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The 2017 grass court season was all about one man, by the name of Roger Federer. After his loss to Tommy Haas in Stuttgart last year, people started to question Federer's decision to skip the clay court season. Those doubts were very much put to bed at Halle and Wimbledon as he won both titles without dropping a set. His attacking style suits the grass perfectly due to the fast pace of the courts, allowing the Swiss maestro to get on the front foot early in the rally. At the age of 36, his game is looking better than ever, especially with the new and improved backhand.
If anyone other than Federer is to win, they will most likely need to beat the Swiss legend, if they are to win the title. However, no player is invincible or without weakness and there are certainly frailties that can be exposed. In this four-shortlist, are players with all the skill and experience needed to defeat the eight-time Wimbledon champion.
Juan Martin Del Potro
The Argentine has all the weapons to beat Roger Federer on grass. He has a powerful and accurate serve which will give him a lot of aces and free points and he will need these free points, to avoid engaging in long and tiring rallies. Furthermore, his flat groundstrokes are ideal for such a fast surface, with the forehand being the shot to avoid for any player.
The forehand can reach speeds of around 100 mph, making it very difficult to defend against. His backhand too is starting to become a force again, with Del Potro now free from all his wrist injuries. In the past, the Argentine hit too many sliced backhands as normal backhands placed too much strain on his right wrist. He is now hitting winners from that side, rather than playing defensive shots.
The Argentine is the only man to beat Federer in a Grand Slam in the last year and a half, with Del Potro defeating Federer at last year’s US Open. He also beat the Swiss No.1 at this year's Indian Wells Masters. The victory secured Del Potro's first Masters 1000 title of his career. In his win, the world No.4 saved three match points and showed the character required to beat the 20-time Grand Slam champion.
Del Potro announced recently that he would not play at Queen’s this year, based on advice from his medical staff. The world No.4 will look to reach the latter stages of Wimbledon this year and hope to be a threat to any player in the competition.
Marin Cilic
The Croatian will look to make amends for last year’s final at the All England Club, where he lost in straight sets 6-3, 6-1, 6-4. Cilic failed to handle the pressure of the occasion as the match simply got away from him. The 29-year-old is a Grand Slam champion, however, and must not be underestimated. He produced an inspired performance against Federer in the semi-finals of the 2014 US Open and secured his first Grand Slam title against Kei Nishikori in the very next match.
This year, he caused the world no.1 some trouble in the Australian Open final, pushing Federer to five sets in a much-improved performance. Cilic’s game involves hitting opponents off the court from the baseline. Like the Argentine Del Potro, the Croat has a big serve, which is accurate and powerful. For a man who is 6ft 6in, Cilic moves rather well as demonstrated in Melbourne this year and against Federer, he hit some spectacular passing shots and volleys, showing he has the mobility and touch to go with the power.
Despite Cilic’s US Open victory, the world No.5 can have problems coping with pressure situations. At Wimbledon two years ago, the Croat stormed to a two-set lead and had match points. He squandered them as Federer progressed to the semi-finals, from two sets down. In this year's Australian Open final, the Croat had break points in the fifth set but failed to convert any of them, which led to Federer eventually winning the final set 6-1. Despite his past matches against Roger, Cilic is capable of beating him and has all the tools to do so.
Nick Krygios
Nick Krygios is starting to show his commitment and dedication to the sport, as he looks to build on what has been a promising year. He got off to a great start, winning a third career title in Brisbane. He reached the fourth round of the Australian Open, losing to Grigor Dimitrov, but played with renewed focus and enthusiasm. He is someone who can definitely create problems for Federer.
Kyrgios defeated him in their first appearance in Madrid three years ago, with the pair having played several close matches since then.
The Australian’s booming serves and ability at the net make his game perfect for grass. The 23-year-old’s unpredictability makes life difficult for opponents, with the Aussie comfortable playing from the baseline and up at the net. This means that the person on the other side of the net cannot get into any rhythm and is left guessing as to what Krygios is going to do next.
Since the match in Madrid three years ago, Federer has won their last three meetings. In every match, Krygios pushed Federer to the edge, with most of the sets going to a tiebreak. However, one of Federer’s greatest traits is his ability to win when playing below his best. Krygios does not have that same winning experience as Federer and regardless of how well the Australian might play, the Swiss maestro always seems to find the answers.
Novak Djokovic
The Serbian's struggles over the past two years have been clear for all to see. Last year, he struggled for form and consistency, with the Serb lacking the same motivation and fire as before. Like Del Potro, Djokovic seems to have moved on from his injury struggles and is now playing with extra motivation. His ability and experience cannot be questioned though, with three Wimbledon titles and 68 career titles to his name.
Two of Federer's three defeats in Wimbledon finals have come against Djokovic, proving how dangerous the Serb is, when at his best. Djokovic's serve will be key to his chances at the All England Club, given the problems he had with it at the start of the year. His volleys and touch at the net have improved significantly over the years, although he generally stays behind the baseline.
Djokovic’s mental strength is also one of his greatest attributes, with the 2014 Wimbledon final an obvious example of this. In the fourth set of that match, Djokovic had two championship points but squandered both. Many players would have crumbled mentally from that position but Djokovic went on to win his second Wimbledon title. In the following year, the Serb had to deal with a very pro-Federer crowd, who showed their love for Roger. Novak stood in the face of that as he secured his third Wimbledon title in four sets.
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