WIMBLEDON 2000

 

REVIEWS BY MARK NEWMAN

 

 

PICK OF THE MEN’S

FIRST ROUND MATCHES

 

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(7) Lleyton Hewitt vs. Jan-Michael Gambill

Lleyton Hewitt has to be a popular bet for the Wimbledon title. The teenage Australian swept aside Pete Sampras in the final at London Queen’s Club a couple of weeks ago to win his first title on grass. Hewitt leads the way title-wise this year with four ATP titles to his name. Could be troubled by an ankle injury that caused him to withdraw from ‘s-Hertogenbosch last week, but cynics among us could say there was no injury and he was just tired after Queen’s and wanted to be rested for Wimbledon! Either way, expect American golden boy Gambill (who is to star in an episode of Star Trek: Voyager by the way!) to find little to trouble Hewitt, a surefire bet for a future World #1.

 

(8) Tim Henman vs. Paradorn Srichaphan

No-one is too bothered by Srichaphan, who should be an easy pushover. Worried British fans are instead bothered by the prospect of Henman facing three-time Wimbledon finalist Goran Ivanisevic in the second round, two-time quarter-finalist Mark Philippoussis in the fourth round and former champion Andre Agassi in the quarter-finals. Henman has been the British hero for the last four years – reaching the quarter-finals in 1996 and 1997, and the semi-finals in 1998 and 1999, but expect him to be crushed by the power-serving of Ivanisevic in the second round.

 

(14) Greg Rusedski vs. Vince Spadea

By rights Rusedski should not have been seeded. His ranking stands outside the Top 20 at the moment, and only his past record on grass (which isn’t that amazing) was enough to lift him into the seedings this year, and, of course, a little British favouritism. Rusedski has battled hard to return from injury, but is still looking for a big win this year. He could not have asked for a better first round opponent. Poor old Vince Spadea has just set an all-time ATP record for number of consecutive first round losses. Expect Rusedski to extend that record further and hand him his 22nd first round loss in a row.

 

(3) Magnus Norman vs. (WC) Mark Woodforde

Magnus Norman may be showing, along with Hewitt, the best form of the year so far; he may be World #3; he may be recent French Open runner-up, but a question mark still hangs over his grasscourt ability. He will be tested to the limit by doubles specialist Mark Woodforde, appearing in his last ever Wimbledon before retiring at the end of the year. Woodforde, whose singles ranking has fallen so low he required a wildcard for main draw entry, knows his stuff on the grasscourts, and has won the doubles title five times here with Todd Woodbridge, but expect Norman to remind Woodforde why he is retiring.

 

(11) Richard Krajicek vs. Albert Costa

The knives are being sharpened for this one. In the week the Wimbledon seedings were announced Richard Krajicek was ranked outside the Top 20, while Albert Costa was ranked #16. But guess who got a seeding position – Krajicek. And guess who didn’t – Costa. You can understand the seeding committee’s decision. Krajicek is a former Wimbledon champion and has got one of the best grasscourt games today, while Costa is primarily a claycourter, with barely a Wimbledon win to his name. Costa, along with Alex Corretja and Juan Carlos Ferrero, has threatened to boycott the event if the draw is not remade giving him his rightful seeding position. That will not happen, and whether Costa plays or not, don’t expect him to see the second round this year.

 

(13) Nicolas Keifer vs. Tommy Haas

There is already a healthy rivalry between these two young Germans, both trying to keep German interest in tennis alive after the retirements last year of Steffi Graf and Boris Becker. Expect that rivalry to hit new heights when the pair meet in the Wimbledon first round. Keifer is seeded, but Haas has shown good form in recent weeks. Impossible to call.

 

(4) Gustavo Kuerten vs. Chris Woodruff

Gustavo Kuerten is fresh from his second French Open title, and will feel better stepping onto the grasscourts this year, after surprising everyone, including himself, by reaching the quarterfinals last year. Chris Woodruff improved his ranking over 1,000 places last year on his return from injury and is always a dangerous opponent, but Kuerten will relish the challenge of repeating his French Open triumph here, and should be a comfortable winner.

 

(5) Yevgeny Kafelnikov vs. Roger Federer

Kafelnikov is having a typically Kafelnikov-type year. Great wins are followed by terrible losses, only this year there have been far more losses than wins. He knows his grasscourt game though, and on any other surface I would expect former junior #1 Federer to cause an upset, but on grass you have to favour Kafelnikov. Could go to five sets though.

 

(WC) Barry Cowan vs. Justin Gimelstob

(WC) Martin Lee vs. Juan-Antonio Marin

(WC) Jamie Delgado vs. (12) Patrick Rafter

(WC) Arvind Parmar vs. Andre Sa

There are other British men apart from Henman and Rusedski playing on the ATP Tour. No, really. Chief among them is Arvind Parmar, who stretched Pete Sampras to three sets in the Queen’s second round two weeks ago, and last week defeated top seed Cedric Pioline on his way to the Nottingham quarter-finals. He is full of confidence and should come through his first round match, and may go further than Henman or Rusedski this year. Jamie Delgado could have done well, but for the fact he has been drawn to face 12th-seed Patrick Rafter, fresh from his grasscourt win in ‘s-Hertogenbosch last week. He will join Martin Lee and Barry Cowan on the benches after the first round.