2009 Wimbledon – Nick’s Picks – Men’s Singles Round 4
Every day throughout Wimbledon Nick’s Picks will bring you the latest analysis and predictions. We are also teaming up with The Independent Newspaper in London to cover the event!
Roger Federer (SUI) vs. Robin Soderling (SWE)
Federer dropped a set in his last win over German Philipp Kohlschreiber, but I don’t think that is a negative sign at all. He seems comfortable and confident and that is not good for everyone else in the tournament. In my mind, Federer is the favorite to win his sixth Wimbledon title.
On the heels of his amazing run to the finals of the French Open, Soderling advanced to the fourth round of Wimbledon for the first time in his career. In his first two matches at this year’s tournament he dropped the opening set, but he found a way to come back and get the win in four sets each time.
Match-Up:
Federer is 10-0 against Soderling and just beat him in the finals of the French Open a couple of weeks ago. Not only has Federer won all 10 matches they have played, he has never even dropped a set to the Swede! I think the stage of being in the finals of the French Open really got to Soderling and I believe he will have a better showing in this match. Soderling is aggressive, takes the ball early and will come in some. He has excellent groundstrokes from both sides and can win free points with his serve as well. Having said that, Federer definitely has the advantage in just about every category. He is in the groove and feeling confident and I don’t seem him losing this match.
Nick’s Pick – Federer in 4 sets
Andy Roddick (USA) vs. Tomas Berdych (CZE)
Roddick defeated a difficult opponent in Jugen Melzer in the third round to advance to the fourth round for the fifth time in his career. Roddick isn’t getting much press over in England, but as a two-time runner up you can never overlook his chances on the grass. I wouldn’t be surprised if he came out of his side of the draw.
Berdych hasn’t had the year he is capable of, as he came into Wimbledon with a 16-13 record, but so far he has yet to drop a set in this tournament. He defeated Russian Nikolay Davydenko in the third round rather routinely, which is something that is very hard to do because Davydenko is a pillar of consistency.
Match-Up:
Roddick and Berdych have split the four matches they have played against each other, with Berdych winning their last match-up (Tokyo 2008). This will be a very interesting match because Berdych is playing very well right now and should be full of confidence. This match comes down to Roddick’s serve. He has been serving excellently and if he continues that he has the edge. If the serve falters at all then Berdych will be right there to take advantage of it. I give Roddick the edge, but this could be close.
Nick’s Pick – Roddick in 4 or even 5 sets
Tommy Haas (GER) vs. Igor Andreev (RUS)
I was so happy to see my Tommy Haas come through the third round with an unbeilvable win over Marin Cilic. It looked like Haas was going to win so many times, but Cilic kept fighting. At 6-6 in the fifth, the match was suspended due to darkness on Friday and then Haas came out on Saturday and won it 10-8 in the fifth set! He is now into the fourth round for the second time in his career and is looking for his first Wimbledon quarterfinal appearance.
Andreev beat Italian Andreas Seppi in four sets to advance to the fourth round of Wimbledon for the first time in his career. Andreev has been to one Grand Slam quarterfinal and that came back at the 2007 French Open.
Match-Up:
Andreev is 1-0 against Haas, with that win coming two years ago on clay in the Davis Cup. Andreev is a strong, solid baseliner with a big serve. His forehand and backhand are extremely strong and he isn’t afraid to take chances. On the other side, Haas plays with a bit more versatility and will come in whenever he gets the chance. When Haas has confidence, which he does now, he is very tough to beat. I look for Haas to continue serving well and mixing up his groundstrokes and that will be the difference in this match.
Nick’s Pick – Haas in 4 sets
Andy Murray (GBR) vs. Stan Wawrinka (SUI)
Much to the delight of the British fans, Murray has looked extremely good in his last two victories. After breezing by Ernests Gulbis (and committing only five unforced errors), Murray beat Viktor Troicki easily 6-2, 6-3, 6-4. He is looking to get back to the quarterfinals for the second straight year and hopefully for the fans he will go even further!
Wawrinka took down American Jesse Levin (who has spent many years at the Academy) 5-7, 7-5, 6-3, 6-3 to reach the fourth round for the second consecutive year. A win here would put Wawrinka in the quarterfinals of a Grand Slam for the first time in his career and if he does that he will be the most hated man in England!!
Match-Up:
Murray is 4-3 against Wawrinka and has beaten him the last two times they have played. Wawrinka is a big buy who hits the ball with a good deal of power from both sides. He has a very good serve and also covers the court well. Against Murray he is going to have to take some risks, because Murray is great a neutralizing his opponent’s weapons and is playing more offensively than in the past. Murray also can play with great variety and his serve is as good as it ever has been. When you combine all that with the support of the fans, I just think it is going to be too much for Wawrinka.
Nick’s Pick – Murray in 4 sets
