Wimbledon 2015 – Analysing the Superstars Moving Into the Grass Court Tennis season
Today’s tennis fans are spoilt for choice, with players of the highest calibre both on and off the court. Not even the best are dead-certs to win though (remember the French Open), so how are the top stars shaping up in the grass court this season? With seventeen Grand Slam singles titles, seven-time Wimbledon champion Roger Federer is one of the all-time greats. Although he reached the quarter-finals of the French Open, the Swiss will be relieved to have swapped clay for grass. Reaching the age of thirty is no longer a bar to tennis success, but despite staying second in ATP rankings, he hasn’t won a major in a while. Federer still seeks out ways to prolong his career, so can coach Stefan Edberg help him add to his titles on a grass court? While talk of tournaments on clay courts has to highlight the King of Clay, Rafael Nadal, we must draw your attention to the fact that he is also a champion of South London’s green. His previous five showings at the Queen’s Club have all seen him reach Wimbledon finals, winning twice, so what does this year’s first-round exit from Queen’s and an uncharacteristic dip in form and ranking say about his championship chances? Will self-doubt join niggling injuries or will the fighting spirit of this incredible leftie overcome Rafa’s concerns about the playing speed of Wimbledon’s courts? Andy Murray’s game is perfectly suited to grass and he has a success rate of 83 percent on the surface, with several titles that include the holy grail of Wimbledon. Andy’s recent form has been impressive, and his on-court demeanour much improved by maturity and the input of his coach Amélie Mauresmo. Knowing that she will be around for Wimbledon, and with the Swede Jonas Bjorkman also joining the team, Murray and the British crowd will be feeling confident. Novak Djokovic may love hard courts but his graceful and athletic style adapts well to any surface, and the Serb has already conquered the lawns of SW19 twice. Apart from a recent loss at Roland Garros where he came up against an in-form Stan Wawrinka, the men’s World No.1 has been mostly unbeatable and is still a favourite for the Wimbledon title. Is there any surface where Serena Williams isn’t at home, any tournament that she can’t win, or any match that she can’t turn around? Despite an illness during the French Open, the WTA’s top player managed to walk away with the trophy. As a five-time winner at Wimbledon, victory this summer would give her a fourth consecutive slam and gift her a historic record, so her ability and grit could see her through. Maria Sharapova won her first Grand Slam on grass and she has since proved that it was no teenage fluke. Her talent coupled with drive and dedication to hard work always make her a contender, and could take her all the way during the grass court season. She feels that her early loss at Roland Garros will help her by giving her extra time to get fit and to prepare, so the Russian is another one to watch. So, as we approach the grass court season, will it be a battler or tactician who wins? Can spectators expect grace and athleticism or dogged determination? Domination during the grass court season needs all these attributes and it will be fascinating to see who comes out on top. As leading providers of tennis court surfaces, here at Charles Lawrence we offer comprehensive tennis court design services to create the ideal playing surface to ensure all your requirements are met, including performance and budget. We also provide thorough tennis court installation service in which we offer a range of surface materials, including:- Painted porous macadam
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