1. No Chance of Rain
It may not be sunny and 60 degrees, but we can make due with a cool breeze and some rain-free courts for two weeks. In fact, rain makes the tournament much less enjoyable to watch on tv…and in person. In the modern era of tennis fans have been blessed with fantastic players, bright story lines, and wonderful matches that have been able to overcome poor weather conditions. Unfortunately when it rains during Wimbledon there is a dip in quality…which ultimately results in a dip in viewership numbers. The only weather related concern this year is whether or not the grass will hold up to all the footwork being done at SW19.
2. The Back Pages
Fans know who the best players are. The Swiss Maestro, the American giants, and the other all-time greats receive most of their attention. But what about those players who quietly move through the draw? Those players who move from round to round with a solid performance but no fanfare or accolades? Wimbledon is one of the few tournaments where these underrated performers have a real chance to make a deep run…and possibly win.
In 2001 Goran Ivanisevic defeated Pat Rafter in four thrilling sets on Court #1 for his second major title. In 2008 Mario Ancic won 3 five set matches over Andy Murray, Fernando Gonzalez, and David Nalbandian only to fall short in 5 sets against defending champion Rafael Nadal…on Centre Court…in the 4th round. Ditto for Marcos Baghdatis (the man who once defeated Rafael Nadal) in 2006, Nicolas Massu in 2007, Flavio Cipolla in 2005…need I go on?
3. American Expectations
It is no secret that Americans are hungry for something to believe in. Being the leaders of the free world has its price and it seems like America’s best talent wants nothing to do with being a leader of men…on or off the court. Wimbledon offers our nation a chance to cheer for their new heroes as they battle their old demons from years past at SW19. The draw at Wimbledon isn’t kind so any player would have a steep hill to if they wanted to bring home the title, but at least they’ll make it interesting.
4. Home Cookin’
As seen with the recent struggles of Argentina (down to only one bona-fide tennis player) South America is simply not producing high level players at an acceptable rate for their nation’s standards. This is evident by the fact that Brazil, Uruguay, and Paraguay have zero representatives in the singles draw this year…but don’t fret too much about those third world countries down south as there are three players representing Great Britain! In total there will be six Brits vying for glory on Centre Court: Andy Murray, who has been a finalist twice in the last 5 years; Jamie Baker who comes into Wimbledon unseeded yet ranked within the top 100; Laura Robson who defeated Maria Sharapova at this year’s French Open…oh and did I forget about Heather Watson? The former junior #1 is a late entry into the main draw ranked #85 in the world. That’s right! Three players from a country that only care enough to watch Wimbledon during World Cup years (if they’re lucky) will be playing for their nation on center court…and it won’t even be close.