The Wimbledon draw - Photo yvettemn CCANDNC
There is so much to see on YouTube that it is tempting to get a job in IT just so you can watch YouTube whilst pretending you’re working. But where to begin? Sport without Spin will guide you with a digest of some of our favourite clips.
We’re less than 24 hours from the start of Wimbledon, and frankly we’re a bit excited about the tennis. There’ll be lots of great coverage, and though Nadal’s absence will be keenly felt, there are still plenty of characters and stars likely to make an impression through the fortnight. Here are seven prime examples, and seven great examples of what makes them so watchable.
1. Roger Federer
In the absence of Nadal, Roger Federer has become the overwhelming favourite to win Wimbledon, going in as top seed having been there, done that and got the cardigan 5 times at Wimbledon to add to his 9 other slams. Whilst he seemed to be on the wane, losing more matches to lower ranked players and coming out second best more often than not in his titanic ongoing rivalry with Rafa Nadal, he stormed back to show his critics what being a great champion is all about by winning that elusive French Open title last month. Though he’s gradually lost that air of invincibility over the past few seasons, he maintains the ability to pull something spectacular out of the bag, like this jaw-dropping smashed passing shot against Roddick when the ball was miles off court and the point surely gone.
2. Andy Murray
There’s really not a whole lot more we can add to what’s been said in the past week about Murray - with Nadal out, it will almost be a disappointment if he doesn’t get as far as facing Federer in the closing stages. With arguably the most varied game on the tour and a notably improved first serve since his last Wimbledon appearance this backhand pass on the run against Juan Ignacio Chela (once you’ve got through the cheesy montage) reflects his incredible court coverage and ability to hit winners from anywhere on the court that will stand him in good stead at SW19.
3. Andy Roddick
It seems cruel to write off a guy who has won a Grand Slam, won Queen’s, and made two Wimbledon finals, as well as possessing officially the fastest serve in tennis history. But such has Federer’s mastery of Roddick been, winning 18 of 20 encounters, many of them comfortably, that it is hard to see Roddick getting past him to take the title. He remains a dangerous player, though, and one of the most likeable and funniest guys in the sport. His press conferences, particularly following defeat, are frequently hilarious, making him one to watch regardless of how his tennis form is.
To see Roddick on court, click here for the fastest ever recorded serve of 155mph, but the video above is far more entertaining. He gives deadpan responses to a series of inane questions following his 6-4, 6-0, 6-2 defeat to Federer in the 2007 Australian Open final, telling one journalist who asked what it was like for him that “it was frustrating, it was miserable, it sucked, it was terrible. . . erm, besides that it was fun.”
4. Juan Martin Del Potro
The 20 year old Argentine is widely seen as the next young player to break into the top bracket of Federer, Nadal, Murray and Djokovic as a genuine contender for Grand Slams, if he isn’t already. Del Potro will be looking to go one better than his compatriot David Nalbandian, runner up at Wimbledon in 2002, and has the talent to do so, even if this year might come a little too early in his development. This shot (where once again you have to sit through the cheesy montage to get to the good bit), is remarkably audacious to claim a point that looked long gone, following some sterling defensive work to stay in the point by not only making a dropped shot by Robredo but lobbing him with an delicate chip clipped through his legs. You have to love the unnecessary dash of flair.
5. Novak Djokovic
With Murray’s incredible form over the past year and rise to number 3 in the world, it is easy to forget that the man he replaced at 3 in the rankings, Novak Djokovic, was actually the man to break the Federer-Nadal hegemony in the Grand Slams, landing the 2008 Australian Open after defeating Federer in straight sets in the semis. Only 7 days younger than Murray, he reached the peak of his sport quicker by landing his first Grand Slam at 21, but has since stuttered as Murray has improved. Nonetheless, he retains the ability to beat anyone on his day and will be a threat at Wimbledon.
YouTube is awash with clips of his well-known and very funny on-court impersonations of his colleagues (male and female), but the most impressive clip is this point, where he reduced Federer to stone having chased down everything at full stretch across the court by bringing him to the net with a delicate drop then following it up with an immaculate lob.
6. Jo-Wilfried Tsonga
The man Djokovic beat in the Australian Open semi-final was Muhammad Ali look-alike Jo-Wilfried Tsonga. A Frenchman with incredible power and athelticism, Tsonga has been blighted by injury but when fit can be an explosive prospect with a ferocious forehand that could give the favourites a serious run for their money. In this clip from a Davis Cup match-up with Germany, he shows impressive court coverage as well as a more delicate side to his game, winning the first point with a deft sliced drop shot form the baseline then the second having made impressive ground to meet a point that clips the net-cord followed by an outrageous shot with his back to the court having chased down a lob.
7. Grigor Dimitrov
Tipped as ‘the next Roger Federer’ by many in the know, including Federer’s former coach Peter Lundgren, the Bulgarian won Wimbledon and the US Open at junior level and many would back him to do the same in the big league. His style has been compared to Federer, and this point shows similar grace and skill against none other than World Number 1 Rafael Nadal, mixing power with slice in his backhand, bringing Nadal into the net with a delicate drop shot, followed when Nadal inevitably makes the return by a diving half volley to scoop the ball past the Spaniard at full stretch. Lundgren believes “he is better than Federer was at his age.” Scary.
