Djokovic, Sharapova Primed for Wimbledon Victories

The top-ranked players in tennis, Novak Djokovic and Maria Sharapova, don’t appear to be slowing down.

Since claiming the world No. 1 ranking after winning Wimbledon last year, Djokovic has added two more Grand Slam titles—the 2011 U.S. Open and 2012 Australian Open—to his resume.

Meanwhile, the top spot in the women’s tour has been a revolving door, but Sharapova—who just completed the career Grand Slam at the French Open—looks to bring some stability to the position.

As the 2012 Wimbledon begins Monday and concludes July 8, look for these two players to continue cementing their status in the tennis world.

More information on the leading contenders:

Novak Djokovic (Ranking: 1, 2012 W–L Record: 36–6, Champion 2011)

Djokovic’s run at the All England Club last year began a 27-match Grand Slam win streak that ended with a loss to Rafael Nadal in the French Open final two weeks ago. The pair has played in the last four major championship finals, and there is no indication that Wimbledon will be any different.

Maria Sharapova (Ranking: 1, 2012 W–L Record: 36–5, Champion 2004)

At the 2004 Wimbledon, a 17-year-old Sharapova upset top seeded Serena Williams to claim her first and most surprising Grand Slam title. Eight years later, Sharapova is one of the highest paid athletes in the world and sits atop the world tennis rankings. Finally healthy again, the 25-year-old is looking to hoist her second Wimbledon trophy.

Other notable contenders to watch out for:

Men’s:

Rafael Nadal (Ranking: 2, 2012 W–L Record: 41–5, Champion 2008, 2010)

So far this year, Nadal has reached the final at the Australian Open and won a record seventh French Open title. However, the 26-year-old has not won a title on grass since defeating Tomas Berdych in straight sets at the 2010 Wimbledon.

Roger Federer (Ranking: 3, 2012 W–L Record: 39–6, Champion 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009)

The all-time Grand Slam leader with 16 titles has not won a major in over two years. Regardless of his ranking or age the 30-year-old Federer is still a consistent title threat at the majors and Wimbledon is his best opportunity to win No. 17.

Andy Murray (Ranking: 4, 2012 W–L Record: 26–9, Semifinalist 2009, 2010, 2011)

In 2011, Andy Murray became only the seventh player in the Open Era to reach the semifinals at all four Grand Slams. The 25-year-old also fell just short of reaching the Wimbledon finals for the past three years. But as long as the top three are on their games, fans eager to witness the first British man to win Wimbledon since Fred Perry in 1936 will have to wait even longer.

Women’s:

Serena Williams (Ranking: 6, 2012 W–L Record: 27–3, Champion 2002, 2003, 2009, 2010)

Despite a shocking first round exit at the French Open that dropped her ranking to world No. 6, there is no counting Williams out. The 13-time Grand Slam champion recently quashed the persistent retirement rumors and intends on adding to her vast trophy collection.

Victoria Azarenka (Ranking: 2, 2012 W–L Record: 38–4, Semifinalist 2011)

Victoria Azarenka started off the year with a statement, winning the Australian Open and going on a 26-match win streak. However, she only reached the fourth round at the French Open, which relinquished her brief hold on the No. 1 ranking. Still, the 22-year-old, who reached the semifinals last year, should not be counted out.

Petra Kvitova (Ranking: 4, 2012 W–L Record: 22–9, Champion 2011)

After winning Wimbledon last year, expectations of Petra Kvitova skyrocketed. But the 22-year-old lefty has had uneven results since, with a first round loss at the U.S. Open standing out. While she has not been a dominant player since raising her first Grand Slam trophy, Kvitova has reached the semifinals at both majors this year.

Notes:

American Andy Roddick had a boost of confidence after winning his 31st career title at the AEGON International, a Wimbledon tune-up event, this week.

The tennis portion of the 2012 London Olympics begins July 28, three weeks after the conclusion of Wimbledon, at the All England Club.

This article was originally published for The Epoch Times. The online version can be seen here.

Historic French Open Final Halted by Rain

With history on the line, Mother Nature decided to intervene.

Rafael Nadal (L) and Novak Djokovic will have to resume their individual runs at history on Monday. (Clive Brunskill/Getty Images)

After playing for three hours, the much-anticipated French Open final between top-ranked Novak Djokovic and world No. 2 Rafael Nadal was suspended due to rain Sunday. The match will resume 1 p.m. local time Monday, 7 a.m. EST. The French Open final had not been pushed to a Monday since 1973.

Nadal will be holding onto a 6-4, 6-3, 2-6, 1-2 lead when they resume play.

The early stages of the match belonged to the six-time French Open champion Spaniard, as he out-dueled Djokovic to a 6-4, 6-3 lead. The third set began similarly enough, with the 10-time Grand Slam champion winning the first two games.

Then Djokovic, bidding to become the first player in 43 years to hold all four Grand Slams at the same time, suddenly came alive. The Serb reeled off eight straight games in a near-constant drizzle before play was halted to win the third set and earn a 2-1 lead in the fourth.

Nadal, aiming for his record seventh Roland Garros title, had seemingly lost the early momentum he built. But there is a reason the 26-year-old is still a favorite to win. He has only lost once at the French Open, when he was upset by eventual runner-up Robin Soderling in 2009. Nadal is also 18-14 all-time against Djokovic, though he’s lost the last three Grand Slam finals to his new rival.

If Nadal wins, he will surpass six-time champion Bjorn Borg to become the only owner of seven French Open titles. Conversely, with a victory for Djokovic, the 25-year-old would complete the career Grand Slam (only seven men have done so) and, even more impressive, would become the first man since Rod Laver to own all four major titles at the same time. Laver accomplished this feat in 1962 and 1969.

The forecast for Monday calls for more rain, but regardless of Mother Nature’s attempts to prevent the inevitable, tennis history will be made.

This article was originally published by The Epoch Times. The online version can be seen here.