Federer and Williams begin Wimbledon defence
 Defending
champions Roger Federer and Venus Williams will both look
to add to their impressive total of Wimbledon titles at the
2008 Championships, which begin today at the All England Club
in London.
Top seed Federer is attempting to become only the second
man in history to win the men’s singles title for six
successive years. The one previous man to do so, William Renshaw,
had to win only one match in the Challenge Round each year
to defend the title following his first victory in 1881. Federer
is currently on a 59-match unbeaten run on grass having won
at Halle this month.
Roland Garros and Queen’s champion, and last year’s
beaten finalist Rafael Nadal is seeded No. 2, and has the
chance to become the first player since Bjorn Borg to win
back-to-back titles at Paris and Wimbledon. Novak Djokovic,
a finalist at Queen’s, is seeded No. 3 and on course
for a semifinal showdown with Federer. Federer is one of only
two Wimbledon champions in the draw, and could meet 2002 winner
and No. 20 seed Lleyton Hewitt in the round of 16. Venus Williams,
who captured a fourth Wimbledon title in 2007, is seeded No.
7 and in the same quarter of the draw as No. 2 seed Jelena
Jankovic. Jankovic’s compatriot Ana Ivanovic is the
number one seed following her first Grand Slam title at Roland
Garros. Williams, also a winner in 2000-01 and 2005, is one
of five former champions in a women’s draw that also
includes 2006 champion Amelie Mauresmo, 2004 winner Maria
Sharapova, sister Serena Williams, champion in 2002-03, and
1999 winner Lindsay Davenport.
|
