Wimbledon begins on Monday with Swiss ace Roger Federer aiming to win his fifth consecutive title on the legendary lined lawns. With his dominance of the tournament growing, Federer is moving into the esteemed company of notable Wimbledon bores Pete Sampras and Bjorn Borg. Sampras won a bottom-numbing 7 titles and Borg five which came in 1976-1980, now known as “The Ikea Years”.
Only three people other than Federer or Sampras have won Wimbledon since 1992 and one of those was Richard Krajicek which doesn’t count.
Lleyton Hewitt is the only man in this year’s draw other than Federer to have won Wimbledon previously. In his usual demure fashion, the South Australian has been quietly talking up his prospects despite the fact that Wayne Arthurs, in his final Grand Slam, probably has a better chance of taking the title.
A truck with Nadal Deliveries Inc painted on its side and containing 10 tonnes of red clay was stopped at the Wimbledon tradesmen’s entrance last night.
Once Tim Henman departs in the first round, the British bandwagon will be derailed until next year. Andy Murray officially withdrew from the tournament last night with an injured wrist sustained from trying to hold up the weight of public expectation.
