WIMBLEDON GENTLEMEN’S PREVIEW By Richard Pagliaro
Novak Djokovic faces a firstround stress test followed by an inviting first week at Wimbledon. Seven-time champion Roger Federer, 2013 champion Andy Murray and two-time champion Rafael Nadal — who have all won grass-court titles this season — reside in the bottom half of the draw, opposite the top seed. The world No. 1, who has not played a match since losing to Stan Wawrinka in the Roland Garros final, could face the fourth-seeded Swiss in the Wimbledon semifinals. Ballistic-serving Milos Raonic, temperamental Nick Kyrgios and 2014 Queen’s Club champion Grigor Dimitrov, whom Djokovic defeated in the 2014 Wimbledon semifinals, are also potential semifinal opponents for the Serbian, who has surged into the semifinals in 19 of his last 20 Grand Slam appearances. 18 2015 WIMBLEDON PREVIEW
FIRST QUARTERFINAL PREDICTION
(1) Novak Djokovic (9) Marin Cilic Two-time Wimbledon champion Djokovic opens against Philipp Kohlschreiber, who serves bigger than his 5-foot-10 size suggests, possesses a versatile one-handed backhand, reached the 2010 Wimbledon quarterfinals and nearly knocked Roger Federer out of Halle earlier this month. The winner of the match will play either 2002 champion Lleyton Hewitt or veteran lefty Jarkko Nieminen for a spot in round three. Two of the biggest servers in the tournament — Wimbledon marathon man John Isner and Queen’s Club finalist Kevin Anderson — loom in the top quarter along with former quarterfinalist Bernard Tomic and U.S. Open finalist Kei Nishikori, who retired from his Halle semifinal with a calf injury.
“ROGER FEDERER SHOULD SEE OPPORTUNITY.”