Old foes meet again at Wimbledon
There will be a strong sense of déjà vu all over again at Wimbledon with the opening set of matches bringing together some old rivals. As usual, most people want to see who the top seeds have been lined up against but for once, the most opening match of the first round features two players who are down the list with regards seedings but who created a little bit of history. Looking back to the 2010 Wimbledon Championship, what is the thing that sticks in your mind the most? For many people, even non tennis fans, it has to be the world record breaking longest running match between John Isner and Nicolas Mahut.
Will it be another record breaker?
Well, wouldn’t you know it but these two have been paired together again in a match that will likely have both men suffering from flashbacks with regards the match. You can probably imagine the bookmakers now pricing up the odds of another lengthy battle between these two but surely it can’t happen again can it? The event last year was surely a one-off based on many circumstances but it wouldn’t be a total shock if it was another close one. Then again, the sporting world could be absolutely shocked if it ends up with a comprehensive straight sets victory for one of the players.
The Spaniard aiming to remain the best there is
Returning champion Rafael Nadal will kick-off his defence of the trophy against Michael Russell. The American player will no doubt be delighted with the opportunity to play on centre court but the fact that it comes against the formidable Spaniard may not be the biggest thrill that Russell has had in his life. Then again, if you want to become better, you have to pit yourself against the best and Nadal can definitely consider himself to be amongst the best, if not the best.
One man who will hope to change that fact will be Andy Murray and if he is to succeed with this aim, he will need to defeat another Spaniard, Daniel Gimeno-Traver in the opening round. Murray faces the world number 56 safe in the knowledge that he has defeated him in their two previous match-ups but it is still likely to be a tricky opener for Murray. The nerves and expectations will be on the Scottish player but he should be able to get through the first round and you imagine the first week, without having to be at his best. That is sometimes the beauty of tennis though; some results come out of nowhere.