Wimbledon is here.
Just thinking about it, I can't help but feel my blood boiling. I feel uneasy, nervous and apprehensive, but also expectant, excited and excited at the same time.
After all, everyone is witnessing history and is clearly aware of it. History is being written before their eyes. Such opportunities do not come every day; therefore, they need to keep their eyes open and pay close attention from the first day to avoid missing out. Any moment when history is born.
Under the spotlight, the signing of the form was completed.
First, in the 1/4 area, Djokovic faced off against Kei Nishikori.
In this division, there are some interesting matchups. In the top 16, Djokovic vs. Anderson, Kei Nishikori vs. Cilic.
Anderson just reached the final of the Queen's Club Cup two weeks ago by defeating Gowan and Dimitrov. Although he unfortunately lost to Murray in the end, he showed good form. How much trouble he can bring to the defending champion is a What to watch.
Cilic is another highlight. He has lacked outstanding performance since returning from injury this year. He is still in the struggling period of the post-US Open era. Whether he can regain his form and create some waves in this division needs to be fought. question mark.
In addition, Isner, who is always a threat on grass courts, is in this division and falls in Kei Nishikori's small division; there are also a number of new stars, Australia's Tomic and Kogkinakis are here, There is also Zverev, who entered the main draw of a Grand Slam for the first time with his world ranking.
In the past, rising stars deserved attention, but to a very limited extent; but after the craziness of the past year, things are completely different.
The emergence of a new generation of young players has easily triggered countless discussions. People also expect these young people to show courage and courage. Even if they cannot continue to climb to the top like Gawain, they can at least add some excitement to the Challenger League. of fresh blood.
Last year at Wimbledon, it was Kyrgios, Raonic and Dimitrov, but what about this year? Maybe Tomic? Or little Zverev?
However, overall, Djokovic's comprehensive strength on grass courts is still superior to others, and he is obviously the favorite to qualify in this division.
The only uncertain factor is how much of the negative impact of Roland Garros' third consecutive title defeat will remain, and whether Djokovic has shaken off the disappointment and bitterness and is ready to defend Wimbledon. Everything still depends on the performance of the world's number one player.
In fact, in this division, the focus topic that caused the most discussion was Hewitt.
The former world number one and former Wimbledon champion had already announced before the game that Wimbledon would be the last singles event of his career and he would officially retire after it ends. For this reason, Wimbledon is also special. A wild card was issued to him to witness the farewell tour.
At this time, there are still a small number of fans who remember that before Federer and Nadal completely changed the tennis landscape, the ATP was an era of shining stars, including Ferrero, Safin, Roddick, Moya, Henman, and Nalbandian. , Corea and other players are known as the golden generation. The grand scene of the heroes competing for the title with different styles is really dazzling. The contention of a hundred schools of thought during that period showed different styles and colors of tennis.
To this day, people are still talking about it. In fact, Federer, who was born in 1981, also belongs to the golden generation, but his maturity and transformation happened a little later, resulting in a misalignment, and then he wrote a completely different story, but from the side. You can feel the weight of the golden generation.
As time goes by, the golden generation has all retired one after another, and Hewitt is the last one.
When Hewitt left the court, that glorious and dazzling generation was left with only Federer fighting alone. There is no doubt that this is the end of an era.
It is precisely because of this that after coming to Wimbledon this year, the atmosphere among ATP players is somewhat different, not only because of Hewitt's retirement, but also because his retirement represents the end of the golden generation——
For the players born in the 1990s, the superstars they have looked up to since childhood are about to exit the stage, and only then do they realize that they have grown up.
In his career farewell game, Hewitt will face another veteran, Nieminen from Finland, in the first round. If he can successfully pass the test, he will challenge Djokovic in the second round. Once it happens, then It will be a special moment for two generations of players to have their final showdown.
Perhaps Djokovic is the favorite to qualify in this division, but before the first round showdown begins, Hewitt is the undoubted focus.
Secondly, in the 2/4 area, Wawrinka faces Raonic.
Melee!
Among the four major divisions, this is known as the division of death. It is not the division where Murray and Gao Wen launched Mars and hit the earth, but the division where the competition pattern is completely open. Everyone, including Wawrinka and Raonic, There are opportunities, and the closeness of overall strength is indeed full of countless possibilities.
In Wawrinka's small division, there are players such as Tim, Goffin, Verdasco, Robredo and so on. Although he does not look like a typical grass court expert, Wawrinka also needs to replicate his performance in the quarterfinals last year. After some tests, grass was also the venue where he performed worst.
In Raonic's small division, he may face the legendary German veteran Tommy Haas in the second round - who is also a player of the golden generation. He may face Kyrgios in the third round, and in the fourth round We need to face Nadal, and Gasquet, who has recently recovered, is eyeing the match. It can almost be said that he is frightened every step of the way.
On the one hand, the highest-ranked seed Wawrinka is not good at grass; on the other hand, Raonic, who is the strongest on grass, has just returned from injury. Both players need to face a fierce battle all the way to promotion. The strength between the players The gap is not big, plus Nadal, who can never be underestimated——
The Death Zone lives up to its name.
For the new generation, this division can be said to hide countless opportunities, and it may even be the most suitable stage among the four divisions for them to show themselves. Next, it depends on who can seize the opportunity and usher in the first breakthrough in their career, such as breaking into Entering the semi-finals?
Judging from the pre-match predictions, Kyrgios is undoubtedly the biggest dark horse in this division and is highly anticipated.
Of course, looking at it from another perspective, it is precisely because of the melee and because the new generation is full of opportunities that Nadal may actually benefit.
As we all know, Nadal's performance has always been the most stable among the Big Four when facing the new generation of players; moreover, Nadal has always been good at polishing his form through continuous fierce battles——
At Wimbledon, Nadal's first week is often full of crises and he may be eliminated at any time; but entering the second week is another story. On the one hand, the grass has been smoothed and turned into dirt. On the other hand, Nadal himself By regaining his form through competition, his threat will complete his transformation.
Therefore, chaos is an opportunity for the new generation, and it is also for Nadal. The key lies in the performance in the first week.
(End of chapter)
