BRAD GILBERT’S TOP CONTENDERS
WOMEN ASH BARTY (AUS) Age: 23 Seed: 1 Last year: 3rd rd
There’s something a bit old school about the Australian, who wasn’t even one of my top 15 picks to win the French! If she can win in Paris she can certainly thrive here. She has a tremendously versatile forehand and a brilliant sliced backhand. Her volleying is excellent and she has an outstanding serve for her height, 5ft 5in. All the tools to win here.
NAOMI OSAKA (JAP) 21 Seed: 2 Last year: 3rd rd
She may have learned a bit about handling expectations from her third-round defeat in Paris. You can tell Naomi has been modelled on Serena — she has a very similar swing on the backhand and tremendous power on both sides. Her movement has dramatically improved in the past year and grass should suit her better than clay.
KAROLINA PLISKOVA (CZE) 27 Seed: 3 Last year: 4th rd
It is still a bit of a mystery why she has not done better here. Her great strength is her serve but she has to be aggressive. She likes the high bounce and should be dangerous if it’s warm. The big hurdle for her is getting that first Slam title.
ANGELIQUE KERBER (GER) 31 Seed: 5 Last year: Winner
As Serena found out in last year’s final, the German is an outstanding mover and a great counter-puncher — she played an awesome match that day. Her movement on grass reminds me a bit of Andy Murray and she can win points from tough positions, which is one reason she has such a good Wimbledon record.
PETRA KVITOVA (CZE) 29 Seed: 6 Last year: 1st rd
She knows her way around the grass court as well as anybody and it may benefit her that she has not overplayed and should be fresh. Her lefty serve sets up her whole game of first- strike tennis that puts opponents under pressure. At her best she can be almost unplayable.
SIMONA HALEP (ROM) 27 Seed: 7 Last year: 3rd rd
Coming in as a lower seed than at recent Grand Slams may help her, and unlike last year she won’t be thinking about having just won Roland Garros. She is a great athlete with a terrific backhand, an under-rated serve and bags of fighting spirit. I would not be surprised if she makes a strong run.
SERENA WILLIAMS (USA) 37 Seed: 11 Last year: Runner-up
The fear factor is starting to wane a little for the other players. She has struggled for court time with her knee problems and finds herself in the roughest quarter of the draw. Her game is so well suited to grass and this is her best chance to win another Slam. The best serve in history and fantastic returns, so it would be foolish to write her off.
JO KONTA (GB) 28 Seed: 19 Last year: 2nd rd
Konta likes to play ‘red line’ tennis but I thought she was giving herself more margin for error at the French Open. At her best she is a bit like Serena or Kvitova, setting the point up with her serve and putting her opponent under pressure by taking the ball on early in the rally. Roland Garros was a real step forward and it looks like her coach, Dimitri Zavialoff, has done a good job since teaming up with her. One of maybe 15 players who can win it.
MEN NOVAK DJOKOVIC (SER) 32 Seed: 1 Last year: Winner
I had him down to win three Slams this year and still think that’s possible. It’s his ability to put so many returns in court and play controlled offence that demoralises opponents. His match in the semis against Rafa Nadal last year must have been one of his best ever, so he has some fresh memories of playing brilliantly at SW19. The favourite.
ROGER FEDERER (SWI) 37 Seed: 2 Last year: QF
Still playing majestic tennis. If anything he is playing more aggressively off his backhand this year, less afraid to use it down the line. Roger has also become an incredible starter of matches, he goes at guys hard and fast and before they know it they’re a set down. The backhand continues to fascinate me, it’s the best one- hander in history.
RAFAEL NADAL (SP) 33 Seed: 3 Last year: SF
He got so close to beating Djokovic last year which shows he can still play on grass. Nobody makes adjustments better than Rafa (left), hitting it flatter and powering up his serve. He has a tough draw but if he does not get derailed in the first week he will be lethal in the second.
KEVIN ANDERSON (SA) 33 Seed: 4 Last year: Runner-up
The big South African comes in after a rough year when he has had an elbow injury that made him miss the clay court season.
That will not make it easy for him but he had some great memories from last year when he showed his durability. A decent mover for his height and has loads of power, plus his returns go deeper than anyone bar Djokovic. A potent first and second serve.
DOMINIC THIEM (AUT) 25 Seed: 5 Last year: 1st rd
Very impressed with him this year but his return of serve on grass can be a problem. He’s made a good coaching change to ex- Olympic champ Nicolas Massu. Nobody hits the ball faster off both forehand and backhand than this guy and his serve is a bomb, but does he have that ultimate belief on grass?
ALEX ZVEREV (GER) 22 Seed: 6 Last year: 3rd
After winning at the O2 Arena I thought he was going to have a great season but it hasn’t happened. He can be too passive and should look at how he played in November, when his serve was massive. He’s a great mover for his height, 6ft 6in, and his backhand is outstanding.
STEFANOS TSITSIPAS (GRE) 20 Seed: 7 Last year: 4th rd
The most variety of all the young guys and that’s why he’s a future champion in my eyes. A key asset is his ability to finish points when moving forward. His forehand is already up with the best and I love the way he’s prepared to dive for the ball. A great athlete and I like his attitude — we should be very excited by the gifted Greek.
KEI NISHIKORI (JAP) 29 Seed: 8 Last year: Quarter-final
Solid as a rock with a great backhand, especially down the line. He is also a top mover but he keeps getting sucked into five setters at Slams and by the time he gets to the quarters he’s wrecked.