Each day during Wimbledon, we'll select three of the most intriguing matches on the schedule and offer our predictions.
Roger Federer [3] vs. David Nalbandian [28] (Centre Court, second match)
As we saw in the 2009 Wimbledon final and earlier this year in Madrid, you can play a perfect match against Roger Federer and still lose. (Andy Roddick and Feliciano Lopez, respectively.) If Nalbandian happens to execute flawlessly tomorrow, he'll win. He more or less did that four years ago in Madrid, beating Federer for the title with a barrage of world-class backhands. That shot must be clicking for Nalbandian to have any hope of an upset.
In all, Nalbandian has eight wins over Federer in 18 career meetings?including a memorable triumph in the 2005 Tennis Masters Cup final, rallying from two sets down?but they haven't met since late 2008. The Argentine has been saddled with injuries since then, but always seems to surface with an eye-catching result; how else is he still seeded? All the while, Federer has kept on delivering, and although his ground strokes are more suspect and his speed has slipped, one aspect of his game is just as powerful?his serve. Unlike Nalbandian, the ultimate wild card, Federer doesn't need a particular shot at working at optimum levels to prevail, but his serve is a trump card and should win him many critical, easy points on the grass.
For many reasons, Nalbandian, a Wimbledon finalist in 2002, should be highly motivated for this Centre Court match. Combined with his current form, it could earn him a set. But considering Federer's finer form, it won't be enough to steal the match.
The Pick: Federer in four.
Robin Soderling [5] vs. Bernard Tomic (No. 1 Court, third match)
I'm not sure which man's (should we still be calling the 18-year-old, babyfaced Aussie a boy?) second-round comeback from two sets down is more noteworthy: Soderling was pushed to the brink of elimination on Centre Court by the ghost of Lleyton Hewitt's past, before reality set in, while Tomic staged an unlikely rally against Igor Andreev. Despite their similar achievements, the momentum should side with Tomic, who was strikingly composed in a chat with elder countryman Darren Cahill after completing his rally. Is there more to come from Tomic at the All England Club; was his third-round run in Melbourne not just a result of riding the home surroundings? He certainly has the game to trouble Soderling, if he can stay with him long enough. The longer this one goes, the more I side with the upset.
The Pick: Tomic in four.
Ana Ivanovic [18] vs. Petra Cetkovska (Court 18, third match)
Former No. 1 Ivanovic is well under the radar these days; fittingly, her match is near the end of Saturday's order of play. But check out her first two wins: 6-0, 6-1 over Melanie Oudin and 6-3, 6-0 over Eleni Daniilidou. They're hardly Evert and Graf, but for someone who's had trouble winning matches at majors, those are impressive scores. Should we be paying closer attention to Ana? Another convincing straight-setter would turn heads for more than her looks.
The Pick: Ivanovic in three.
Ed McGrogan is the online editor of TENNIS.com.
Source: http://feeds.tennis.com/~r/tenniscom-features/~3/E_s4DHGsl9w/
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