2011 Wimbledon: Editors' Picks

The editors of TENNIS magazine and TENNIS.com predict this year's Wimbledon champions and give their dark horse picks.

Champions:

Peter Bodo Senior Editor	Maria Sharapova: I know Venus and Serena Williams are going to dominate the headlines, probably right up until the day they lose. But I don?t think either one will win, mainly because of the long layoffs they?re both just getting over. Sharapova, meanwhile, must be on cloud nine and jacked up for a good Wimbledon after pulling her game back together so impressively during the late clay-court season. Maria will cap her comeback with another SW19 title.	Andy Roddick: I have a feeling that the status quo is going to be shaken up this year, meaning no Roger Federer or Rafael Nadal in the final. I've been calling for Roddick to win Wimbledon for years now, and have felt that he?s one lucky break from earning that much longed-for trophy?and second Grand Slam title. I?ve got too much invested to back off that prediction now.
Steve Tignor Senior Editor	Maria Sharapova: She?s found the range on her ground strokes recently. Her confidence is suddenly close to where it once was. And she?s not too close to either of the Williams sisters. That's all good. One thing that could hold her back, as it did in Paris, is her serve.	Roger Federer: He made one strong statement with his win over Novak Djokovic at the French, and unlike in Paris, he?s beaten Rafa at Wimbledon (twice) before.
Richard Pagliaro Senior Editor	Serena Williams: She may struggle to shed the rust from injury-induced inactivity, but Serena owns the best serve in the history of women?s tennis, set a Wimbledon record with 89 aces last year and is riding a 14-match winning streak at SW19. Serena is the best player on the biggest stage, and if she can play her way into form, her 13-3 record in major finals makes me believe she can raise the Venus Rosewater Dish again.	Andy Murray: The pressure to produce is enormous, but the crowd support will be tremendous if Murray can play with the clarity and tenacity he showed in claiming his second Queen?s Club crown. Murray?s forehand isn?t as lethal as those of Nadal and Federer, but his athleticism and return are major weapons. The fourth-seeded Scot must use his speed offensively, connect on his first serve and avoid the passive play that has plagued him in the past to go deep in the draw.
Ed McGrogan Online Editor	Serena Williams: Idle for nearly a year, Serena spotted Tsvetana Pironkova?a semifinalist at Wimbledon last year?five games in her first match back. She rallied to win in three sets and was a game away from defeating Vera Zvonareva?the world No. 3?in the next round. Until she?s on the losing end of ?Game, set, match,? I?m going with the two-time defending champ.	Rafael Nadal: There are compelling reasons to pick Djokovic (?only? 43-1 in his last 44 matches), Federer (on the upswing after his run to the French final) and Murray (sentimental and crowd favorite). But Nadal has reached the second Sunday each of the last four times he?s played Wimbledon and has won his last seven Grand Slam finals.

Dark Horses:

Peter Bodo Senior Editor	Marion Bartoli: Bartoli has been to a Wimbledon final, and she?s coming off a great French Open in which she reached the semis (losing to defending champ Francesca Schiavone) and handled the pressure of playing before her home fans extremely well. This is a willful, determined young lady who marches to the beat of her own drummer. If she can sustain the momentum, focus and confidence she had at the French?and there?s no real reason to doubt she will?she could pull off a stunner.	Mardy Fish: Fish has never gone beyond the third round at Wimbledon, and one reason is that he tends to run into a Federer or Djokovic at that stage. I?ve always felt he ought to have at least one good run at the All England Club, given his facility and comfort with the two shots more valuable on grass than any other surface: the serve and volley. Fish?s improved fitness and the mobility dividend it creates will help him have his best Wimbledon yet.
Steve Tignor Senior Editor	Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova: She hits big enough for grass; can she move enough on it? She hasn?t done much at Wimbledon, though she did upset Li Na here four years ago. After her nice run in Paris, we'll see if she finally believes she belongs in the quarters, or beyond.	Mardy Fish: He likes grass, which is good because he hasn?t played on it this year. But before clay ground him down, he had rounded into form at Key Biscayne, and his serve should keep him in most matches on grass. Fish has had success everywhere but the majors. You?d think that would have to change at least once.
Richard Pagliaro Senior Editor	Daniela Hantuchova: She lacks a forceful finishing shot and is 4-6 against the Top 10 this season, but Hantuchova is on a hot streak, winning 13 of her last 16 matches. The 25th-seeded Slovak can be skittish at the majors, but she crushed Caroline Wozniacki at Roland Garros and defeated Li and Venus to reach the Eastbourne semis. If she can play bold tennis and avoid shrinking during the moment, Hantuchova can reach the second week.	Jo-Wilfried Tsonga: The grass has slowed over the years, but Tsonga?s ability to play serve-and-volley tennis is still effective, as he showed in Queen?s Club: He slammed 25 aces while hurling his body around the court to beat Nadal en route to the final. An emotional, explosive player, Tsonga should be eager to excel after third-round exits in Melbourne and Paris. If he can impose his athleticism and aggression, a second straight quarterfinal is within reach, though the Frenchman is 1-4 against his potential and likely quarterfinal opponent, Federer.
Ed McGrogan Online Editor	Sabine Lisicki: She?s recently returned from an injury, could face French Open champion Li in the second round and has Serena in her quarter. But that?s why we call these picks dark horses. When Lisicki has played this year, she?s been good?and she just won the grass-court tournament in Birmingham without dropping a set.	Stanislas Wawrinka: It?s hard to see anyone besides the top four men reaching the semis, but if you want to reach, go with Wawrinka, who?s been to the fourth round in each of his last three Slams. To go further than that at SW19, he?ll likely have to upset Murray, but the second-ranked Swiss has proven that he can beat anyone on the right day. Of course, the opposite is also true.

Source: http://feeds.tennis.com/~r/tenniscom-features/~3/WLBUKj2ou2I/

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