The Wimbledon 2014 Draw (Will be updated as and when)

Murray's route:

Goffin
Andujar/Rola
Bautista Agut
Anderson
Ferrer/Dimitrov
Djokovic
Nadal (ha)

I likes it.  I likes it a lot.  Dimitrov is also floating about there and he's the danger man I think but you'd fancy Murray to beat him over 5.

I'll do Federer and Djokovic when I can, possible Fed/Stan QF. Potential for Nadal to get a certain Czech in the 2nd round.

Edit (these should be right):

Djokovic:

Golubev
Stepanek
Pospisil
Youzhny/Tsonga
Berdych
Murray
Nadal

Federer:

Lorenzi
Benneteau
Mahut (maybe Granollers)
Janowicz or Robredo
Stan
Nadal
Murray/Djokovic

Nadal:

Klizan
Rosol/Paire
Karlovic
Monfils/Gasquet
Raonic (also got Kohli and Nishikori in that bit)
Federer/Stan
Murray/Djokovic

Still questions on the fitness of Ferrer. It looks like a good draw on paper. I am happy with it.

http://www.wimbledon.com/en_GB/scores/draws/ms/index.html

Djokovic route

1R Golubev
2R Stepanek
3R Pospisil/Simon
4R Tsonga
QF Berdych
SF Murray
F Nadal/Federer

Its out! Murray has been drawn with Djokovic and some of the names in that half are Tsonga, Berdych, Dmitrov, Ferrer. The latter two being in Murray's quarter and the former in Djokovic's quarter. Pretty sweet draw for Murray. Harder one for Novak I think as he's got Gulbis in there too!

Nadal has got Federer (Oh dear...sleepless nights for Roger lol!) and Fed also has Wawrinka. Raonic floating about in there too as is Kohlschreiber. These two in Nadal's section. Nadal has a chance to avenge his defeat of 2012 to Rosol should Rosol make it to the 2nd round. Just wondering, from a Federer fan perspective if this is a good section in case Nadal is ousted early.

Either way some nervous times ahead for whoever's favourite players!

Federer route

1R Lorenzi
2R Benneteau
3R Granollers/Mahut/Giraldo
4R Janowicz/Robredo
QF Wawrinka
SF Nadal
F Djokovic/Murray

Nadal route

1R Klizan
2R Rosol
3R Karlovic
4R Monfils/Gasquet
QF Raonic/Nishikori
SF Federer
F Djokovic/Murray

that's about as good a draw as Murray could have hoped for really. He's avoided all the potentially dangerous R4 opponents.

Tough draws for Djokovic and, especially, Nadal.

Although there's every chance the draws will pan out differently, of course.

This time last year, Andy's draw looked a nightmare. Two rounds later, it looked lovely!

Definitely a great draw for the defending champion. What more could he ask for? I expect him to reach the final because I think his grass court game is better than Djokovic's.

On the other side, its a tough one to call. I lightening does not strike the same place twice so I think Nadal is not going to slip up vs Rosol, who I think won't get that far. Federer, well its anyone's guess which round he will bow out in. If he meets Nadal in the semis and that is a HUGE IF, he won't come through that one because by the time Nadal gets there, he would have settled into the tournament.

Awful draw for Novak and nadal. What a sweet one for Murray!! He will be loving that

Federers isnt easy either Benneteau and Janowicz before the second week...
Nadals is an utter nightmare Klizan and Rosol to start! Id fancy either of them to pick up the upset

Well maybe not fancy, but theyre both not out of the question at all

Rosol has to get past Paire yet, that's not a guarantee. Then again Paire could trouble Nadal on a good day too.

But remember last year? Everyone thought Murray had a nightmare draw, while Djokovic had a cakewalk. We all know how that turned out...

The only real test test for Nadal will be Klizan in the first round, he really is a very tough 1st round opponent, outside that Nadal should sail through all Rosol, Karlovic, Monfils, Federer etc,..

Mad for Chelsea wrote:Rosol has to get past Paire yet, that's not a guarantee. Then again Paire could trouble Nadal on a good day too.

But remember last year? Everyone thought Murray had a nightmare draw, while Djokovic had a cakewalk. We all know how that turned out...

Until the semis Djokovic had an easy draw. That 5 set match in the blistering heat vs JMDP made him a spent force in the final. I cannot recall of late Djokovic playing such a poor final. The quality of his returns was appalling. That said he only had himself to blame when he didn't wrap the match up in the 4th set!

Many are anticipating Nadal to be upset here. Since that loss to Rosol, he has played him and handed out a crushing defeat. Nadal is wary of what can happen and you can rest assured he will not get caught short a third time. I think he severely under estimated his opponents as did Federer last year. If there is a player who looks a doubt for the second week it is Federer.

Stepanek can be awkward as your second match on grass, especially if serves well, and your wrist sore. While Tsonga, Berdych and Murray are all capable of beating Djokovic on grass without redlining. Two of them have actually done it. Think Djokovic has a 'mare of a draw, if I'm honest.

Looking at Nadal's draw, well 2007-10 Nadal, I'd probably put money on a win, and start spending my winnings as the draw was released. Now, I worry about every single player, even if I don't rate them. A win won't shock me R1 KO won't shock me.

Murray has a nice draw. Anderson wouldn't need to play lights out physically, but he would need to mentally. The 6'8 oaf doesn't have it... Murray to make the finals.

I'll take a punt here - Lopez to reach the 4th round at least, if not QFs. Sugita, Falla, Isner, Stan in his way. My only concern for him is that if he's in a final tomorrow and will have all of 2 days rest before he begins on Tuesday.

Mad for Chelsea wrote:that's about as good a draw as Murray could have hoped for really. He's avoided all the potentially dangerous R4 opponents.

The Murray Draw on paper this year looks as non threatening as his actual opponent's rankings were last year in his matches. At Wimbledon 2013, Murray did not have to play anyone ranked inside the Top 20 until the Final. A Draw rarely gets any easier than that for a guy who was ranked #4 at the time. And still, he managed to find rip currents: down 2-Sets to Love to Verdasco; down a break in the 3rd Set to the mercurially insane Janowicz, who was in his first ever Major SF. Given how Dimitrov showed such acute mental prowess to win Queens Club, that has to be a huge confidence builder for him. A Murray-Dimitrov match will be one to see and I'm not convinced it's a gimme for Murray. I'd like Dimitrov's chances in that one.

It doesn't matter about the opponent's ranking. What counts is how they play on the day. Djokovic was number 1 but pretty naff in the final as opposed to Verdasco who was ranked pretty low but played one of his best ever matches.

The Special Juan wrote:It doesn't matter about the opponent's ranking.  What counts is how they play on the day.  Djokovic was number 1 but pretty naff in the final as opposed to Verdasco who was ranked pretty low but played one of his best ever matches.

Murray won Queen's Club last year, so he went to Wimbledon in good form. That's not the case now. He didn't even reach the QF at Queen's this year. Regardless of anything, he can't be confident on how he's coming to it this year. The Draw he got helped - a lot of clay court people in it. But Dimitrov is still a danger to him, in my humble opinion. You save a Match Point in a Final to win a title against a guy whose best surface is grass - that's great stuff. It's the mental part of his game that will make Dimitrov the next best thing. And he has that. If they meet, Murray would need his best.

I both agree and disagree. Dimitrov is a massive threat and was probably the one player I wanted Murray to avoid but is renowned for being physically flaky, plus has never been in the later rounds at Wimbledon before. Provided he gets there, he may or may not have had some tough matches along the way and could be flagging a bit if things don't go to plan. However, maybe Murray won't get there! Probably the best chance an outsider's had of winning Wimbledon in over a decade.

I hope Ferrer's fit and well.

klizan has a 4-5 record on grass in his career
rosol 5-4
paire 8-8

of course with past experiences one cant be shocked by an early exit for nadal, but its not like he got super specialist of the surface in these two rounds

klizan troubled him on clay last year so, of course he is a threat and above all when nadal is out of confidence on grass...
but he is the number 1. he was not last year nor in 2012

karlovic is a great threat for third round if nadal gets there
then gasguet or monfils with a diferent nadal (after 3 matches and good confidence) dont think should trouble him

its the quarters again where I sense as much danger as in first round with raonic, kohlschreiber, nishikori
either of them seems like a big problem for nadal on a fast low bouncing surface

I'd also like to add... Dustin Brown v Marcos Baghdatis. Wow. Could be great, could be dire.

feliciano second final.
he might do well here too

and his quarter is not impossible

naxroy wrote:karlovic is a great threat for third round if nadal gets there

The Urban Legend of how threatening Karlovic could be at Wimbledon is, in factual terms, a myth. Only 1 time sine 2005 has Karlovic made it as far as the QF (2009, falling to Federer). This includes 4 First Round Losses: 2005 (Daniele Bracciale - 5 Sets); 2006 (Wawrinka - 5 Sets); 2007 (Santoro - 5 Sets); and 2008 (Simon Stadler). Two losses were in the 2nd Round: 2011 (Kubot) and 2012 (Murray). He did not play in 2010 or 2013. So if history is a guide, Karlovic will have his hands full just to make a meeting with Nadal.

Urban legend or myth, Ivo Karlovic will at least always have his own particular footnote in Wimbledon history, dating back to his more youthful days of 2003.

He was responsible for the only case to date (AFAIK) of a defending Wimbledon Champion being unceremoniously dumped out in R1 of the tournament.

Even more unique is the fact that Karlovic was ranked way way down at 203, whereas his opponent was World Number 2.

The unfortunate victim with the unwanted label was, of course, Lleyton Hewitt ...... 

antonico wrote:

naxroy wrote:karlovic is a great threat for third round if nadal gets there

The Urban Legend of how threatening Karlovic could be at Wimbledon is, in factual terms, a myth. Only 1 time sine 2005 has Karlovic made it as far as the QF (2009, falling to Federer). This includes 4 First Round Losses: 2005 (Daniele Bracciale - 5 Sets); 2006 (Wawrinka - 5 Sets); 2007 (Santoro - 5 Sets); and 2008 (Simon Stadler). Two losses were in the 2nd Round: 2011 (Kubot) and 2012 (Murray). He did not play in 2010 or 2013. So if history is a guide, Karlovic will have his hands full just to make a meeting with Nadal.

Murray (the 2012 finalist) had a tough time against Karlovic, Federer has beaten him in 2004 and 2009, and was the champion both years. The 5-setters were significant as well. He can be a handful, but he is getting older, so he may not make it. But he has Dancevic and Kukushkin to get to Nadal and has not played either on tour on any surface. If you recall the IW Karlovic v Nadal, it ended up in third-set TB. He can turn out be another Rosol and can be dangerous. In 2009, he took out Tsonga and Verdasco.

laverfan wrote:

antonico wrote:

naxroy wrote:karlovic is a great threat for third round if nadal gets there

The Urban Legend of how threatening Karlovic could be at Wimbledon is, in factual terms, a myth. Only 1 time sine 2005 has Karlovic made it as far as the QF (2009, falling to Federer). This includes 4 First Round Losses: 2005 (Daniele Bracciale - 5 Sets); 2006 (Wawrinka - 5 Sets); 2007 (Santoro - 5 Sets); and 2008 (Simon Stadler). Two losses were in the 2nd Round: 2011 (Kubot) and 2012 (Murray). He did not play in 2010 or 2013. So if history is a guide, Karlovic will have his hands full just to make a meeting with Nadal.

Murray (the 2012 finalist) had a tough time against Karlovic, Federer has beaten him in 2004 and 2009, and was the champion both years. The 5-setters were significant as well. He can be a handful, but he is getting older, so he may not make it. But he has Dancevic and Kukushkin to get to Nadal and has not played either on tour on any surface. If you recall the IW Karlovic v Nadal, it ended up in third-set TB. He can turn out be another Rosol and can be dangerous. In 2009, he took out Tsonga and Verdasco.

I understand the point. That said, it seems obvious that the reason Karlovic and most other players whose game is essentially their big serve lose early at Wimbledon more often than not is because the progressing rounds at Wimbledon are less about the Serve and far more about the movement. Martina Navratilova said "Grass brings out the 'athlete' in a player". That's why a guy like Karlovic - and others like Isner, etc. - don't get the same benefit from Serving huge every time against better and better opponents on grass. The Returns - thanks to equipment & strings - are much more effective now. So once you can block back the huge serve and the point starts, these huge tall guys have issues about the ball being too low for them to maintain optimum balance. They simply don't move as well. Del Potro is a phenomenal exception, because he moves very well for a guy his height. Huge Servers can do damage at Wimbleon - but it's usually in the first couple of rounds. After that, without the athletic movement, you have increasingly diminishing chances. When you look at Wimbledon's Winners Roster - of men or women - you're going to find the winners by and large are the very best athletes.

I agree regarding Karlovic specifically, blocked returns and some deft slices and he is cooked, lack of good volleying is another factor. One more factor to add is the closed roof on CC which makes the first fast serves almost lethal.

Interesting Nadal interview from a few days ago, mentioned here as it brings up Wimbledon: http://elpais.com/elpais/2014/06/10/inenglish/1402395926_047759.html

Rafael Nadal is now a tennis player with a target: before the 28-year-old retires, he could reach or even surpass the 17 Grand Slam titles won by Roger Federer, the current record holder.

After his ninth French Open victory on Sunday, the Mallorcan has notched up 14 major tournament victories, the same as the the legendary Pete Sampras, and now has his sights set on this year’s Wimbledon, which begins on June 23.

The day after his historic Roland Garros win, Nadal sat down with EL PAÍS to talk about tennis, tears, pain and tattoos.

Question. You’ve spent the last decade winning majors. What do you miss about the Nadal of 2005, and what added value would that rookie bring to the veteran?

Answer. I would like to have the build I had back then, and the extra energy that you have when you are so young. At the 2005 finals I felt like I could keep running for 10 straight hours. Over the years, even though most of the time I feel physically fine, you don’t get that feeling as often, that sense of extra energy. Today’s Nadal would make the younger one rectify a few things: he would make him train his serve a different way, be aggressive in a different way ... but the things I didn’t do then may have made me stronger in other ways. You never know where success lies. The truth is, I am where I am, and I could never have dreamed of something like this. Did I make mistakes? Yes, but there were more good decisions than mistakes. I cannot have too many regrets.

Q. Many say that Djokovic has a stare that strikes awe in his rivals. What is it about Djokovic that impresses you?

A. Throughout my career, when a rival and I have taken each other to the limit, at the decisive moment, if I feel good, then I am able to play with the right determination. I think that he, or they, may feel that I have made the right decision with the right determination at the decisive moment. It’s doing what you feel you have to do, and for your head to let you do it, without letting your nerves stop you from doing the opposite of what you believe you have to do.


Q. For instance?

A. For instance, before Djokovic’s double fault at match point, I had already decided to hit a high cross shot and then a parallel forehand. I had already made that decision before he missed. I told myself: “The time is now; I am tired, I must play.” My inner logic was: “If I miss, it will be my miss. If I end up not winning this game, I must not think that I haven’t been brave. I would rather die being brave.”

Q. You ended up winning the trophy, but injured a foot and your back, and suffered a scare when your knee gave way at one point. Why are you risking trying to play on the grass at Wimbledon?

A. First, because I made the commitment, and I don’t like to break my commitments. Second, I’ve been playing poorly at Wimbledon for two years. It’s true that Toni [Nadal, his uncle and trainer] says it’s an attitude thing. I have the utmost respect for his opinion, but at the same time I say that after losing there in 2012 I did not play another game in seven-and-a-half months because I was a mess, and in 2013 my knee was not doing well. I played on painkillers the entire year, getting shots of Voltaren [a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug] every day. The grass demanded a mental and physical effort from me that I was unable to bear. I remember I went to an exhibition game against Nishikori as training, and I did not feel well. Seeing myself helpless, seeing I could not find something to motivate me, prevented me from making the effort.

Q. Did you become afraid of the grass?

A. It’s just that my knee was hurting. Not fear. Pain. It’s not a matter of fear. I am not a fearful person, but when it hurts, it hurts, and when there’s a limitation, there’s a limitation. I am going to Halle because I want to try to play well on the grass again. After that, if my back does not respond or if my knee acts up ... that’s the way it will be, I will have tried.

Q. “Ever tried. Ever failed. No matter. Try again. Fail again. Fail better.” This message is tattooed on the arm of Stanislas Wawrinka, who beat you at the Australian Open. What would your own tattoo say?

A. I am not into tattoos.

Q. A memory of Sampras?

A. When I was 12, I saw him play live in Stuttgart … I mostly remember his games against Agassi. I remember a US Open final with a very long point.

Q. You said you cried when Roger Federer won Roland Garros in 2009, the year you went out to Robin Söderling, your only defeat at the tournament ...

Q. I was moved.

Q. Will you cry if Djokovic wins?

A. I don’t know. As the years go by you see things a bit differently. It doesn’t take a lot to make me cry. I often cry at the movies, sometimes with videos, and with things that move me about sports. I have a good relationship with Federer. I am one of those people who believes that when you work towards something and you deserve it, the logical thing is for you to eventually achieve it. I don’t know whether I will be moved to tears by Djokovic. It will depend on the situation, the feelings and the emotions of the moment. That kind of thing cannot be predicted. Either it happens or it doesn’t.

Q. YouTube is full of videos of your best points. Do you also get emotional about them?

A. I’m more likely to watch matches, technical things, than summaries of that sort. But some I have seen are really nice, very moving, they are really well done. One of them gave me some energy back when I was recovering from my injury [the knee, in 2012]. It was pretty long, 14 minutes. It reviewed the stages I’d been through during the injury, and covered the comeback. It was very nice.

Q. You hate being asked whether you will be able to equal or surpass Federer’s 17 majors.

A. I don’t hate it, I simply do not talk about it.

Q. But when do you know that you are no longer going to win any more games?

A. I’m not sure it is possible to know that. You realize because of the years that have passed, the moments and the situations in which you have known whether you were ready or not. A month and a half ago I was not ready for what happened on Sunday. On Sunday I was ready. It was the right time. When I feel that I am not ready for three months, six months, a year, a year and a half ... then I will begin to see that there’s no, no ...

Q. That there’s nothing more ...

A. That it’s more complicated. Federer, who hasn’t won a Grand Slam in the last few years, is still there, isn’t he? So we’ll see. Can he win at Wimbledon? Yes. But your options start to narrow when you’ve spent some time without competing well against the good ones.

Q. Aren’t you surprised that Federer has not found solutions to beat you?

A. In the end, you look for solutions but you have your playing pattern. Can I play very aggressively for a moment? Of course I can! I have done it many times! But then there are other moments when you do what you’ve been doing all your life, which in my case is to get a good grip and get down to work. And it’s the same with him. He has always played an inspirational game, the big way, with direct shots. And against me, at certain times, perhaps that was not the best solution, maybe something else was required. But he has managed it: he defeated me many times, and occasionally gave me a real beating. But you cannot escape much from your playing pattern, because you are not ready for it. Not Federer, not Djokovic, not I. Nobody can make drastic changes.

antonico wrote:

The Special Juan wrote:It doesn't matter about the opponent's ranking.  What counts is how they play on the day.  Djokovic was number 1 but pretty naff in the final as opposed to Verdasco who was ranked pretty low but played one of his best ever matches.

Murray won Queen's Club last year, so he went to Wimbledon in good form. That's not the case now. He didn't even reach the QF at Queen's this year. Regardless of anything, he can't be confident on how he's coming to it this year. The Draw he got helped - a lot of clay court people in it. But Dimitrov is still a danger to him, in my humble opinion. You save a Match Point in a Final to win a title against a guy whose best surface is grass - that's great stuff. It's the mental part of his game that will make Dimitrov the next best thing. And he has that. If they meet, Murray would need his best.

Agree with a lot of this but remember in 2012 Murray got dumped out of Queens early and got to Wimbledon final. In 2013 he didn't play FO so had a good preparation for the grass season. Whereas this year he was still in the FO until the Friday before Queens and had played some longish matches. Therefore little preparation. Dimitrov went out early at FO so had plenty time to prepare for grass. That said if they meet it should be a good match and a lot might depend on how easily they got through the earlier rounds. Also the crowd factor should give Murray an advantage.

only 7 people have defended wimbledon in open era

laver
newcombe
borg
mc enroe
becker
sampras
federer

hard task for murray

7 did it in the french open:
kodes
borg
lendl
courier
bruguera
kuerten
nadal

10 the australian open:
rosewall
vilas
kriek
wilander
edberg
lendl
courier
agassi
federer
djokovic

and 6 usopen:
mc enroe
connors
lendl
edberg
sampras
federer

if I counted correctly, only lendl and federer defended wins in 3 different slams

lydian wrote:But you cannot escape much from your playing pattern, because you are not ready for it. Not Federer, not Djokovic, not I. Nobody can make drastic changes.

This is the DNA of a player, and it is very hard to change. This is the uniqueness of a player. I think Nadal will cry when Djokovic wins RG too.

naxroy wrote:only 7 people have defended wimbledon in open era

laver 1968-69
newcombe 1970-71
borg 1976-80
mc enroe 1983-84
Becker 1985-86
sampras 1993-95, 1997-2000
federer 2004-07

hard task for murray

7 did it in the french open:
kodes 1970-71
borg 1974-75, 1978-81
lendl 1986-87
courier 1991-92
bruguera 1993-94
kuerten 2000-01
nadal 2005-08, 2010-?

10 the australian open:
rosewall 1971-72
vilas 1978-79
kriek 1981-82
wilander 1983-84
edberg 1985-87
lendl 1989-90
courier 1992-93
agassi 2000-01
federer 2006-07
djokovic 2011-13

and 6 7 usopen:
mc enroe 1979-81
connors 1982-83
lendl 1985-87
edberg 1991-92
sampras 1995-96
rafter 1997-98
federer 2004-08

if I counted correctly, only lendl and federer defended wins in 3 different slams

Just added years and Rafter, NaxRoy

slashermcguirk wrote:Awful draw for Novak and nadal. What a sweet one for Murray!! He will be loving that

Can you explain what is awful in Nadal and Novak's draw?   

If you are worried about Klizan [given his grass court stats], Rosol [for just one match] , Karlovic [one trick serve only pony] and Raonic [clueless on grass] then Rafa should not be playing in Grandslams.   

but the fact is, rosol and darcis eliminated him already...

laverfan: thanks, I know I counted rafter, so I cant understand why I didnt write it down there... thanks

Relatively easy for Fed and Andy, relatively hard for Nole and Rafa.

Murray for me, simply because I think Novak's forgotten how to win a slam and there is the wrist issue and Nadal looks uncertain on the surface

Cool dry weather favours the Top 2 though, so who knows. However, the forecast looks fairly good for Wimbledon - which makes it better for Murray as we saw in last years final

Arguably, the 'weakest' contenders in terms of quality since around 2002

Lopez won the Eastbourne title in 3 sets against Gasquet today which means he'll either be a dangerous, dangerous foe over the next two weeks or will be shattered and not go very far. I can't call it.

I thought he looked pretty fresh and full of energy even after his action-packed fortnight, TSJ (although appearances can be deceptive I guess ....)

Nobody will have played more grass matches ahead of the big one, and I'd say he's a serious threat to all & sundry.

lags72 wrote:I thought he looked pretty fresh and full of energy even after his action-packed fortnight, TSJ (although appearances can be deceptive I guess ....)

Nobody will have played more grass matches ahead of the big one, and I'd say he's a serious threat to all & sundry.

Well if he's feeling fresh and raring to go, all the best to the man. Favourite to reach the QFs in his 8th? That's the question.

The results do put some extra pressure on him though, can he handle the feeling that he SHOULD go fairly far

Who won the ladies match today?

Keys. I'd wager she'll win Wimbledon in the next 4 years.

spanish players winning 9 tournamnets this year. top country in tournaments won every single year since 2007