Pow-wow: previewing Wimbledon

This week, we chat all things grass and preview Wimbledon in our latest edition of the Smash Pow-wow!

Our editorial panel of Vivienne Christie, Matt Trollope and Leigh Rogers give their thoughts on all the grasscourt storylines and more as we count down to the beginning of the sport’s most prestigious tournament.

Do you agree with what’s been discussed? What are your thoughts? Share on @tennismash using #smashpowwow!

We’re less than a week out from Wimbledon. Who are the men’s and women’s favourites in your eyes?

VC: The past three Slams have resulted in three first-time women’s champions, but Serena Williams is still the favourite by far – especially when you consider she was runner-up at two of those events with virtually no lead-in tournament time. And let’s not forget she is a six-time Wimbledon champion either. As for the men, how can you possibly tip against Novak Djokovic? Yes, there is the pressure of keeping the quest for a calendar-year Grand Slam alive – but when has pressure been a problem for Novak? He gobbles it up in the same way that he snacks on the All England Club grass in celebration mode. Prepare to watch it again as he hits Grand Slam No.13.

MT: Novak Djokovic is surely the overwhelming favourite. We say that coming into every major tournament, but now that he’s won Roland Garros to rid his back of that major monkey? The sky is the limit. He comes in, absurdly, free of pressure now that he’s won pretty much everything there is to win in the game. And he’s not short of confidence on grass, having won the past two years at the All England Club. At the moment, no-one in the men’s game can touch him. And I can’t see that changing in the next fortnight. On the women’s side, I’m picking Serena – it’s the surface that best rewards her first-strike style. Although she seems to have lost some of her sting, the world No.1 has nonetheless reached both major finals in 2016 and is still the tour’s gold standard. I just cannot see her not winning another major title and tying Steffi’s Open Era-record slam tally. Wimbledon is typically the tournament where the cream rises to the top.

LR: The spotlight has been on Andy Murray lately, firstly with Ivan Lendl rejoining his coaching team and then winning an unprecedented fifth Queen’s title. He’s definitely a threat – but world No.1 Novak Djokovic is the undisputed favourite. The two-time defending champion will be well-rested after his French Open breakthrough, both physically and mentally, which will make him hard to stop. The women’s draw is more unpredictable – but again it’s hard to go past the world No.1. Serena is a six-time Wimbledon champion and with her closest-ranked rivals all losing early in grass tournaments last week or under injury clouds, it’s hard to argue anyone else deserves the favourite tag.

Which player has impressed you the most so far during the grasscourt season?

VC: Dominic Thiem has drawn me in all year but nothing impressed me as much as his successful transition from clay to grass as the Stuttgart champion. With seven titles (four of them in 2016), he’s now firmly entrenched in the top 10 – and in my view, well on track to becoming the first Slam champion of his generation.

MT: There hasn’t been any one player who has won a succession of events; rather, a group of players who have shared the spoils. But if I was to name anyone, I would say Coco Vandeweghe. The American was reportedly heartbroken after her French Open second-round loss – the early exit cost her a chance to qualify for the US Olympic tennis team. Yet she managed to channel that disappointment into some pretty impressive tennis in ‘s-Hertogenbosch, storming to her second title there in three years without dropping a set. She then followed that up with a semifinal run in Birmingham, beating No.1 seed Agnieszka Radwanska along the way. A Wimbledon quarterfinalist last year, Vandeweghe is a player nobody will want to see across the net at the All England Club.

LR: Dominic Thiem. The Austrian had recorded only two wins on grass in the past two seasons, which makes his Stuttgart title and Halle semifinal run even more impressive. The 22-year-old has had a jam-packed schedule in 2016 and after his Grand Slam breakthrough semifinal run in Paris, my expectations for his grass season were low. The world No.8 has proven he can perform on grass though, which only further reinforces that he deserves his new top 10 status.

What grasscourt result or storyline has most caught you off-guard?

VC: In the most pleasing way, the return of Ash Barty, who won five matches over considerably higher-ranked opponents to reach the Nottingham quarterfinals as a qualifier. Of course I expected she’d succeed in her comeback to tennis, but I didn’t imagine it would happen so quickly.

MT: Most definitely Florian Mayer emerging from nowhere to win the Halle title. The German was ranked No.192 and had never before won an ATP 500 title – his one previous tournament victory came at the 250-level Bucharest event five years prior. Miffed that he wasn’t given a wildcard into his home tournament – and forced to use a protected ranking entry instead – Mayer ousted top tenner Dominic Thiem and then highly-rated teen Alexander Zverev in his last two matches to record the most significant result of his 15-year pro career. He’s since shot up more than 100 places in the rankings to return to world No.80.

LR: Florian Mayer’s resurgence is as heart-warming as it is unexpected. The German veteran entered Halle as the world’s No.192-ranked player, yet the 32-year-old fought through a tough draw to win the biggest title of his career. Having barely played in the past two years and having toyed with retirement before his unlikely title run, it is a great story. It would have been good to see Alexander Zverev win his first title too, especially after his impressive semifinal victory against Roger Federer – but there is no doubt this 19-year-old who has just broken into the world’s top 30 will have many more chances.

What are you most excited to see unfold during the Championships fortnight?

VC: How will Novak Djokovic respond after finally breaking through at Roland Garros? Will there be a sense of freedom after finally claiming his boogey Slam or will he buckle under the weight of expectation? I suspect the former – but either way, the Serb is set for more history in 2016.

MT: Djokovic’s continuing on his quest to win the calendar slam. By winning this year’s Australian and French titles, the Serb became the first man since Jim Courier in 1992 to win the first two legs of the slam. If you enjoyed the excitement – hysteria? – that accompanied Serena’s slam quest last year, you could get to experience it all over again if Djokovic wins Wimbledon and heads into the US Open with a shot at tennis immortality. I, for one, would love to watch such a scenario unfold.

LR: Where do I begin? Wimbledon is one of my favourite times of the year and there are so many stories I’ll be watching closely. Can Serena win a record-equalling 22nd Grand Slam? Can Novak Djokovic win the third part of a potential calendar-year Grand (or even Golden) Slam? Could promising talents such Milos Raonic and Madison Keys make Grand Slam breakthroughs? Even the qualifying event this week is interesting. It’s a great time to be a tennis fan!