Groundsmen make final preparations on Court No 1 for the start of the Wimbledon tennis championships in London, on Sunday. Photo:AP
Roger Federer has not been in the best of form of late, having won just one Grand Slam in his last 13 attempts. The grass court king's victory at Halle last week was the first addition to his trophy cabinet this year. But the defending champion and 17-Grand-Slam winner will still be a force to contend with. Here, Federer holds the trophy after winning the final tennis match against Mikhail Youzhny of Russia at the Gerry Weber Open tennis tournament in Halle Westphalia on June 16, 2013. Photo: AP
Novak Djokovic, who went down after a gruelling 4-hour 47-minute clash with Nadal in the French Open semifinal, will be looking do justice to his No. 1 seeding. The Serb has had a mixed bag this season, and will be coveting the silver-pineapple crested trophy. In picture: Djokovic lifts the trophy after defeating Nadal in the 2011 Wimbledon final.
Andy Murray will face a tough road ahead for ending Britain’s 77-year-old wait for the Wimbledon title, with Fred Perry doing the honours for the Union Jack in 1936. The 26-year-old missed out on much of the clay season owing to a bad back, but his recent win at the Queen’s club augurs well for his fans. The Scot will be looking to avenge his Wimbledon finals’ loss at the hands of Federer last year. In picture: Murray arrives for a training session in London on June 23, 2013. Photo: AP
Rafael Nadal made his comeback at the Australian open last year, and the Spaniard has been busy ever since, adding seven titles — including the recently-concluded French Open — to his trophy tally. His No. 5 seeding could lead to him face Federer in the quarterfinals; an opportunity for him to deny the Swiss the chance of besting Pete Sampras’s and William Renshaw’s record tally of seven Wimbledon titles. Here, Nadal celebrates defeating Britain's Andy Murray in the 2011 Wimbledon semifinal on July 1, 2011. Photo: AP
The All England Club has been witness only twice to an unseeded player lifting the trophy (Boris Becker in 1985 and Goran Ivanisevic in 2001) in its history. This year’s draw has a heady mix of players — such as John Isner (in picture), Tommy Haas, Lleyton Hewitt (scheduled to meet Wawrinka in their first round match), and Marin Cilic — who can give the top seeds a run for their money. Photo: AP
Serena Williams will be keen on retaining her title this year too, considering that she has won three of the last four, and is on a 31-match winning streak. The No.1 seed’s recent off-court tiff with Maria Sharapova — who has won only one set against the American in the past nine years — is bound to heat up things on the court as well. In picture: Williams celebrates with the trophy after defeating Agnieszka Radwanska at the 2012 Wimbledon final. Photo: AP
Seventeen-year-old Maria Sharapova’s dream run during the 2004 edition of the Wimbledon Championship seems ages ago. The 26-year-old Russian will be smarting because of her recent loss to Serena Williams in the 2013 French Open finals, and will be looking to set things straight with the American and end her 9-year-old Wimbledon title drought. In picture: Williams (right) holds the trophy after defeating Sharapova the 2013 French Open final. Photo: AP
Victoria Azarenka made heads turn when she made it to the semifinals of this tournament two years ago. The No. 2 seeded Belarusian has gone on to win the Australian Open twice, and has also been ranked No. 1 in the world. In picture: Azarenka poses with her trophy on the banks of the Yarra River following her win over Sharapova in the 2012 Australian Open. Photo: AP
Seeded at No. 8, Petra Kvitová crashed Sharapova’s dream of lifting a second Wimbledon title in 2011, by defeating her in the finals. A semi-finalist at the Australian and the French Open last year, the strapping Czech has the potential to stretch the best of players. In picture: Sharapova hits a forehand beating Kvitova during the 2012 Porsche Tennis Grand Prix semifinal. Photo: AP
With players like of Laura Robson, Agnieszka Radwanska (in picture), Sloane Stephens, Jamie Hampton, Elena Vesnina, Sara Errani, and Ana Ivanovic in the fray, the women’s fixtures at the All England Club are bound to be all the more interesting. Photo: AP