On Friday, June 26, the annual Wimbledon draw ceremony was officially held, which also means that the championship battle for the new year is about to begin.
Two days ago, Wimbledon announced this year's seed rankings. Unlike previous years, which always caused a lot of controversy, there are almost no changes this year. The grass court points calculated by the tournament committee are basically consistent with the current world rankings. The seed seats for men's and women's singles Basically in line with expectations.
The biggest surprise and the biggest surprise all come from men’s singles——
The biggest surprise is that Kyrgios, who defeated Nadal in an upset to advance to the quarterfinals last year, has gained in seeding ranking. He is ranked 30th in the world, and his seeding ranking is 26th, but he only rose four seats, and the jump is limited.
The biggest surprise is "ATP Super Rookie" Gao Wen. Although it is hard to believe, Gao Wen has only been in professional tennis for less than a year. He has not had any grass court points in the past two years. Therefore, although he is ranked second in the world, his seed ranking is only No. 2. five.
Therefore, the final ranking of the top four seeds at Wimbledon is Djokovic, Federer, Murray, and Wawrinka.
It was an accident, indeed it was an accident. It once again triggered a lot of discussions on social networks. Netizens who did not know why were shocked. A player who had won two championships and one semi-final in the past three Grand Slams ended up being only the fifth seed at Wimbledon. treatment, is this normal?
But when we discuss it seriously, it is not that surprising. After all, Wimbledon is Wimbledon, and the protection of grass-court events is always a major principle. Gao Wen has not had any grass-court points in the past two years, and there is no doubt that the seed ranking has declined. , Federer, Murray and Wawrinka all deserve such a seed seat, and the fifth seed is just right for Gao Wen, no need to make a fuss.
Rules are rules and principles are principles. Despite this, Gao Wen's seed ranking has become the focus of heated discussion——
Rather than discussing whether Wimbledon's seeding rules are reasonable, it's better to discuss how Gawain will become a potential bomb once he is ranked fifth seed.
The reason is very simple. As the fifth seed, Gao Wen may meet the top four seeds in advance in the quarterfinals.
For the top players in the ATP, everyone knows that Gao Wen is definitely not someone who can be ignored casually. Maybe Gao Wen lacks experience on grass, but his ability, his condition, and his fighting spirit are there, and they are still there. He is a dangerous opponent. Once Gao Wen can enter the second week of the Grand Slam and adapt to the rhythm of Wimbledon's grass, his combat effectiveness will inevitably reach a higher level. No one wants to meet him in advance.
Last month, at Roland Garros, Nadal's ranking fell and he fell out of the top four seeds. He became the biggest uncertainty in the draw, and everyone was afraid to avoid it; now, when it comes to Wimbledon, Gao Wen and Nadal play the same role and may become draw spoilers.
——First of all, Gao Wen is the fifth seed, and the top four seeds may encounter each other in advance in the quarterfinals.
——Secondly, Nadal is the ninth seed, and the top eight seeds may encounter each other in advance in the top 16.
The lottery was suddenly full of variables, and naturally, it gave rise to countless possibilities.
For example, like the Australian Open, the three giants plus one Gawain are all crowded into one section, which is a real crematorium.
For example, like the French Open, Gauvin and Nadal met in advance in the quarterfinals. But this time, what about Gauvin and Djokovic in advance? Or, what about Gao Wen and Federer meeting in the quarterfinals ahead of schedule? So, can Gawain play a game-changing role in the title race?
Possibilities are popping up one after another, and the bustling discussion cannot stop. I deeply feel the fanaticism and excitement of the fans.
It is precisely because of this that the live broadcast of Wimbledon's draw ceremony this year has attracted more attention than ever before. From the side, you can feel the excitement and anticipation after the ATP competition landscape is fully opened. More and more top players are competing to open up. Completely ignite the fans' blood and passion.
Before the draw ceremony begins, it is worth mentioning that Ferrer, ranked eighth in the world, has unfortunately withdrawn from this year's Wimbledon competition.
Ferrer is injured, and his elbow injury has actually affected his performance during the clay court season. However, because clay is Ferrer's best and favorite surface, he has been playing with the injury. As a result, he lost at Roland Garros. Murray stopped in the quarterfinals, which resulted in further aggravation of the injury.
Although Ferrer was exempt from playing after Roland Garros, hoping to complete his recovery before Wimbledon, the grass court season is still too short, with almost no adjustment time, and the cross-channel conversion from clay to grass has increased. It increases the difficulty and poses severe challenges to injury recovery.
This week, during the Wimbledon qualifying period, all the top players have arrived at Wimbledon to prepare for the competition, but Ferrer chose to come back and went to Nottingham to try to find the hitting feel on the grass court. As a result, he was upset in the first round. Lost to Baghdatis, still in poor form.
Then, Ferrer arrived at Wimbledon to try his best, but in the end, before the draw ceremony, Ferrer made the decision to withdraw——
Here, it is necessary to emphasize the difference between "withdrawing before the draw ceremony" and "withdrawing after the draw ceremony". This is a very, very important thing.
If you withdraw before the draw ceremony, the rules are very simple. The seed seats are filled. That is to say, the player who was originally ranked 33rd in the world will be seeded 32nd. At the same time, a lucky loser from the qualifying round will be filled. The draw is followed by a regular draw, and the entire impact involves a limited range of players.
The rules for withdrawing after the lottery ceremony are not complicated. The seeds will not change and the lottery will not change. The lucky loser will directly fill the lottery position corresponding to the withdrawn seed player. It is even simpler than the former. It's neat, but the point is that the entire subsequent impact may affect a large number of players.
Take the most typical and special seed seat of "No. 1 in the world" as an example——
Withdrawing before the draw, Wimbledon's top four picks are Federer, Murray, Wawrinka and Gauvin.
First of all, they won't crash early before the semi-finals.
Secondly, Nadal can enter the top eight seeds and will not meet top players in the top 16 stage.
If you withdraw after the draw, the number one spot in the draw will be filled by the lucky loser.
First of all, there is no change in the matchup of the top players, but the player who was supposed to challenge the world's No. 1 player may gain the upper hand.
Secondly, the time from the announcement of the seed rankings to the draw ceremony and then to the official competition is usually three to four days. For players who are not ranked high in the world, they need to rush between different events and participate in as many games as possible to ensure that Income and points naturally mean that there is no time to stay at Wimbledon and wait patiently. This also means that the later the seeded players announce their withdrawal, the greater the possibility that the lucky losers will have already left.
The points and prize money awarded in the first round of a Grand Slam event may often be more than those of a Challenger Champion. It may not be a big deal to top players, but to blue-collar players who are not ranked high in the world, it may be a major impact on their livelihoods. decision making.
(End of chapter)
