Roger Federer will have Björn Borg’s record of five successive Wimbledon titles in his sights when he starts the defence of his All England Club crown in London on Monday.
Having seen his latest bid for grand-slam immortality shot down once again by Rafael Nadal on the French Open clay, the world number one returns to the grass of centre court where he is the undoubted ruler.
Victory on July 8 will place the Swiss just two titles shy of Pete Sampras’s record of seven Wimbledon crowns and level Borg’s five-in-a-row from 1976 to 1980.
Few will bet against the 25-year-old going on to become both the all-time Wimbledon king and grand-slam title collector. A win here would give Federer his 11th major leaving Sampras’s best of 14 tantalisingly within reach.
Despite Nadal again shattering his hopes of becoming just the third man in history to hold all four grand-slam titles at the same time, Federer insists that defeat in Paris will have no bearing on his Wimbledon campaign.
”The transition to grass is always very easy for me because it feels so natural,” Federer said. ”It’s been so long since I lost on grass that of course you start to feel particularly strong on it. It’s always fantastic to break records or match them, and with Björn Borg that’s especially the case because he was a wonderful player.”
Wary Nadal
It is a view shared by Nadal. The Spaniard’s ability to compete on grass is on an upward curve following his run to the final last year, but he is wary of predicting any advance on that achievement.
”I’m playing good; this is one of my favourite tournaments and I love playing on grass but the truth is probably, for my style of game, this is the most difficult grand slam for me,” he said. ”Roger is the favourite. He is more complete, he can do some different things and he normally wins his matches in three sets without any problems. That helps him a lot here.”
Borg is getting used to seeing his records matched; at Roland Garros, Nadal equalled his three consecutive French Opens. The Swedish legend has already had reason to be grateful to Federer after the Swiss’s shock win over Sampras in 2001 stopped the American from also becoming a five-in-a-row Wimbledon winner.
”I have always seen an awful lot of myself in Roger, the way he approaches the game, the way he carries himself,” said Borg. ”He doesn’t always let everything show on the surface, all of the emotion, but he cares about it strongly underneath. Off court he is very relaxed. He’s a very cool guy.”
Cool indeed. Last year, Federer strolled on to court resplendent in a cream blazer with his own crest on the breast pocket. His record meant he could get away with it. He’s on a 48-match winning streak on grass with 28 in succession coming at Wimbledon.
Federer opens his 2007 campaign against Russia’s Teimuraz Gabashvili on Monday with no problems anticipated before a possible third round against former world number one Marat Safin.
Champions
If Federer is to be toppled, who is the likely slayer?
There hasn’t been a Spanish men’s champion since Manuel Santana in 1966. But Nadal stunned everyone by reaching the final last year after overturning a two-set deficit to beat American Robert Kendrick in the second round.
This year he could be tested as early as the first round, where he faces another American serve-and-volleyer in Mardy Fish.
Andy Roddick, twice a runner-up to Federer, comes into Wimbledon buoyed by a fourth Queen’s Club title. He also has what he hopes will be the advantage of having 1974 and 1982 champion Jimmy Connors in his corner.
”Jimmy’s emphasis is, ‘You’re tough to beat on grass. Go put your best foot forward. You don’t have to overplay,”’ said Roddick, who starts against compatriot Justin Gimelstob.
Other contenders are hard to find.
Lleyton Hewitt is the only man, apart from Federer, who knows what it’s like to win here and has made at least the quarterfinals in the past three years, while Serbian Novak Djokovic (20) is seen by many as a potential grand-slam champion-in-waiting.
He has enlisted the expertise of Australia’s Mark Woodforde, who won six Wimbledon doubles titles, to sharpen his serve-and-volley game.
If the identity of the 2007 champion looks ominously familiar, then other aspects of this year’s Wimbledon are fresher. The famed centre court is completely uncovered as work progresses on the installation of a retractable roof in time for the 2009 championships.
Also new is equal prize money for men and women, while the Hawkeye line-call system will debut, but only on the two main show courts. — AFP
