Wimbledon 2017 Draw Analysis: How do things stack up for Federer, Djokovic and Nadal?

LONDON, ENGLAND - JUNE 20: Andy Murray of Great Britain hits a forehand during the 1st round match against Jordan Thompson of Australia at Queens Club on June 20, 2017 in London, England. (Photo by Patrik Lundin/Getty Images for LTA)
Two-time Wimbledon champion Murray is struggling with form and injuries

Draws have been announced for Wimbledon 2017, which commences on the 3rd of July. Where do the Big Four stand, and how do the draws look?

Here’s an analysis:

First Quarter

Andy Murray, the top seed and defending champion here, headlines the first quarter, and has an easy first couple of rounds especially considering his grass court prowess. The Scot will not know who his Round 1 opponent is, playing a qualifier to begin.

In his quarter are some potentially dangerous players, especially so considering Murray is struggling with a hip injury going into the tournament and opted out of a few practice sessions early on.

The Scot could face Joao Sousa – or mercurial German Dustin Brown next, and although Brown has been in less than ideal form, his big serving, aided by the quick grass courts of Wimbledon, could create some obstacles for Murray.

Brown ousted Nadal in Round 2 at Wimbledon in 2015 – so he is not unfamiliar with big upsets.

It is Murray, however, who of the Big Four has the easiest draw; he sets up a potential meeting with Stan Wawrinka in the quarter-finals. The Swiss ace, who won his third Grand Slam title at the US Open last year, has been in scintillating form ever since, making the semi-finals at the Australian Open – and then the finals of the French Open.

Although Wawrinka has never reached beyond the quarter-finals at Wimbledon, he has won each of the other Grand Slams once – and is no slouch on grass. The Swiss could well go deep and upset an already struggling Murray here, but until the quarter-finals, Murray is the one who can rest easy until the preliminary rounds.

That said, Murray is struggling – with early losses at grass warm-ups and a continuously troubling hip injury, his Wimbledon showing could well be at risk.

Second Quarter

PARIS, FRANCE - JUNE 12:  Rafael Nadal of Spain poses during a photocall to celebrate his record breaking 10th French Open title at Quai de Grenelle on June 12, 2017 in Paris, France.  (Photo by Julian Finney/Getty Images)
French Open champion Nadal has not played any grass-court warm-up tournament

Headlined by number 4 seed Rafael Nadal, Q2 will see the Spaniard – who recently won his tenth French Open title – open against an injury-stricken John Millman, with a potential Round 2 clash against Uzbekistan’s Denis Istomin, who ousted Novak Djokovic at the Australian Open this year.

The difficulty in Nadal’s draw begins in Round 3 against Russian Karen Khachanov, who is enjoying quite the purple patch of form. The 21-year-old, part of the ATP’s NextGen, is currently at his career-highest ranking of 34th and recently made the semi-finals of the Gerry Weber Open in Halle, Germany, losing to eventual champion and Greatest of All Time, Roger Federer there.

Khachanov has done well at Grand Slams this year, reaching Round 4 at Roland Garros – where he defeated the higher-ranked Tomas Berdych and John Isner before eventually losing to Andy Murray.

Should he pass that hurdle, Nadal will have one of two difficult options – Ivo Karlovic or Gilles Muller to face in Round 4. Karlovic, who still holds the record for career-most aces, is a big server and his style of play is especially aided by the quick grass-courts of Wimbledon. Karlovic, a former quarter-finalist here, has seriously taxed Roger Federer at the All-England Tennis Club – so Nadal will want to be wary of him. The Croat made the finals at s-Hertogenbosch this year, losing to Gilles Muller.

Muller, a serve-and-volley specialist, is also good on grass and currently enjoying some form. The Luxembourgish player recently won the title at s-Hertogenbosch, then reached the semi-finals of the Queen’s Club championship, losing to, but taking a set off Marin Cilic.

Which brings us to Nadal’s continuing difficult draw – he has to face Cilic in the quarter-finals should he reach that stage.

Q2 will be quite the packed quarter, and offers quite the difficult draw for fresh Grand Slam champion Rafael Nadal, who has also not played any warm-up grass-court tournament ahead of Wimbledon.

Third Quarter

KEY BISCAYNE, FL - APRIL 02:  Roger Federer of Switzerland poses in front of the Miami Skyline after defeating  Rafael Nadal of Spain during the Men's Final and day 14 of the Miami Open at Crandon Park Tennis Center on April 2, 2017 in Key Biscayne, Florida.  (Photo by Al Bello/Getty Images)
Roger Federer shares the record for seven titles at Wimbledon and beat his own Grand Slam record this year

This is the quarter most Wimbledon watchers will be looking out for. Featuring Roger Federer, the #3 seed, this quarter will see the Swiss icon look for his nineteenth Grand Slam and a record eighth title in London.

He opens with a not-so-easy opponent in the powerful Alexandr Dolgopolov in Round 1, but this looks as though it shouldn’t be as difficult as it seems. World No. 5 Federer is in top form and fitness and has more than returned to his legendary grass court form, decimating NextGen hope Alexander Zverev at Halle to win a 53-minute final.

Dolgopolov has never defeated Federer, and considering this is on grass, it seems very unlikely that he will now.

Federer could face Mischa Zverev – a serve-and-volley specialist – in Round 3 – his first seeded opponent in the draw, and whom Federer defeated early at the Gerry Weber Open this year.

The Swiss also defeated Zverev in straight sets at the Grand Slam level – the Australian Open this year, so this should be a fairly straightforward win for him. Although Milos Raonic is in this quarter, it is likely that the young German – and younger brother of Mischa, Alexander Zverev, will be the one to face Federer next. Although the younger Zverev brother – currently the World No. 12 – defeated Federer at Halle last year, he was thoroughly dismissed in the finals in 2017 – with the World No. 5 making easy meat of his younger rival.

Fourth Quarter

EASTBOURNE, ENGLAND - JUNE 29:  Novak Djokovic of Serbia hits a forehand during the men's singles quarter final match against Donald Young of The United States on day five of the Aegon International Eastbourne at Devonshire Park Lawn Tennis Club on June 29, 2017 in Eastbourne, England.  (Photo by Mike Hewitt/Getty Images)
Djokovic is currently in the semi-finals at Eastbourne prior to Wimbledon

Novak Djokovic is the top player in this draw. The No. 2 seed, who was runner-up last year, has been struggling with physical and mental fitness and form, and this year dismissed the remainder of his coaching staff after terminating the services of former coach Boris Becker at the end of 2016. The Serbian former No. 1 was taken to the cleaners by Dominic Thiem at the quarter-finals of the French Open – where he was defending champion this year, and although he is currently in the semi-finals at Eastbourne, struggled against American Donald Young in the quarters.

Djokovic opens against Martin Klizan of Slovakia, which should be fairly easy for the ace but for the powerful forehand of his rival. If that goes to plan, he should have an easy road in the next round – until he comes up against a likely match against Juan Martin del Potro, whose strong serves and quick movement will enjoy Wimbledon.

Round 4 will also not be easy for Djokovic, who comes up against either of two tough opponents – Feliciano Lopez of Spain or the more difficult, Gael Monfils. The tall big-serving Frenchman, although famously mercurial and prone to highly fluctuating energy levels in a match, is known in large part for his immensely quick court movement.

But Monfils has never progressed beyond Round 3 at the grass court slam – and in his 13 meetings against Djokovic, has never once defeated the Serbian. He should then face Dominic Thiem in the quarter-finals – just as he did at Roland Garros, although he will certainly not want the result to go the same way.

That said, for all of Thiem’s clay court prowess, he recently lost to World no. 222 Ramkumar Ramanathan in straight sets in under an hour at the ATP250 Antalya Open and is not in ideal shape on grass. Djokovic, for all his recent struggles, is excellent on grass – and a three-time Wimbledon champion, so if he can find some way to turn on the gas, does not have as difficult a draw as the others.

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