With Rafael Nadael’s withdrawal because of a knee injury, Roger Federer is looking more and more like the champion of the Wimbledon title for 2009. With 14 grand slam titles under his name, the 15th looks to be a lock for the Swiss sensation Federer. If he does get his 15th title, he will be the first man to do so, evidence of his greatness, not just of this era, but of all time.  After a deserved French Open win, the road to the Wimbledon title is much easier. Federer has always looked fantastic playing on grass, because it favors his speed, powerful forehand and serve.

Right now, there are few players that can actually pose a serious threat to Roger Federer. Home crowd favorite Andy Murray is having a great run. He has a great service game, but it will do little against Federer if they ever match up.  American Andy Roddick is also having a good tournament so far, beating James Blake - a highly seeded player - in the early round. Should Federer face him in the finals, Roddick will most likely lose.  The Swiss has a historical edge over Roddick, having won two finals matches in Wimbledon in 2004 and 2005.

Similarly, for the women’s division, Venus Williams is a heavy favorite to capture her 4th Wimbledon title, as her adversaries have fallen by the wayside. Maria Sharapova lost her match in the second round to China’s Li Na, which shows that she has not fully recovered after being out of the game for ten months  following her surgery in October last year. She also had a lackluster run in the French Open this year, proving that her shoulder is still bothering her.  Former number one Jelena Jankovic has also lost  to newcomer Melanie Oudin to continue her disappointing year after a stellar run in 2008. It seems that it is only Serena Williams who has the skill set to beat Venus on grass. But given the history between the two, Venus will most likely come out on top.  We should, however,  keep a close eye on Jankovic conqueror Oudin, a sixteen year old prospect from the United States. She competed in the U.S. Open in 2008, and Australian Open in 2009, but bowed out of both tournaments in the first round. Wimbledon may be the  defining tournament  for Oudin, who has the potential to replace the Williams sisters, Sharapova,  Jankovic and company - just as the latter replaced the era of Stefi Graf, Monica Seles and Martina Hingis.

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