unique; it’s what puts The Championships in a class of it’s own.

And even though grass court tennis has evolved right along with the sport in the last few decades, there is still that feeling of amazement, that awe that people--world-class players and fans alike--feel when witnessing its grandeur. “I was 17 when I first laid eyes on the manicured grass of Wimbledon’s Centre Court,” writes 6-time Ladies Singles champion Billie Jean King in her autobiography. “It was an overwhelming moment. I had yet to play a single point, but for some reason I felt at home there.”

Though the grass has changed over the years--Wimbledon switched to 100 percent perennial ryegrass in 2001 to combat the wear caused by the modern players and enhance presentation--the reverence for the “magic carpet” has not. “To me, it feels like this is where tennis is meant to be played, for some reason,” proclaimed Maria Sharapova in 2010. “You know, we only play a couple of tournaments on grass.

When you get on it, it’s just a feeling of excitement.”

There used to be three Grand Slams played on grass, but after the US Open switched to clay in 1975 (they then switched to hard courts in 1978) and the Australian Open followed suit in 1988, it’s only Wimbledon now.

It feels like it’s the way it should be: Wimbledon, the one and only symbol of tennis the way it was meant to be played. But the usefulness of the surface has been put into question at times over the last 20 years. In the early 90’s, as hard courts became all the rage, some held the belief that the modern game had outgrown grass courts. Big servers dominated play so thoroughly, points were either short or shorter, and the matches lacked those crowd-pleasing rallies that clay and hard courts provided. All of this lead to calls for change.

“Everybody was saying grass courts are dead because they’re too fast and it just favors the player who’s got a hard serve,” Eddie Seaward told me in an interview last year. Seaward has been the

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head groundsmen at Wimbledon for over 20 years now, and he’ll be stepping down after this year’s Olympics. “I spoke to the coaches at the time and said, ‘Well, OK, what do you want?’ And so they told me.”

But seaward and his team of dedicated grass whisperers are damned if they do and damned if they don’t. Ten years after the “perceived” slowing down of the Wimbledon grass, fans of old-style grass court tennis are calling for a return to the faster play that defined the previous eras.

Others, however, are not so sure that would be the right call. “One things for sure,” says Brad Gilbert, a Wimbledon quarterfinalist in 1990. “Grass tennis 20 years ago was boring. It was three shots and fans were on their feet. It’s been playing slower (since the switch to 100 percent perennial ryegrass in 2001) and the balls have been heavier. I really think that’s a good thing because it’s given a lot of players a lot of confidence that they can play their game.”

Whether the grass plays slow (Seaward denies that there is any change to the actual slowness, he says the ball bounces higher creating a “perceived” slowness) or fast, there’s no denying the allure of the surface thanks to it’s uniqueness, it’s charm, and it’s storied reputation as the original tennis surface.

It’s more of a feeling than a fact. Like walking through a tunnel and catching a glimpse of Wrigley Field for the first time, or glimpsing the verdant fairways at the Masters in Augusta, Wimbledon’s green tennis garden is part painting, part fantasy and part dream come true. As much as it has changed with the times, Wimbledon’s grass will always represent tennis’ beginnings; a time when a simpler, more elegant game was afoot.

It’s no matter that serve and volley has been replaced with baseline bashing or that elegant wooden racquets have been replaced with supercharged, oversized racquets of mass destruction. It’s no matter that the rest of the Grand Slams have elected to modernize, doing away with the past in their cold, hard quest for notoriety and keeping up with the Jones’s. We’ll always have Wimbledon. And Wimbledon will always have the grass.

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Q&ithA

W i k c i s i L Sabine

The last couple of years have been full of ups and downs for Sabine Lisicki and while Roland Garros may have been a dissapointment, the prospect of playing at Birmingham and Wimbledon has her very excited.

How excited are you to return to Wimbledon twice, once for the tournament and then for the Olympics?

Oh very, I am so much looking forward to grass and I hope the weather will stay good so we can actually play. I love playing on grass, unfortunately I have had only 15 hours on the court this week (in Birmingham) but it felt so good. It is a great thing that the Olympics will be played on grass.

Grass can be an unforgiving surface, how is the ankle?

It’s good. The ankle is fine and that’s the main think. I think it is so important, I didn’t play so well in the last couple of matches but

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I feel I am improving with each match. The most important thing for me is to stay healthy and to continue improving. I am a strong believer in hard work and it will eventually pay off.

What is it about grass that brings out the best in you?

I used to hate it, the first time I went there (Wimbledon) I actually think I lost 5 straight matches on grass plus one doubles, and then I turned it around in 2009 where I went to the quarter-finals. I have a string grass allergy, so there was a lot against it, but at some point I just turned it around. I just love it now, it plays differently, it’s quicker obviously which is good for my service, which is one of my weapons.

If you had the chance to win one tournament would it be Wimbledon?

If you could give some advice to the Longines Future Tennis Aces what would it be?

Yes.

To have fun, that was always the main thing for me. When I started no-one ever pressured me and I always enjoyed the game; work hard and stay the same person you are.

Are you going to be giving us an appearance at the Wimbledon Ball this year in another stunning gown?

Maybe, I hope so, that’s the goal right?

Is it difficult to keep the game fun with all the travelling, which might be quite tough?

Doing the photo shoot for “Blonde” magazine was an exciting departure and slightly different, how did that come about?

The travelling is not the bad part, I hate packing and unpacking (laughs), everything else is fun.

Well it was in cooperation with Nike and it was another shoot which just so much fun. Different and I love shoots and to get the opportunity to get to do something off court is just a nice part of being a tennis player and I am just grateful to have those opportunities.

You work with your father, does it help with the psychological aspects of sport which are so important these days?

It does yes, I think it is one of the biggest keys to have the confidence and believe in yourself and that’s sometime hard when you come back from an injury.

How important is the sponsorship of Longines?

You know they have great watches (laughs) I’m German and I think that Germans are very well known for being on time which is very important to me and I always wear a watch so it just nice to have beautiful watches like Longines and be able to wear them.

Sabine will be playing an exhibition match with Steffi Graf and the two finalists in the Longines Future Tennis Aces, Destanee Aiava (Australia) and Haruna Arakawa (Japan), on Finals Saturday at Roland Garros.

­– Ellery Maddocks

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Does Practice Make Perfect?

With the quick transition from clay to grass, can players ever truly be prepared to take on the biggest tournament of the year?

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Tennis is divided into several distinct seasons marked by a change in surface. No season creates more excitement and more discussion than the grass. After several months spent on the slow red clay of Europe leading up to the French Open, players must immediately shift to the quicker and often unpredictable bounces of the grass court events leading up to the granddaddy of all tournaments: Wimbledon.

But as we’ve seen during this year’s warm-up events, transitioning from clay to grass can befuddle even the very best. Though Rafael Nadal’s early round loss in Halle was probably due more to fatigue having just won his seventh French Open title, the opening round losses of Andy Murray and Jo-Wilfried Tsonga at Queen’s Club and the exit of the top three women’s seeds -- Agnieszka Radwanska, Petra Kvitova, and Caroline Wozniacki -- in Eastbourne proved that grass is not the easiest surface to acclimate to in a short period of time.

While some players were trying and failing to get some actual match play before Wimbledon, others simply chose to not compete at all, preferring either to hit the practice courts or participate in exhibition events in and around England including “The Boodles”.

While Serena and Venus Williams have often gone this route with great success, it was a surprise to see several top women’s players, including Maria Sharapova and Victoria Azarenka, also decide to forego playing actual matches.

So which method is best to get ready for Wimbledon? Among the players, no one is really sure.

“There are a lot of examples of players losing very early in the grass season and going all the way to the final of Wimbledon, which is obviously an amazing result,” said Marion Bartoli, who managed to avoid being an early round upset. “If they are able to go through the first two or three rounds at Wimbledon, they’ll start playing even better into the second week. Serena and Venus didn’t play one match on grass this year, and I’m sure they’ll be contenders to win the title. So there’s not really any rule.”

Even though she only has one match under her belt, Wozniacki didn’t seem too concerned about losing early before the biggest tournament in the world.

“It’s not really going to be a setback. I didn’t play any matches last year on grass before Wimbledon. And there are still a lot of girls

out there I can practice and play sets with, so that’s what I’ll do before going to Wimbledon. Some of the players have played a grass court tournament before and some haven’t. You get through the first couple of matches and you start feeling more comfortable and finding your feet out there.”

But one of the biggest factors that allows today’s players to transition so quickly, if not always so seamlessly to grass, is that the surface itself has changed. Gone are the days of the super-slick courts that favored big servers. Today’s grass causes the ball to bounce higher, giving players more time to set up their shots. Some even go so far as to say that grass plays more like a hard court than ever before.

“It’s not the same as your daddy’s grass court,” agreed Cliff Drysdale, ESPN Tennis Analyst. “In the same way that the strings and the rackets and the tennis balls are evolving and changing, so has the grass court at Wimbledon. When we played at the Australian on grass and at Forest Hills, they were both terrible grass courts. The ball hardly got up at all. Wimbledon was always the best grass courts, but they were not what they are now. They’re so much more like a hard -- the surface is much harder. The ball bounces up, the bounces are good, the balls are heavier, so there’s been a balance of conditions.”

“In my day the reason I was taught the way I was taught was because three of the four Slams were on grass,” said three-time Wimbledon champion John McEnroe. “Like Cliff said, the grasses were bad, so you had to have short back swings and take the ball in the air as much as possible, which you don’t have to do now. It allows the guys, big swingers like Nadal or Sharapova, they have those lasso-like forehands, they can get away with it. It’s totally different.”

But even if modern grass literally levels the playing field for those competing at this year’s Championships, the question of the necessity of actually needing match play on grass remains. With the recent news that Wimbledon might consider moving the dates of the event back a week or two in the tennis calendar to allow more time between itself and the French Open and thus possibly allow for more grass court warm-up events to emerge, the hope for a longer grass season remains. But until that happens, players will continue to hope they can get their games adjusted to grass quick enough so they can stick around well into the second week of the greatest fortnight in tennis.

­– Erik Gudris

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ATP Draw Preview

­– Erik Gudris

This year’s Gentlemen’s Singles draw features three men who could be crowned No. 1 when all is said and done, another playing with the burden of a nation’s hopes on his already sore back and several darkhorses that many think could go deep into the second week. Even if the ending feels inevitable, this year’s men’s event at Wimbledon could well be the most exciting one yet we’ve seen in awhile at the All-England Club.

DJOKOVIC’S SECTION Last year, Novak Djokovic used the disappointment of losing in Paris to Roger Federer to fuel himself to his first ever Wimbledon title. He’s in a similar situation this year having lost to Rafael Nadal in the Roland Garros finals although he doesn’t have the same aura of invincibility he had during his remarkable 2011 season. Djokovic starts off his Wimbledon campaign against a former No. 1 in Juan Carlos Ferrero and then could get young Ryan Harrison next.

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Tricky foes such as Radek Stepanek and Richard Gasquet could pose problems but this section, with its healthy mix of clay courters such as Juan Monaco and Nicolas Almagro, looks like the perfect opportunity for Djokovic to get his game in gear before he faces his biggest test in a potential quarterfinal against No. 6 seed Tomas Berdych. Berdych, who knocked out Djokovic to reach the Wimbledon finals in 2010, has had a decent year so far but even if Berdych serves well, that match would be all about Djokovic’s return game that is still the best in the business.

Djokovic might drop a set here and there, but he wants to prove he’s still No. 1 in the world for a reason and Wimbledon is the perfect place to do it.

Pick: Djokovic Early Match to Watch: Possible Second Round Between Veterans James Blake and Radek Stepanek.

FEDERER’S SECTION A lot of excited chatter broke out with the news that Federer could return to No. 1 if he wins the title and if Djokovic doesn’t go past the semis. While many hope that comes to pass, let’s not forget that the Swiss “Maestro” hasn’t won a Major since Melbourne back in 2010 and hasn’t gotten past the quarters of Wimbledon since his won it back in 2009. While winning one more Wimbledon title for Federer feels like a certainty at some point, there are no guarantees especially if Federer falls asleep at the wheel as he did in his losing five-set effort against Jo-Wilfried Tsonga last year.

Fortunately for Federer and his legion of fans, he’s gotten a favorable draw that starts out with an opening round against Albert Ramos and then a possible second round match against his friend Michael Llodra that could, if nothing else, be an entertaining one to watch. But the biggest obstacle, literally, standing in Federer’s

way in the first week could be No. 10 seed John Isner who has long be touted as a Wimbledon darkhorse if he could just avoid getting involved in another marathon early round battle that he either loses or even if he wins is so worn out by it that he can’t progress any further.

Isner could meet Nicolas Mahut again (no joke) in the second round before a possible encounter with No. 8 seed Janko Tipsarevic in the fourth round. That is unless Italy’s Andreas Seppi or Russia’s Mikhail Youzhny don’t trip up the tall American first. The point is Isner still hasn’t proven that he can go the first week in Major without encountering difficulties, so as long as Federer keeps his eyes wide open, he should reach his ninth semi at the All-England Club.

Pick: Federer Early Match to Watch: Tipsarevic vs. David Nalbandian if nothing else for the crowd’s reaction when Nalbandian walks on court.

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MURRAY’S SECTION Once again Scotland’s finest faces the weight and worry of the whole British Isles as he tries to break the 75-year-old record held

by Fred Perry as being the last native son to win the Championships.

But it’s not looking good for Murray who will have a tough test seeing through the forest of big serving foes standing in his way.

Murray opens against Nikolay Davydenko who could test him, but then again Davydenko isn’t the player he used to be. If he passes Davydenko, he will face some real headaches potentially in Ivo Karlovic in the second round and then possibly the lightening serves of No. 32 seed Kevin Anderson. Waiting for Murray in the fourth round could either be No. 16 seed Marin Cilic or No. 21 seed Milos Raonic who many are convinced is ready to do some serious damage at this year’s event.

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The other side of this section is equally compelling if only that there’s no clear favorite to reach the quarters. No. 7 seed David Ferrer has reached the fourth round a couple of times but could an inspired No. 30 seed Andy Roddick knock him out early? No. 9 seed Juan Martin Del Potro looms here as well, but grass is the Argentine’s least favorite surface. Murray, especially if his return game is on, could navigate this difficult path, but this section feels like the one most likely to see someone a breakthrough and reach their first Wimbledon semis. Murray may well have to wait until the Summer Games for his chance to make the local fans proud.

Pick: Raonic Early Match to Watch: Vasek Pospisil vs. Sam Querrey.

NADAL SECTION The king of clay could also become the king of the ATP rankings if he wins his third Wimbledon title and Djokovic fails to reach the quarters. But another title at SW19 would also confirm that Nadal is back in the driver’s seat as far as his rivalry with the Serbian goes.

Nadal opens up against Thomaz Bellucci, but he could get a real test early against Halle champion Tommy Haas who has found some vintage form at the right time. If he gets past Haas, one has to like Nadal’s chances to reach the second week, even if he has to face fellow Spaniard Feliciano Lopez who often shines on the grass.

But could No. 5 seed Jo-Wilfried Tsonga play the spoiler once again as he did against Federer last year? Nothing is ever a given with Tsonga who could still be feeling the disappointment of missing out on those four match points against Djokovic in Paris. Tsonga opens against Lleyton Hewitt who won the title ten years ago and then

might face No. 25 seed Stanislas Wawrinka who could push the Frenchman once again to five sets. No. 10 seed Mardy Fish is here too, but he’s happy to just be back on the courts while No. 20 seed Bernard Tomic doesn’t appear to have the form of late that took him to his first Wimbledon quarterfinals.

Nadal/Tsonga could well go five sets and be one of the best matches of the tournament. But it’s hard to see Nadal losing focus even for a second as he marches his way to what looks an inevitable meeting against Djokovic in the finals.

Pick: Nadal Early Match to Watch: Jurgen Melzer vs. Stanislas Wawrinka

Semifinals: Djokovic defeats Federer; Nadal defeats Raonic Finals: Djokovic defeats Nadal in four

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Gear Guide Roger Federer

Roger Federer hasn’t won a Wimbledon title since 2009. That may change this year. Federer has armed himself with the best weapons Nike and Wilson have to offer so he can tackle the competition on the grass.

Wilson Pro Staff Six.One 90BLX The Wilson Pro Staff Six. One 90 BLX is designed for enchanced feel and maximum control, featuring a legendary construction and a modern handle system. Amplifeel technology delivers a pure feel by replacing sections of the traditional foam in the handle pallet with graphite and basalt plates.

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Nike Zoom Vapor 9 Tour SL Featuring new Adaptive Fit technology and a running inspired design, the Nike Men’s Zoom Vapor 9 Tour SL is equipped with the latest technologies designed to deliver speed and stability. The Zoom Vapor 9 Tour SL provides optimal lightweight performance.

Nike RF Smash Lawn Tennis Polo The Nike RF Smash Lawn Tennis Polo is the peRFect example of classic style mixed with modern technology. The no-sewn armholes, shoulder seams and sides lay against the skin without any chafing. Purple and green stripes, colors of the classic British Lawn Tournament, are printed on the collar and on the stretch line tape at side seams.

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WTA Draw Preview ­– Chris Oddo

A Williams sister has won 9 of the last 12 singles titles at the All England Club, but given the current form of each, that doesn’t make picking the eventual winner any easier.

Serena Williams and her career 60-8 Wimbledon record (with four titles and six finals) will no doubt enjoy the change in scenery from the dusty, unforgiving terre battue of Paris to the lush, green hopefulness of SW 19, but her recent form at Slams is definitely cause for worry. One has to wonder: is the thirteen-time Grand Slam champion out of lucky stars? Or is she simply experiencing a bit of turbulence before hitting Slam-winning altitude again?

As far as Venus goes, one wonders if this year’s trip to Wimbledon will be anything more than a sentimental journey to the place where she once ruled with an iron fist. Her five Wimbledon titles are nothing to sneeze at, but the pecking order has changed since the last time she held the Venus Rosewater trophy in 2008.

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These days, Wimbledon is no longer just a Williams story. There is Maria Sharapova, who just recently has ascended to the number one ranking and who looks to be playing the most brilliant tennis of her career; There is Petra Kvitova, the defending champion, who seems to have a knack for rising to the challenge on the Grand Slam stage; And there is Victoria Azarenka, the woman who started the year torridly but has since cooled off. Still, let’s not forget that this time last year, Azarenka finally broke through to the final four of a Grand Slam at Wimbledon. Those who think she’s allergic to the grass may have it wrong.

There is also an unseeded Kim Clijsters lurking in this year’s draw.

Despite pulling out of the UNICEF Open semis due to a strained abdomen, Clijsters should be ready to play her last Wimbledon. She was hobbled in Australia after turning her ankle against Na Li in a memorable fourth-round encounter, but still nearly derailed Victoria Azarenka’s run to the final.

She may be playing in pain, but Clijsters, knowing that the finish line of her career is near, will still be very dangerous. Let’s look at the draws:

SHARAPOVA’S SECTION Speaking of Clijsters, this section of the draw is where the Belgian has been placed, right alongside Jelena Jankovic’s name in round one. That can’t be good for Jankovic, who owns a 1-7 career record against the Belgian. Then again it’s not really great for Clijsters either. Jankovic is not in her best form these days, but that doesn’t mean she won’t give Clijsters a battle.

I guess will know a lot more about the state of Clijsters’ abdomen strain after round one. But not to worry: this quarter is Sharapova’s quarter to win regardless of what Clijster’s or Jankovic or anybody else does. She is in such fine form, and playing with such authority, that it’s not that hard to imagine sharapova becoming the second player to win the French-Wimbledon double since 1996 (Serena was the other). Of course, Maria will be tested along the way. There is a possible fourth-rounder with Sabine Lisicki. Lisicki always plays her best tennis at Wimbledon, but her 0-3 record against Sharapova raises a red flag. If Clijster’s can get past Jankovic, she might have to face Angelique Kerber in the round of 16. If she can manage that task, then the juggernaut known as Miss Sharapova (at least for now) will likely be waiting. By then, with four matches under her belt, Clijsters will be a tough out. But if anybody can handle that challenge, it is Sharapova.

Pick: Sharapova

RADWANSKA’S SECTION Agnieszka Radwanska, with her slice-and-dice strokes, exceptional touch and ability to redirect power should be a great grass-court player. But is she? Hmm…hard to say. She’ll get a chance to prove that she is early in this year’s event, as the two-time quarterfinalist (’08-’09) will likely face Venus Williams in the second round.

Challenges will come soon thereafter if she is able to take down Williams, in the form of grass-court gurus Daniela Hantuchova (r3) and Nadia Petrova (r4). Petrova and Hantuchova are 4th and 8th respectively in all-time Wimbledon wins among active players.

The next-highest-seeded player in this quarter is the perennial Wimbledon underachiever, Sam Stosur (never been past the third round). But before you count the always teetering on the brink of self-doubt Aussie out, realize that she was a perennial US Open underachiever before last year, and we know what happened there.

Stosur will likely face challenges early from Shuai Peng (r3) and Maria Kirilenko or Li Na (r4).

Pick: Radwanska

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KVITOVA’S SECTION

AZARENKA’S SECTION

Is this Serena’s quarter or Kvitova’s quarter? I guess we’ll know soon enough.

Vika has become a little bit of a forgotten player of late. She stormed out of the gate, swooped down on the Australian Open, claiming her first Slam and the No. 1 ranking, but since has proceeded to drop a level. Is Azarenka ready to prove that she is the WTA’s “it girl?” Or, is she going to keep letting the pressure get to her, like when she mouthed off to a reporter after her loss at Roland Garros, saying she was “gonna kill herself.” Yes, it was funny, and decidedly irreverent.

But it begs the question: Is Azarenka really mature enough to be a perennial winner? She has a lot to prove at Wimbledon, and a relatively cushy draw to do just that.

Serena has a pretty favorable draw, but could face challenges from former Wimbledon semifinalist Zheng Jie (r3) or French Open finalist Sara Errani (r4). More than likely, the only player capable of beating Serena before a possible quarterfinal match-up with defending champion Petra Kvitova is Serena herself (that said, she proved she’s capable of doing just that at the French Open).

The same can be said for Kvitova, who would face Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova in the 3rd round and Dominika Cibulkova in the 4th round if the seeds hold. If Kvitova and Williams can avoid any surprises, then a quarterfinal battle (also a reprisal of the 2010 final) will ensue.

Then, the gloves will come off and the serves and forehands will fly.

Pick: Kvitova

If she’s playing up to her capabilities, she should breeze past the lower seeds (Ivanovic and Goerges, namely) that populate her section to set up what could be a very enticing quarterfinal match with Caroline Wozniacki. Then again, what are the odds that Wozniacki can win four matches in a row? The former No. 1 seems ripe for an upset anytime she takes the court. All the more reason to tab Azarenka to reach her second consecutive Wimbledon semifinal.

Pick: Azarenka Semifinals: Kvitova over Azarenka, Sharapova over Radwanska Finals: Sharapova over Kvitova

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Gear Guide

Maria Sharapova Maria Sharapova won her first Wimbledon title at 17, but last year she fell in the finals. Well this year Maria Sharapova will be coming out strong and making a statement. She’ll be looking stylish from the first round to the finals.

Nike Lunar Speed 3 Lightweight, fast and flexible, the Nike Women’s Lunar Speed 3 Tennis Shoes feature an improved fit. Upper features a Flywire construction and arch-fit for ultra lightweight support. Toe drag protection adds durability. Midsole is equipped with Lunarlon technology for a more flexible and responsive step. A full-length XDR outsole with traditional herringbone pattern provides extreme traction and durability. Carbon fiber shank adds lightweight support.

Nike Maria Slam Statement Dress

Head Youtek IG Instinct MP

The Nike Women’s Maria Slam Statement Tennis Dress delivers flattering, updated style for the court.

The Maria Slam Statement Dress is equipped with Dri-Fit technology to wick away moisture. The dress features Dri-Fit elastic straps and cutout in the back for ventilation. Knife pleats at hem enhance range of motion. Built-in definition bra provides support.

Masha’s racquet of choice offers control and stability for her powerful baseline game. Innegra technology gives the Head Youtek IG Instinct Mid Plus high durability and low vibration withour the added weight, and d3O smart material adjusts its rigidity on impact for a solid feel with every shot.

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Sharapova Demands Respect She’s pretty. She’s rich. She’s everywhere. But despite being set for life, Maria Sharapova has proven she competes for much more than the fame and the photo shoots. Her love of the game over the course of her career has been just as dazzling as her play. And given the current state of women’s tennis, we may be seeing a lot more of her. ­– Blair Henley The Comeback

It can’t be fun to have your failures splashed across headlines all over the world. That was Maria Sharapova’s reality after she underwent a right rotator cuff operation in the fall of 2008. Post surgery, her play was inconsistent at best, and the media took no mercy.

Though she made the finals in Toronto and won the Tokyo Pan Pacific during her comeback season in 2009, she also crashed out in the second round of Wimbledon and the third round of the U.S. Open. During that U.S. Open loss to American Melanie Oudin, Sharapova double faulted an embarrassing 21 times – the most of any WTA tour player in 2009.

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The Russian’s struggle to regain the form that won her three Grand Slams was uncomfortable to watch. Her groundstrokes were wild and erratic, and her attempt at reconstructing her service motion to prevent further shoulder injury had fallen painfully short.

She showed improvement in 2010, winning two titles and toppling five top 20 players, but again, the Russian’s weak Grand Slam performances left much to be desired. Sharapova’s serving issues in particular left befuddled commentators and fans wondering why she refused to slow down her motion in the interest of consistency.

But she stubbornly refused to resort to Plan B, finishing the year ranked No. 18.

Perhaps Maria said it best in a recent Sport Illustrated interview: “My comeback story wasn’t like I got back on the court and I won a Grand Slam. It took a lot of time, it took a lot of bad losses, it took a lot of bad days. It certainly didn’t come easy for me.”

The Resurgence

In 2011, Sharapova began to show glimpses of her pre-surgery self with appearances in the semifinals of the French Open and the final at Wimbledon. And by the beginning of this season, her game was once again firing on all cylinders. Her Plan A (i.e. hit every ball at full speed no matter how well or poorly she may be playing) was working.

But with losses to then No. 1 Victoria Azarenka in the finals of the Australian Open and Indian Wells, as well as another failed trip to the final in Miami, it was easy to wonder if she could close out a victory. When she found herself in a very winnable final against Sara Errani at Roland Garros, it remained to be seen whether those failures to convert had planted seeds of doubt in her subconscious.

One nearly flawless 6-3, 6-2 win later and it was clear that the newest owner of the elusive career Grand Slam had just one thing on her mind on that Saturday afternoon. Sharapova wanted that win more than the fame and the accolades it would grant her, and she competed fearlessly to claim it.

The Future

Her love of her craft coupled with her newfound confidence makes Sharapova a favorite in the wide-open women’s field in Wimbledon.

Though the crisp clip of the grass will undoubtedly make it more difficult for her to break serve (indirectly putting more pressure on her own), Maria has a chance to bring her story full circle at the All England Club.

When Sharapova became a household name after her Wimbledon win in 2004, she was a baby-faced blonde with Dad in the stands for support. Now at the ripe age of 25, she’s an engaged woman, and her father stays home and takes care of her pet pooch when she’s on tour.

“But I talk with him every day, mainly just to find out if my dog is still alive,” she said during a French Open press conference. Joking aside, she has the maturity of someone beyond her years – a fact former No. 1 Chris Evert noted in a recent pre-Wimbledon press conference.

“It’s hard to believe that she’s only 25,” she said of Sharapova. “It seems like she’s been around for a lot longer than that.” With a career Grand Slam to her name, the pressure is off. But with nothing else to prove, history says we’ll see more of Sharapova, not less. The newest world No. 1 may be pretty, rich, and famous, but she’s also one of the best competitors the sport has ever seen. She clawed her way back from what could have easily become a career-ending injury to cement her place in tennis history. That demands respect.

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Longing for London

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Roger Federer will never be an afterthought at any tournament he plays in, as long as he can still lift a racquet.

But Federer isn’t anywhere near the spotlight heading into the 2012 edition of Wimbledon, what with the Rafael Nadal-Novak Djokovic rivalry reaching a boiling point - the two have faced each other in the finals the last four Grand Slam finals dating back to Wimbledon in 2011; and with Andy Murray, under new coach Ivan Lendl, once again attempting to break the UK’s 76-year drought at the All England Club.

Federer enters the tournament in the background, but that will change in a hurry if he makes a strong run on the grass courts this year, something he hasn’t done since winning the tournament in 2009; he fell in the quarterfinals to Tomas Berdych in 2010 and to Jo-Wilfried Tsonga in 2011.

Because of his consistent play over the last 12 months, despite not winning a major since the 2010 Australian Open, Federer can retake the No. 1 position in the world if he brings home the Wimbledon crown in two weeks.

The accomplishment would be doubly sweet, because the crown would be his seventh at Wimbledon, tying him with Pete Sampras for the most there in the Open Era. And adding Grand Slam title No. 17 would allow Federer to put a little more distance between himself and Nadal, who notched his 11th career Slam two weeks ago in Paris, and - should Federer retire with 16 total - stands a reasonable shot of catching the Swiss for the all-time lead if he just continues to win Roland Garros year after year.

But to do all that, Federer needs to win, and he needs to beat Djokovic in the semifinals, something he has done only once in their last seven meetings.

Of the two, Federer actually has a slightly better record in 2012 (396 vs. 36-6), and he’s as good on grass as any man to ever play the game - a staggering 105-16 (.868) in his career on the surface.

True the Slams haven’t been there for him the last couple of years, but of the big three, no one is better prepared to win at Wimbledon than Federer, especially when you look at the draw laid out in front of him before he reaches that potential semifinal against Djokovic.

Federer starts his path against Spain’s Albert Ramos, who is ranked No. 43 in the world despite an all-time losing record (33-36).

Assuming young Ramos doesn’t pull the colossal upset, Federer will take a tour through a field of opponents that he has thoroughly dominated both recently and over the span of their careers.

John Isner, Fernando Verdasco and Gilles Simon. Against those five players, along with potential second-round opponents Michael Llodra and Fabio Fognini, Federer is a combined 30-3, with only one of those losses coming after 2008, and that, a defeat at John Isner’s hands on clay earlier this year in Davis Cup play.

Long story short, it’s not a difficult stroll at all for Federer to the semifinals. Tipsarevic and Isner would seem the biggest threats, but both have severe limitations to their game - Isner limited by his height against a finesse hitter like Federer, Tipsarevic by his emotions against the cool competitor that Federer has always been.

About the only easier draw of the top seeds is Djokovic’s, which would see him faced sixth-seeded Berdych in the quarterfinals, but no one more threatening than Radek Stepanek in the first three rounds.

The past two Wimbledons aside, Federer’s problem hasn’t been getting to the final four of Grand Slams, but delivering the goods once in the semifinals against Djokovic and Nadal.

The last two years have seen each of those two men put up one of the best seasons of the last 20 years, but both have shown chinks in the armor in 2012 - Djokovic with losses to Isner and Tipsarevic, Nadal to such unlikely candidates as Verdasco and Philipp Kohlschreiber.

But beating either man has been Federer’s Achilles’ heel since early 2010, so how does he overcome it? The strategy against Djokovic might be a bit odd -- to root for Nadal to win the other semifinal, and make sure Djokovic knows it. Even though he’s No. 1 in the world, and has been for nearly a year, Djokovic will still be stinging from his loss at the French Open to Nadal, the one place he can’t beat the mighty Mallorcan.

As ridiculous as it sounds for tennis to discount Federer, NadalDjokovic is the expected 2012 Wimbledon final, and if Djokovic is also putting that cart before a certain Swiss horse, it could give Federer a window of opportunity.

If it is Nadal vs. Federer in the final, the winning edge for Federer might simply be professional pride, not to mention he’s taken two of the last three matches from his toughest opponent.

Nadal has built an 18-10 lead on Federer all-time, but Federer still leads 2-1 on the grass of Wimbledon. If he could beat Nadal now, just shy of his 31st birthday, it would go a long way toward cementing his mystique and legacy as the single greatest player of all time.

­– Nick Georgandis

The seeded players in his section potentially standing in his way of reaching the final four include Janko Tipsarevic, MIkhail Youzhny,

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Wimbledon 2012!

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Strawberries and Cream! Yum!

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A crushed Serena Williams looks to redeem herself on the grass after a devastating first round loss on the clay of Roland Garros.

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Novak Djokovic serves at last year’s Wimbledon. Djokovic looks to defend his Wimbledon title and is highly favored by many to do so. He will relinquish the No. 1 ranking to Roger Federer if he fails to reach the semis.

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Andy Murray (L) and Team Great Britain Chief Andy Hunt (R) attend a press conference in London. With so much pressure, and a really tough draw, can Murray rise above it all and claim the Grand Slam that has for so long eluded him?

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Last year Rafael Nadal failed to defend his title against Novak Djokovic in the finals. He has a rough start on the grass in Halle losing early to Philipp Kohlschreiber. Can Nadal step up his game on the grass in time for Wimbledon?

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