And then there were 4
Written by @greenlight30
With July 4th behind us, fireworks might be over here in the States but they’re just about to get going across the pond in the Wimbledon Semis. Four of the top five seeds remain with Rafael Nadal the lone top seed failing to get through after his loss to #100 Lukas Rosol back in round two. As a result what we’re left with are two fantastic matches that have their own interesting background and side story.
Novak Djokovic (2012 Record: 41-6 ; Head-to-Head 12-14)
Vs
Roger Federer (2012 Record: 46-7)
The first semifinal should prove to be quite the encounter between heavyweights. Djokovic enters the matchup having dropped only one set the entire tournament back in the third round vs. Radek Stepanek. Joker displayed top form in dispatching countryman Viktor Troicki and then German Florian Mayer the last two rounds respectively and has shown no signs of slowing down. On the other side, Roger Federer was pushed to the limit by Julien Benneteau in round three and then in the next round called upon the trainer twice to help work out a troublesome back against veteran Xavier Malisse. Federer appeared much more comfortable in his dispatching of Mikhail Youzhny in the quarters. The level of intrigue in this match is extremely high as most experts believe (and rightfully so) this is Federer’s best surface and Djokovic’s worst giving the aging superstar his best and maybe his only shot at a major in 2012. Novak disposed of Federer just last month in the French Open semi’s after falling behind a break early before cruising through a straight set victory. This match is going to come down to how Federer can hold up on the backhand side and if Roger can force Djokovic to play a defensive style by moving into the court and playing aggressive tennis.
Even though Djokovic has had Federer’s number of late winning 6 of the last 7 matches, I would not feel comfortable laying the steep price it’s going to take to bet this match. Expect a highly competitive match that goes 4 sets but I just think Novak has way too much going right now to be slowed down in his quest for his 2nd major of 2012.
Andy Murray (2012 Record: 33-9 Head-to-Head 5-1)
Vs
Jo-Wilfried Tsonga (2012 Record 35-12)
The pressure and excitement in England continues to grow as Andy Murray seeks to become the first British born player since Fred Perry in 1936 to emerge victorious from the All England Tennis club. His semifinal opponent is a strong one though as Tsonga has already gone through a stretch leading up and through the early rounds of this tournament with 75 consecutive holds of serve! The two met previously in the 2010 Wimbledon quarterfinal with Andy Murray besting Tsonga in four sets. Without a doubt Andy Murray has gone through the toughest path of any of the semifinalists considering every single opponent called the top 15 of the ATP rankings home at one point in their career. On the other side of the net, Jo Willy has slowly gained momentum cracking a combined 27 aces in his last two matches and looked in top form during his quarterfinal dismissal of Phillip Kohlschreiber.
Will the fourth straight Wimbledon semifinal trip for Andy Murray finally be a charm? They key to this match will be how well Andy can return the power serve of Tsonga. Tsonga is going to have to try to win upwards of 70% of his first serve points while avoiding too many backhand to backhand exchanges during prolonged rallies. I feel Andy has played a sensational tournament so far and will be able to frustrate Tsonga with consistency and a balanced attack. With the experience of the last few years’ semis already under his belt coupled with the partisan crowd behind him against an opponent he’s dominated in the past, the stars are aligning for Murray to advance to the final with a statement victory. I expect a win over Tsonga setting up a showdown between Britain’s native son and tennis’ best in the Sunday final.
