Wimbledon 2008 Preview

[Murrayfan11]

Here's where you can post all of the latest news about the ins and outs coming up to the most prestigious slam of the ATP calendar. Who are the hottest bets this year? Who are the no-hopers? Here's where we find out.

[Chris1987]

Here's where you can post all of the latest news about the ins and outs coming up to the most prestigious slam of the ATP calendar. Who are the hottest bets this year? Who are the no-hopers? Here's where we find out.

And WTA as well Murrayfan 
Also that statement and view could get a few people fired up straight away 

[conchita]

Wimbledon is continuing with the installation of a retractable roof over Centre Court.

The green overhang was removed last year, leaving the court more open to the elements. The overhang is back this year, along with 1,200 extra seats, taking the capacity to 15,000 for the June 23-July 6 tournament.

Construction on the roof is on schedule and will be completed in time for next year's tournament.

On Tuesday, the first of 10 70-ton support structures spanning 75 metres were lifted by cranes over Centre Court. A second will be lifted on Wednesday and the remaining eight next year.

"Through the new Centre Court facilities and the increased use of digital technology, we want to ensure that Wimbledon remains the tournament the players want to win and that internationally, everyone wants to watch," All England Club chairman Tim Phillips said.

New digital scoreboards will also be installed, combining scores and the Hawk-Eye line-call challenge system as well as video. But don't expect live replays just yet.

"We won't have replays during the match certainly for this year," Ritchie said. "We feel if it's too instantaneous it maybe will detract from the match itself.

"We'll show some video after the matches have finished, in-between matches. In 2009 we'll produce a lot better content. We're going to be a lot more conservative with it this year."

Wimbledon is also looking to install similar screens around the grounds, including on the grassy hill near Court 1.

Amid works to upgrade the whole site, Court No. 2 will be closed and Court No. 11 will stand in as a show court for the now demolished Court No. 13.

Court 13 is undergoing construction this year to become the new Court 2, able to seat 4,000 people. When it opens for the 2009 tournament, all the outer courts will be renumbered.

Court 11--the outer court most likely to feature top players during week one--has temporary stands that seat 1,500.

Wimbledon has also upheld its policy of not scheduling play on the middle Sunday unless there is a major backlog of matches caused by bad weather.

"Play on the middle Sunday creates its own tensions in the future order of play and therefore at Wimbledon will continue to remain an emergency option," Phillips said.

And the traditional sidewalk queues for spectators waiting for tickets will be no longer. Because of health and safety reasons, there will be one single queue in nearby Wimbledon Park for those wishing to camp overnight for day tickets.

Centre Court has 15,000 seats
No 1: 11,429
No 2: 2,220 (plus 770 standing) -closed
Court 3: 800
Courts 6, 7: 250
Court 11: 1,500
Court 13: 1,541 -demolished
Courts 14, 15, 16, 17: 318
Court 18: 788
Court 19: 305
Courts 4, 5, 8, 9, 10: no set capacity

[Chris1987]

I was right a few months back then that Court 2 was going to be closed for this years tournament. Bit unfortunate that as its had a lot of great matches and upsets on that court- but one things for sure the seeds will be glad to see the back of it!

[dmastous]

I was right a few months back then that Court 2 was going to be closed for this years tournament. Bit unfortunate that as its had a lot of great matches and upsets on that court- but one things for sure the seeds will be glad to see the back of it!

Just for this year though. They will have to deal with the curse of court 2 next year...

[conchita]

Some pics:

CLASSIC WIMBLEDON WITH UNFORGETTABLE OLD COURT Nº1

Mid 90's


Last year

Wimbledon 2009

[shankar21]

truly nothing beats wimbledon......good pics conchita! i like the mid 90s pic.lol.......

[Chris1987]

I was right a few months back then that Court 2 was going to be closed for this years tournament. Bit unfortunate that as its had a lot of great matches and upsets on that court- but one things for sure the seeds will be glad to see the back of it!

Just for this year though. They will have to deal with the curse of court 2 next year...

They certainly will, but with all the changes to the courts and the new numbering of them things are going to be slightly different.

[Chris1987]

Some pics:

CLASSIC WIMBLEDON WITH UNFORGETTABLE OLD COURT Nº1

Mid 90's


Last year

Wimbledon 2009

Thanks Conchita- great pictures! Always wonderful to see and you know how much I love Wimbledon and grass each time it comes around 

[dmastous]

I was right a few months back then that Court 2 was going to be closed for this years tournament. Bit unfortunate that as its had a lot of great matches and upsets on that court- but one things for sure the seeds will be glad to see the back of it!

Just for this year though. They will have to deal with the curse of court 2 next year...

They certainly will, but with all the changes to the courts and the new numbering of them things are going to be slightly different.

I guess we'll just take it as it comes than.

[conchita]

You're welcome Chris!  I know how much you love Wimlbedon!!   
I think the worst decision in Wimbledon history was to demolish Old Court 1 to make room for the Millennium Building, they should have built that building in another site.

[Murrayfan11]

I wonder if I'm on the last year pictures?

[mogdesai]

Some pics:

CLASSIC WIMBLEDON WITH UNFORGETTABLE OLD COURT Nº1

Mid 90's


Last year

Wimbledon 2009

Conchita, you are great. Wonderful pictures showing full overview. It is so beautiful. I had been at Wimbledon for 4 years and love it.
It is the best grand Slam to visit.
Thanks again.

[Murrayfan11]

Well, it's not the best place to visit if you have tickets for finals day on Court one...
I can pinpoint the court on that picture that I saw J Murray and Jankovic playing a mixed doubles match. On the closest row of 4, it's the one at the far right.

[conchita]

Wimbledon name wild cards
-reuters-

Frenchman Jeremy Chardy and Spaniard Carla Suarez Navarro gained wildcards for Wimbledon after their impressive displays at the French Open.

The 21-year-old Chardy knocked Argentine sixth seed David Nalbandian out of Roland Garros during a run to the fourth round and has been rewarded with one of eight wildcard spots in the men's singles draw at the grasscourt Slam.

Former Wimbledon semi-finalist, Belgian Xavier Malisse, will also benefit from a wildcard as he battles back from a wrist injury that kept him out for most of last year and sent him plummeting down the rankings.

Canada's Frank Dancevic and Britain's Alex Bogdanovic and Jamie Baker were also handed wildcards with three more still to be decided.

Suarez Navarro heads the list of women's wildcards. The 19-year-old from the Canary Islands was the surprise package in Paris where she came through qualifying before reaching the quarter-finals.

British hopefuls Katie O'Brien, Elena Baltacha, Melanie South and Naomi Cavaday have also been handed spots in the women's draw along with Pole Urszula Radwanska. Wimbledon begins on June 22.

[conchita]

Murray: I can win Wimbledon
-Jeremy Stahl / Eurosport-
 
Andy Murray said he believes he can win Wimbledon next month despite having missed last year's grass season with a wrist injury.

The 21-year-old Briton, who missed Wimbledon in 2007 with the problem and has never been beyond the last 16 at the All England Club, walked into the third round of Queen's Club without completing a full set after France's Sebastien Grosjean retired with an injury just two games into their match.

"It's a tough one," Murray said of his Wimbledon prospects next month.

"If I say I want to get to the fourth round, then when you get to the fourth round you're kind of happy with what you've done. You don't have the right mentality going into the next matches.

"You have to go in believing you can win the tournament. If you get to the quarters, semi-finals, it's still a good result. But you've given yourself the best chance to win the tournament."

In his last appearance at the All England Club two years ago Murray upset then twice returning runner-up Andy Roddick in the third round before falling to Marcos Baghdatis in the last 16.

"My goal is to try and win the tournament. But I guess I've never made the quarter-finals of a Slam before, so it would be progress," he said.

Despite Rafael Nadal's demolition of world number one Roger Federer in the final of Roland Garros last week, Murray still sees the Swiss as the definite favourite to improve his record of consecutive Wimbledon titles to six.

"[Nadal's] made the final a couple years in a row, so he's definitely one of the favourites to win it. But I still feel like there's more chance of him maybe losing before the final than there is of Federer," Murray said.

"I still think he's the best player in the world. Until he's gone down to number two in the rankings. He's still a long way ahead of Nadal and [Novak] Djokovic in terms of ranking points.

"If he continues to win Wimbledon, dominate the US Open like he has been, then yeah, he's going to be the best."

As for Nadal's performance in the French Open final, in which he humiliated the top seed 6-1 6-3 6-0 after storming through the draw without dropping a set, Murray believes it does not bode well for the rest of the field during next year's claycourt season.

"I thought it was pretty special. It was probably the best match you're going to see in a Grand Slam from one player," the Scot said.

"It's kind of history on the line, a Grand Slam final, to sort of play with so few nerves, so much belief that you're going to win the match against someone as good as Federer, I think just shows how good Nadal is.

"He's going to go down, I think, as the best claycourt player ever."

Murray next faces either Andreas Seppi or Ernests Gulbis in the last 16 of Queen's Club and faces a potential quarter-final match against the defending champion Roddick.

[Murrayfan11]

Nice to see that Jamie Baker gets a wildcard, I thought he'd been ruled out of it with that life-threatening thing? Anyway, thanks or the data conchita.

[Chris1987]

Nice to see that Jamie Baker gets a wildcard, I thought he'd been ruled out of it with that life-threatening thing? Anyway, thanks or the data conchita.

After the incident and diagnoses in America it looked a certainty that he would be out for most of the year, but he's made a fantastic and very quick recovery and is able to practice again, and will be playing in Nottigham next week and then Wimbledon the following week. The virus he picked up meant that in practice(before he was diagnosed) if the ball had hit his head just slightly instead of his arm he would would have bled to death within no time. Its just incredible how serious it was and how well he's recovered.

[pawan89]

Murray: I can win Wimbledon
-Jeremy Stahl / Eurosport-
 
Andy Murray said he believes he can win Wimbledon next month despite having missed last year's grass season with a wrist injury.

The 21-year-old Briton, who missed Wimbledon in 2007 with the problem and has never been beyond the last 16 at the All England Club, walked into the third round of Queen's Club without completing a full set after France's Sebastien Grosjean retired with an injury just two games into their match.

"It's a tough one," Murray said of his Wimbledon prospects next month.

"If I say I want to get to the fourth round, then when you get to the fourth round you're kind of happy with what you've done. You don't have the right mentality going into the next matches.

"You have to go in believing you can win the tournament. If you get to the quarters, semi-finals, it's still a good result. But you've given yourself the best chance to win the tournament."

In his last appearance at the All England Club two years ago Murray upset then twice returning runner-up Andy Roddick in the third round before falling to Marcos Baghdatis in the last 16.

"My goal is to try and win the tournament. But I guess I've never made the quarter-finals of a Slam before, so it would be progress," he said.

Despite Rafael Nadal's demolition of world number one Roger Federer in the final of Roland Garros last week, Murray still sees the Swiss as the definite favourite to improve his record of consecutive Wimbledon titles to six.

"[Nadal's] made the final a couple years in a row, so he's definitely one of the favourites to win it. But I still feel like there's more chance of him maybe losing before the final than there is of Federer," Murray said.

"I still think he's the best player in the world. Until he's gone down to number two in the rankings. He's still a long way ahead of Nadal and [Novak] Djokovic in terms of ranking points.

"If he continues to win Wimbledon, dominate the US Open like he has been, then yeah, he's going to be the best."

As for Nadal's performance in the French Open final, in which he humiliated the top seed 6-1 6-3 6-0 after storming through the draw without dropping a set, Murray believes it does not bode well for the rest of the field during next year's claycourt season.

"I thought it was pretty special. It was probably the best match you're going to see in a Grand Slam from one player," the Scot said.

"It's kind of history on the line, a Grand Slam final, to sort of play with so few nerves, so much belief that you're going to win the match against someone as good as Federer, I think just shows how good Nadal is.

"He's going to go down, I think, because now I am here "

Murray next faces either Andreas Seppi or Ernests Gulbis in the last 16 of Queen's Club and faces a potential quarter-final match against the defending champion Roddick.

That's what I like to hear. Keep it Andy!! And I really looking forward to a breakthrough run for Murray. He needs to, obviously, avoid the big three early on which he might but also he needs to avoid the likes of Tsonga, Gulbis, Mathieu and Ancic early on and once he gets his game going I think it'll be pretty sweet.

I'd still like to give Murray an edge over Djokovic and Nadal but right now that's clearly not the case, but I want him to prove me wrong by next year.

[Alison2006]

Will Roger wear his Jacket and Trousers  this year?? wonder if he will add a hat to the mix