Wimbledon 2008 – Men’s Picks – Round 2
Nick’s Picks will have complete coverage of Wimbledon 2008, and we are teaming with Tennis Week and The Independent Newspaper in London to provide in-depth analysis throughout the tournament! Also, be sure to listen for Nick on Radio Wimbledon each day at 4pm EST!
Marcos Baghdatis (CYP) vs. Thomas Johansson (SWE)
Baghdatis seemed to be on cruise control throughout the first two sets of his opening round match against Steve Darcis. Then he lost the tiebreaker in the third set, but managed to come back and win the fourth set 6-3. Out of all the seeded players, Baghdatis benefitted the most from the Wimbledon seedings. He came into the tournament ranked #25, but was seeded #10 due to his past results. Talk about a good draw!
At the age of 33, Johansson is clearly not the player he was six years ago when he won the Australian Open and was ranked in the top 10. He is now ranked #63 in the world and hasn’t been past the quarterfinals of a Grand Slam since Wimbledon three years ago.
Match-Up:
Baghdatis is 2-0 against Johansson, including a four set victory over him earlier this year at the Australian Open. Johansson is noted for his big serve, but you cannot be a multiple time Grand Slam winner with only a serve. Baghdatis will get the crowd behind him, because he is one heck of a character! He seems to thrive on the big stages, and he is never affected by the pressure. He has excellent groundstrokes from both sides and moves well for a big guy. If healthy, I give him the edge.
Nick’s Pick – Baghdatis in 4 sets
Novak Djokovic (SRB) vs. Marat Safin (RUS)
Djokovic picked up a tough four set victory over the tough German Michael Berrer in the first round. You are hearing plenty of talk that Djokovic is going to beat Federer in the semis here, and with that being said I wouldn’t count Federer out that quickly. Djokovic has recently stated that he thinks Federer’s reign may be coming to an end. Well, he better worry about Marat Safin right now.
Safin has never really liked the grass at Wimbledon, but did reach the quarters back in 2001. In 2005 he made an incredible run to win the Australian Open, but really has done nothing since. He is currently ranked #75 in the world, and will always be one of my favorite players on the tour to watch.
Match-Up:
Safin is 1-0 against Djokovic, but that win came back in 2005 before Djokovic really became the player he is today. This is a match between two players who don’t mind the spotlight. Djokovic could be a sports broadcaster. He always has predictions, analysis, and all the gossip! But you know what, he is #3 in the world, and he has the game to back up the talk! Both players have excellent groundstrokes and big serves. I believe that Djokovic has a bit more variety on his backhand than Safin, and also moves better. Safin is not a spring chicken anymore, and because of this Djokovic has a better base and will use it to control the match. This is going to be an entertaining match if nothing else!
Nick’s Pick – Djokovic in 4 sets
Richard Gasquet (FRA) vs. Sebastien Grosjean (FRA)
Gasquet picked up a straight set victory over a tough opponent, American Mardy Fish, in the first round. Gasquet comes in not having played much tennis recently due to injuries, and he even had to skip the French Open. Last year he won an incredible match over Andy Roddick in the quarters before falling to Federer in the semis. There is plenty of pressure on the top Frenchman to get back to the late second week.
Grosjean is a former top five player, but has played only 16 ATP level matches so far in 2008. Wimbledon is a place he has thrived before, as he reached the semis in 2003 and 2004 and the quarters in 2005. Don’t be fooled by his ranking of #61 in the world, this Frenchman can still play.
Match-Up:
These two Frenchman have played twice before, with each player winning a match. I am sure that this is going to be an emotional match. They know each other fairly well, and I am sure they have practiced with one another also. Gasquet is a one of my favorite players to watch, because of how creative he is on the court. He can hit just about any shot no matter where he is positioned. I just saw him practicing on grass at the Lagardere Paris Racing Club during the French Open, and he looked very comfortable. Grosjean is a very steady player and will not hurt himself in this match. He moves well, has a solid base, but is getting a little older.
This match is on Gasquet’s racket. If he doesn’t make many errors then I give him the edge, if he does, he will be in trouble for sure. This isn’t going to be an easy one, but I give the edge to Gasquet.
Nick’s Pick – Gasquet in 4 sets
Rafael Nadal (ESP) vs. Ernests Gulbis (LAT)
Nadal got a remarkable 75% of his first serves in during the first round. He also won 88% of the points on first serve, and had 17 aces. If he serves like that, and plays like he has been he is going to be extremely difficult to beat on the grass.
Gulbis is coming off of a quarterfinal appearance at Roland Garros, which was the best he has ever done at a Grand Slam. This is one talented youngster, and someone that I am going to be keeping a close eye on in the near future.
Match-Up:
This will be the first career match between these two young guns. It is kind of a shame that this is a second round match, because I feel both men have the potential to be around during the second week. Every time I watch Nadal play I gain a little more respect for him. I don’t think many people appreciate the amount of stress he puts his body under throughout each match. It is simply incredible. I also love the way he takes advantage of his opportunities. He never waits, he always attacks!!
In this match, both players have top-notch groundstrokes and excellent serves. Gulbis’ serve is one of the best on the tour, and I already talked about how good Nadal’s serve has been. This is going to be one heck of a match, but the difference in my eyes will be Nadal’s movement and experience. He just tracks down too many balls for Gulbis, and any time he gets a defensive ball or a short return he pounces on it.
Nick’s Pick – Nadal in 4 sets
[...] won the match by frustrating Djokovic and dominating the court with his backhand. I wrote in my pre-match breakdown that Djokovic had more variety on his backhand than Safin, but it was Safin who was able to take [...]
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