in Tennis Articles

London, England – The bottom half of the draw is pegged as the group of death, littered with big names, including Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic, Tomas Berdych, Lleyton Hewitt, Nikolay Davydenko, Marcos Baghdatis, Guillermo Canas, Tommy Robredo and Mikhail Youzhny. The playing field is wide open as all are valid contenders.

Djokovic’s Quarter

Serbian sensation No. 5 Novak Djokovic is seeded fourth at Wimbledon, higher than No. 4 Nikolay Davydenko; as such this quarter has been dubbed his domain. High hopes precede Djokovic following his impressive play to date. However, his draw is not without its challenges.

In the early rounds, Djokovic is favored by the draw with Potito Starace in the first round and in the second round, Amer Delic or Lukas Dlouhy. Although the big-serving Starace might present a slight challenge in the first round, Djokovic is expected to march through to the third round before meeting his first real contest at the Championships - Ivo Karlovic, last week’s Nottingham Open winner.

Should Djokovic prevail, a R16 match against Hewitt (2002 Wimbledon Champion) or Canas is expected, followed by a matchup against possible quarterfinalist Davydenko or Nalbandian in the upper half of the quarter.

Should Djokovic reach and prevail in the R16 with a victory, his odds for a semifinal appearance would improve greatly.

Nadal’s Quarter

Second seed and 2006 Wimbledon runner-up Rafael Nadal is one of the most impressive young players on the tour. Vying for a second successful run at Wimbledon, Nadal is favored in the bottom half of the draw to reach the semifinal, if not the final for a re-match of the 2006 Wimbledon final against Roger Federer!

Nadal’s quarter is not without its challenges, and before he can replicate his 2006 Wimbledon performance, he has several obstacles to overcome, namely a possible third round matchup against Sebastien Grosjean and a possible R16 matchup against Mikhail Youzhny.

While Grosjean had a great run on grass in 2003-2005, his form in 2007 does not suggest he will overly threaten Nadal. Perhaps more worrisome for Nadal would be Youzhny in R16, as Youzhny holds a close 4-5 record against Nadal, which includes a 1-1 record in 2007.

Getting past Youzhny in the R16 might be tricky for Nadal, but should he prevail, a potentially menacing matchup against Tomas Berdych – last week’s Gerry Weber Open winner looms on the horizon.

With Berdych holding a 3-2 record against Nadal, which is comprised of three non-clay victories for Berdych, a quarterfinal matchup between these two would be a mouthwatering prospect for all tennis-betting enthusiasts.

If Nadal prevails and advances into the semifinals, his odds of going to a second consecutive final at Wimbledon would weigh heavily on his opponent. Should he face a possible semifinal against Djokovic, his chances would increase as he holds a 4-1 record against the young Serbian. However, should Hewitt prove to be the semifinalist in the upper half of the bottom draw, then Nadal would have a battle on his hands, as the chances of either advancing would be almost even.

Semifinal Pick: Without question, Nadal is a valid contender for a semifinal spot at any Grand Slam event. However, on grass, Nadal is not the resounding pick. Nevertheless, Nadal plays with a passion to win and he wants nothing more than to win Wimbledon. Rafael Nadal is not a player that defeats himself. As such, the final spot in the bottom half of the draw is his for the taking unless someone defeats him. With passion as his driving force, driving his ruthless forehand, Nadal is the best pick.

Final Pick: Perhaps it is slightly passé to predict another Federer/Nadal final at a Grand Slam, but what a final it would be. While Nadal is vying for his first Wimbledon title, Federer is vying for his fifth consecutive Wimbledon title - a feat that has not been accomplished since Bjorn Borg (1976-1980), and a feat that Pete Sampras tried to accomplish before his run at a fifth Wimbledon title in 2001 was crushed by the magician himself in the R16.

As Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal volley back-and-forth, trading and setting tennis records between them, a meeting at the Wimbledon final would almost seem fitting for the two indomitable forces in tennis.

Will Federer savor sweet victory at Wimbledon, or will Nadal deliver a taste of sweet irony.

Should the Wimbledon 2007 Final play host to Federer and Nadal, I pick Nadal for the sensational victory.

Tennis Free Pick: Nadal def. Federer in five sets.

Federer might be winning everything except clay these days, but with online sports betting in the tennis lines, odds and props to earn cold, hard cash!

Nila Amerova is a freelance sports writer and regular contributor to the BetUS.com Locker Room