Wimbledon 2011: Record breakers John Isner and Nicolas Mahut to meet again

Posted by Sport: Wimbledon 2011 | guardian.co.uk on June 17, 2011 Comments Off

• Pair drawn to race each other a year after 11-hour epic
• Isner won that match 70-68 in the fifth set

John Isner and Nicolas Mahut are to meet again at Wimbledon after the first round draw paired them together, a year after their epic 11-hour encounter.

The pair played out the longest match in tennis history at the All England Club over three days last year, with Isner winning 6-4, 3-6, 6-7, 7-6, 70-68. The match was played on Court 18, and a new plaque this year commemorates that astonishing contest.

Andy Murray's instant reaction to the draw was not about his own match against the Spaniard Daniel Gimeno-Traver, but about the prospect of Isner and Mahut meeting again.

Murray wrote on Twitter: "Isner vs Mahut drawing each other in the first round after last year is the most amazing thing I've seen in tennis! Centre court anyone?!"

After last year's match the three-times champion John McEnroe, who was in the crowd, led calls for Wimbledon to adopt a final-set tie-break. But Isner was not convinced. "I don't think so," he said. "Nothing like this will happen again, not even come close, so I think they should just keep it the same."

Wimbledon 2011Tennisguardian.co.uk

Wimbledon 2011: Andy Murray to play Daniel Gimeno-Traver in first round

Posted by Sport: Wimbledon 2011 | guardian.co.uk on June 17, 2011 Comments Off

• Wimbledon first round draw pits Murray against Spaniard
• Record-breakers Isner and Mahut to face each other again

Andy Murray could have to overcome Andy Roddick and then defending champion Rafael Nadal if he is to reach his first Wimbledon final.

The British fourth seed was beaten by Nadal in last year's semi-finals and Roddick at the same stage in 2009.

Murray, who beat Roddick in straight sets on the way to his second Queen's Club title last week, is due to face the American in the quarter-finals. And if the results go to form, Nadal would then once again lie between Murray and a place in his first final in SW19.

The second seed Novak Djokovic and the six-time Wimbledon champion Roger Federer are on the other side of the draw and are due to meet in the semi-final.

Murray will open his campaign against the Spanish world number 56 Daniel Gimeno-Traver, who he beat two years ago in their only previous meeting on the senior tour.

But the first round match-up which caught everyone's attention at the All England Club – including Murray's – pitched John Isner against Nicolas Mahut in a repeat of last year's 11-hour marathon. American Isner eventually won the longest match in tennis history 6-4, 3-6, 6-7 (7), 7-6 (3), 70-68.

Murray will play on Monday but his immediate reaction to the draw was not about his own match or prospects but the fact Isner and Mahut will lock horns again.

He Tweeted: "Isner v Mahut drawing each other in the first round after last year is the most amazing thing I've seen in tennis. Centre court anyone?!"

Elsewhere, the British number two James Ward, who enjoyed a dream run to the semi-finals at Queen's Club last week, received a tough draw in world number 25 Michael Llodra. Dan Cox plays Sergiy Stakhovsky and Daniel Evans will face 20th seed Florian Mayer.

Britain will be guaranteed a presence in the second round of the women's singles after the draw pitched Anne Keothavong against Naomi Broady.

Heather Watson will face Sweden's Mathilde Johansson while Laura Robson has drawn the German Angelique Kerber.

Emily Webley-Smith plays Klara Zakopalova and Katie O'Brien will be up against Kimiko Date-Krumm. The British number one Elena Baltacha will open her campaign against a qualifier.

Andy MurrayWimbledon 2011Tennisguardian.co.uk

‘Next big thing’ Milos Raonic is keeping his feet on the ground

Posted by Simon Cambers on June 16, 2011 Comments Off

• Big-serving Canadian inspired by Sampras is tipped for the top
• Montenegro-born youngster now No26 in the world

Being labelled as the next big thing is the kind of pressure that most tennis players need like a hole in the head. Think Ernests Gulbis, the hugely talented Latvian who has lost his way, or Bernard Tomic, the Australian teenager who is trying to take over from Lleyton Hewitt. But from Montenegro, via Canada, perhaps we have found the real deal.

Milos Raonic. Remember the name. At 6ft 5in, the 20-year-old has a serve reminiscent of Pete Sampras, who just happens to be his idol, and a steely nerve that should stand him in good stead as the bigger challenges arrive. Ranked 295 this time last year, the Canadian has rocketed up the list to No26, will be seeded No31 at Wimbledon and has been practising this week with Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic. They know what they're doing.

Born in Montenegro, the Raonic family moved to Toronto when Milos was three. He showed his ability when he reached the fourth round of the Australian Open in January and the following month he won his first title in San Jose. As Andy Murray did in 2006 when he beat Lleyton Hewitt and Andy Roddick to win his maiden tournament, Raonic stunned Gaël Monfils and Fernando Verdasco to announce himself to the tennis elite.

It was fitting that Sampras should have been in town that week because Raonic idolised the American so much growing up that he could probably make him his specialist subject on University Challenge. The two met there for the first time and if Raonic had been nervous in the final, meeting the great man was perhaps even more of a challenge.

"It was definitely something else," he said. "I don't know how I came off – you can ask him – but I felt it was pretty casual."

Sampras kept his mobile number to himself, Raonic said, but he was given a framed picture with a good luck message from the seven-times Wimbledon champion. "I actually have it in our house," he said. "I put it up beside my trophies because it's probably one of the most special things I have. He told me: 'A champion always finds a way to win even when they're not playing their best.' I'm not saying I'm a champion or anything but I'm happy because I am finding a way to win."

Raonic used to tape Sampras's matches, especially at Wimbledon, where the American dominated for most of the 1990s. "I just liked his style, the control of his serve, how he was able to do the same thing with one toss, hit all the spots," he said. "You always had the feeling that the match was in his hands, win or lose. This is something I always worked and tried to develop as much as I can. I felt those were very inspiring things toward my game and my development."

The homework certainly paid off because his serve is as smooth and effortless as you could imagine. He leads the Tour this year with 479 aces – the next best is Ivo Karlovic with 397 – and one serve he hit earlier this year was recorded at 150mph, the fifth fastest of all time. How fast can he go? "I don't know but as long as I keep getting the free points I'll be happy, I don't care if it's 105 or 160."

Considering the speed of his ascent, Raonic seems incredibly well grounded. He still lives at home with his parents in Toronto – "I'm always gone too much" – and family means a lot to him. He has a brother and sister and when he speaks of his sister's young twins, his eyes begin to water. "Out of everybody I see, those two kids probably make me smile on a daily basis, whenever I can even see them on Skype," he said. "It's a boy and a girl, David and Emma. I got to spend time at Christmas with them and I really miss those two the most."

The world No1 Rafael Nadal says he expects Raonic to be in the top 10 "very soon" and the former world No1 John McEnroe says he could be "the one to come out of the pack". But Raonic, who eats steak every night ahead of matches and who goes back to Montenegro whenever he can, seems determined not to let fame go to his head.

"It's obviously very motivating to hear but my main thing is just not getting ahead of myself," he said. "Just because they say it doesn't mean it is going to happen. I appreciate what they say but I know it's always going to come down to the work I do. It's not like it's just going to happen because they say it is."

Wimbledon 2011WimbledonTennisSimon Cambersguardian.co.uk

Why does women’s tennis seem a shadow of its former self? | Simon Cambers

Posted by Simon Cambers on June 16, 2011 Comments Off

Insiders admit to problems but believe that key tennis criticisms are only half of the real story

The world No1 should win the best events

It is not just tennis where the world No1 ranking is questioned. Caroline Wozniacki may not have won a grand slam but neither has Luke Donald, who leads the world golf rankings. But as with Donald, it is not Wozniacki's fault. The Dane has made one final – the 2008 US Open – but is top of the tree thanks to her overall consistency throughout the year.

The Russian Dinara Safina and Jelena Jankovic of Serbia also became No1 without winning a slam in recent years and tennis fans have been spoilt by having Martina Navratilova, Chris Evert, Steffi Graf, Monica Seles, Martina Hingis, Serena and Venus Williams at the top of the rankings in the past.

But even before her injury and illness, Serena used to pick and choose her tournaments, focusing on the grand slams rather than playing a full schedule. Kim Clijsters, the world No2, has done the same since her return after two years away. The Tour offers more ranking points for the grand slam events than regular events but until the very best players compete all year round or until one player dominates, the situation with Wozniacki could keep on happening.

On the other hand, Olga Morozova, the Russian who reached the Wimbledon and French Open final in 1974 and now a famed coach, believes some of the new breed do not have what it takes to be No1. "We just don't have leaders," she says. "There's only one person who I can see, Maria Sharapova, who is not afraid to be No1. With Serena or Venus, it doesn't matter how they play because they would still be leading the game. They have a presence, they are winners. There are not many people who have that."

The standard of play has fallen

It is certainly hard to see any player being out for a year in the men's game, and being made favourite for Wimbledon, so strong are the top four players. But this is Serena Williams we're talking about. The American has won 13 grand slam titles and most importantly, has won grand slams after long absences before – the Australian Open in 2007 for example, when she had slipped to No81 in the rankings.

"I think Serena will go down as one of the greatest players who ever lived, no doubt about it," Chris Evert says. "In my mind, Steffi and Martina are the greatest because they consistently were on the Tour for 15 years. But definitely Serena, as far as her tennis goes, would be considered one of the greatest players ever."

It is, of course, down to the bookmakers to set the prices and as Graham Sharpe, of William Hill, says: "A lot of people who bet on Wimbledon don't bet on tennis any other time of the year and they like the big names." She should not be favourite but as we have seen many times before, nothing can be taken for granted. "It would be monumental in my mind if Serena pulled off the win," Evert adds. "You can never, ever count her out but I don't know how it's humanly possible."

There are no rivalries in the sport and no stars

To have a rivalry, you need two players at the top of the game who are able to beat each other. That is not the situation right now as it has been so often in the past. But Brad Gilbert, Andy Murray's former coach and a top-10 player in his own right, thinks the women may be victims of their own improvement, especially in terms of athleticism. Standards have raised rather than fallen.

"For the last few years it's probably the most open that women's tennis has ever been," Gilbert says. "We're used to seeing a couple of women dominate for long periods of time. I think between No1 and No15 they've never been closer in their play. There's a lot of depth in the men's game but there's a lot bigger gap between 15 and one than there is right now in the women's."

In terms of stars, Clijsters might have something to say about that. The Belgian has won three of the past seven grand slam events and until she got injured in the clay-court season, was well on her way to becoming No1 again. The victory by Li Na at the French Open made her an even bigger star in China than she already was. The (second) retirement of Justine Henin in January robbed the sport of another of its stars.

"Remember that men's tennis was getting criticised a while ago because there were no rivalries," says Evert, who now covers the game as a correspondent for ESPN in America. "Right now, there is a bit of a flux in women's tennis. There's more depth, more new names and it will be interesting to see who steps up to the plate and emerges."

Good young players are not coming through

In addition to the increased depth in the women's game, the most notable change over the past decade has been the move away from the teen phenomenon to the more seasoned, experienced players at the top of the game. In 1997, a 16-year-old Martina Hingis ruled the world and Anna Kournikova was just one of many starlets, the latest in a long line that began with Evert and included Graf, Seles, Tracy Austin and Jennifer Capriati. Now the Briton, Heather Watson, is the youngest player in the top 100 at 19 years old.

Restrictions on the number of tournaments teenagers can play have been important but technology and an emphasis on physical strength has changed the way the game is played. Gone are the days of a top player cruising through to the second week with the loss of only a few games, as Graf used to do on a regular basis.

"It takes longer to develop an all-court game," says Evert. "I think I was the first 15-year-old to come along and beat a No1 player, then Steffi beat me at 15 when I was No1. Jennifer Capriati at 15 was great. The game is so much more athletic so that's where experience also comes in. But also, every 10 years or so a young phenom has come along and actually we're about due for one now."

Women's tennis is boring to watch

Tell that to Francesca Schiavone, one of the most inventive and inspirational players on either Tour. Though baseline tennis remains the bread and butter on the women's circuit, the Italian has shown that there is room for flair. It's true that the top men have a wider range of shots and that they volley more often than the women but Schiavone, and others like her, can use spin, angles and guile to counter the natural power of others.

Tell it to the fans. According to the Women's Tennis Association, attendances for women's matches were up 5% at their premier events in 2010 and 4% at the next level of tournaments. In a time of global economic crisis, only one tournament lost its title sponsor and 19 players earned over $1m dollars in prize money. "Withdrawals are down; top player participation is up; prize money is up and so is attendance. Our game is doing quite well," says the WTA chief executive, Stacey Allaster.

Morozova says she felt the increase in overall power in the women's game means that the players have had to learn how to use their brain. "It used to be that they just learnt to hit. Now they learn to hit and play."

Wimbledon 2011WimbledonTennisSimon Cambersguardian.co.uk

Glastonbury weather unsettled, Wimbledon washout, says Met Office

Posted by Adam Gabbatt, Paul Lewis on June 16, 2011 Comments Off

Wimbledon championships to experience heavy rain on first day, while Glastonbury festival may expect sun and showers

After the driest spring in more than a century, weather forecasters have predicted the return of the traditional British summer – just in time for Wimbledon.

The Met Office has forecast a washout for the first day of the championships, after the rain on Wednesday made umbrellas more of a conversation piece than elaborate hats on Ladies' Day at Royal Ascot, which this week also suffered from showers. Some parts of the UK experienced over one-fifth of their expected monthly rainfall in just six hours on Thursday.

The south-east bore the brunt of the showers, with 17mm recorded in Woking, Surrey, from 6am to noon, and 13mm in St James's Park, London. Glastonbury revellers may also need their waterproofs, with the possibility of unsettled weather for next week's festival.

"At the moment I would say that it's not looking good for the start of Wimbledon with wet and windy weather currently expected for Monday," said Helen Chivers, forecaster at the Met Office. The first day of play is set for temperatures of around 16C amid the rain, although defending men's champion Rafael Nadal can still play beneath the roof of Centre Court, installed in 2009 to ensure that at least ticket holders for the main stage and the TV cameras will still have something to watch in the event of a downpour.

"Beyond that for the rest of next week the recent changeable conditions look to continue, with a mixture of sunshine and showers," Chivers said.

Last year June was blessed with soaring temperatures – with no rain delays during Wimbledon and music lovers enjoying one of the warmest Glastonbury festivals in memory. But the Somerset skies are also looking less promising.

"The outlook for next week remains unsettled with a mix of sunshine and showers unfortunately," said Sarah Holland, a fellow Met Office forecaster.

Holland said average temperatures will be around 18C in Somerset, feeling colder in wind and showers, but offered festival goers a glimmer of hope: "The south-west looks to have the best of the weather of the UK with a better chance of sunny spells."

Rain at Wimbledon has been less of a concern since 2009, when the retractable roof first became operable on Centre Court.

Last year saw one of the hottest Glastonbury festivals in recent memory, bringing with it another hazard: dust. It has been so long since heavy rain turned Worthy Farm's fields to a carpet of sludge, that many recent festivalgoers may have forgotten what a challenge it can pose.

Emergency bundles of straw were distributed across the site in 2007, as near-constant rain turned the ground to mush, and thousands of revellers abandoned their rain-soaked saturated tents, with canoes gliding amongst the guylines.

Despite intermittent rain in the years since, the weather has been largely pleasant for the festival.

Like much of southern England the festival site in Pilton, Somerset, has endured months of near-drought conditions this year, although those who have been setting up stages on the farm in recent days have reported some heavy showers.

The Met Office has set up events pages for Wimbledon and Glastonbury, enabling visitors to view forecasts up to five days in advance, and will also be publishing YouTube videos for each day of the music festival, Holland said.

Glastonbury festivalWimbledon 2011WimbledonWeatherMet OfficeAdam GabbattPaul Lewisguardian.co.uk

Wimbledon 2011: Bjorn Borg anticipates an epic battle for men’s title

Posted by Anna Kessel on June 16, 2011 Comments Off

'I can't see anyone winning Wimbledon except Rafa Nadal, Andy Murray, Novak Djokovic and Roger Federer,' says Bjorn Borg

Bjorn Borg admits he has never seen anything like it before. Leaning forward at the very edge of his chair he gives his prediction: this summer, in Wimbledon's 125th year of existence, we are likely to witness the best men's singles tennis the tournament has ever produced.

The 55-year-old who won Wimbledon five times, now sporting a shock of white hair, talks animatedly through the top four seeds. "I can't see anyone winning Wimbledon except Rafa Nadal, Andy Murray, Novak Djokovic and Roger Federer," says Borg, who seems genuinely in awe at the strength and depth of the men's talent that will grace Wimbledon's courts this year.

"In the past it was two guys, maybe three guys who were rivals, now we have four guys and it's unbelievable. It's great for tennis. Everyone can beat everyone, so it's going to be very interesting this year. Can you imagine the end of the second week if you have those four players left in the semi-finals? It will be the most thrilling Wimbledon for many years."

Borg is best known for his 1980 Wimbledon final against John McEnroe, a match against which all other matches have been judged since. A huge photograph of that final adorns the main wall the players pass on their way from the locker rooms through to the Centre Court, depicting the Swede's fifth SW19 victory, a title he won after a dramatic match that went to five sets.

For years, that epic battle with McEnroe, in which the American won the first set with a landslide 6-1, before Borg clawed back two sets only to be defeated in the fourth with a 34-point tie-break, was judged the best tennis match ever. But Borg says he is ready to hand over that honour to two of today's greatest players for the spectacle they provided in the 2008 Wimbledon final.

"An incredible memory was watching Federer and Nadal play in that unbelievable final [in 2008]," says Borg, who was present in the crowd at Centre Court. "That was something special. I think that match tops the best match I've ever watched, and the best match ever played at Wimbledon. My match against McEnroe in 1980 was a good match, and it's up there too, but I think it's now in the top three after what Federer and Nadal did. That was extraordinary."

Still the personal memories come flooding back, thick and fast, as Borg relives his favourite Wimbledon moments. "The happiest moment of my life was winning my fifth Wimbledon title against McEnroe," he says unequivocally. "To win that last point in a major championship – that's even maybe on a par with when my wife had our kids." Borg pauses and then lets out a big laugh, "I'm not sure what she thinks about that of course."

Borg's dream, since the age of eight, was to play in the main draw at Wimbledon and he recalls the path that took him there, starting with his first ever junior Wimbledon in 1971. "That was a big thing just to walk through the gates here. I could not believe that I was at Wimbledon." He pauses. "Then I played the first round and I lost."

But the following year Borg came back a stronger player and won the junior title aged 16, but his memories of another – unexpected – event that day are just as strong. "Before my final that afternoon, against Buster Mottram, I had the chance to play with Ilie Nastase. He was playing in the men's final against Stan Smith and he needed someone to practise with, he spotted me and he said, 'Come with me, I need to practise with someone'. I was very nervous. I thought to myself, 'Just hit the ball back,' because that was a huge thing for me to play with Nastase, an experience in itself. We played 20 minutes or so and then we went our separate ways. After I finished my match – and I won – I ran to Centre Court and I watched the whole fifth set of Ilie's match. Unfortunately Ilie lost that day. But after watching these guys play in that final I said to myself, 'One year I'm going to play on Centre Court'."

"I still have all my memories in my head," says Borg, who has been reliving them to promote the Wimbledon sponsor HSBC's vote to discover fans' favourite moments. "That's the way I like it. If you come to my house you would never know that I was a tennis player, I have nothing in my house that connects me to tennis. That's not my thing, I never had a room with trophies or rackets or special things."

True to his word, five years ago Borg sold his Wimbledon trophies and two of the winning rackets which he used in the finals to an auction house in London. But when his friends – including McEnroe – heard about it he received furious phone calls from around the world. "John and many other people called up and they said, 'Listen how can you sell those? What the hell are you doing? Come on!'

"I wasn't doing it for the money they just didn't mean anything to me. I had already given away most of my trophies and rackets to charities and children's competitions, so it made sense to also get rid of the Wimbledon trophies. But after thinking about it, and after all those phone calls, I decided to buy them back – which was very expensive! I'm glad I did it though. I'll always keep them safe now – although they will still never be on display in my house."

This year Borg will be back among the crowds at Centre Court once more, hoping to witness his greatest summer of tennis as a spectator. "Do you want to know who I think will win?" he asks with a smile. "All four of those guys have it right now, anyone of them can win Wimbledon. But if I have to pick someone I pick Federer. He played his best clay court tournaments in Paris this year – unbelievable tennis – unfortunately he lost, but I have never seen him play better on clay. Now he's coming to a surface he likes even more, and if he's playing the same kind of tennis he's going to be very difficult to beat."

To celebrate 125 years of Wimbledon, HSBC is giving fans the chance to vote for their favourite moments on the official Wimbledon website and win a chance to go to The Championships in 2012 – www.wimbledon.com/hsbc

Wimbledon 2011WimbledonTennisAnna Kesselguardian.co.uk

Win a VIP day at Wimbledon

Posted by Sport: Wimbledon 2011 | guardian.co.uk on June 16, 2011 Comments Off

Answer a simple question and you could be off to one of the highlights of the British summer

Maria Sharapova finds form in time to renew Wimbledon love affair

Posted by Simon Cambers on June 15, 2011 Comments Off

The recently-engaged Russian will always have a place in her heart for Wimbledon, where she aims to win the title again

Maria Sharapova does not hesitate. "I'd win Wimbledon again, absolutely," she says. The question, whether she would rather win the French Open – which eluded her again this year – to complete a career set of grand slam titles or triumph on the grass for a second time, might have taken a while for some players but not for the Russian. Her love affair with tennis began when she beat Serena Williams to win Wimbledon as a 17-year-old in 2004 and even now, when she speaks about what it means to her, it is almost as if the place is in her pores.

"It's just that feeling that I have, a feeling when I go on the court there," the 24-year-old says. "Winning it obviously helps and I'd love to repeat that. Nothing will take your name away from that trophy but I want to add it on there again."

Sporting an enormous diamond engagement ring – she announced her engagement to the NBA star Sasha Vujacic last October – Sharapova cuts a relaxed figure as she discusses Wimbledon in a brief respite from the rigours of the tour. It was as a 15-year-old that she first stepped on to the grass, losing in the final of the juniors to another Russian, Vera Dushevina, and the memories soon come flooding back.

"It was a Sunday final and we finished after the men's final so everyone had already left the courts and it was just deserted," she says. "I remember I was probably one of the last ones to leave and I was just looking back, there was that big clock and the ivy around the gate and I was like, 'there's just something so amazing about this place, I want to come back'. And two years later I won it. It's just crazy how things work."

When she won the 2008 Australian Open, to add to her 2006 US Open triumph, it seemed that Sharapova might go on to dominate the sport for the years to come. Able to handle the power and the mental strength of Serena and Venus Williams, she was a match for anyone when she was confident and fully fit. But just as it looked like she was peaking, late in 2008 she was hit by a serious shoulder injury which required surgery and kept her off the tour for 10 months.

There were times then when she felt like giving up, worried that she would never get back to the player she had been. But anyone who has seen Sharapova play knows that there is not a weak bone in her body and by the end of 2009, despite an altered service action, she was back in the world's top 15. And though 2010 was a largely frustrating year, there was something to build on.

This January she changed her racket and her coach, bringing in Thomas Hogstedt, the Swede who had worked wonders with China's Li Na, who won this year's French Open. Something inside Sharapova seemed to click and she has barely looked back, winning her biggest clay-court title in Rome last month and reaching the semi-finals in Paris.

The return of Serena Williams after a year out through injury and illness and that of Venus after five months away have captured most of the attention in the build up to the Championships but people are beginning to talk about Sharapova again, particularly with Kim Clijsters ruled out of the tournament. Chris Evert, the former world No1 and three-times Wimbledon champion, puts her in her top three for the title and a number of bookmakers make her the favourite.

Tour officials will tell you they have never seen Sharapova happier and it is surely no coincidence that her resurgence has come since she announced her engagement. Vujacic has been courtside throughout the buildup to Wimbledon and Sharapova has been smiling her way through tournaments, perhaps for the first time in her career.

She has found time to indulge her love for fashion, designing the top-selling shoe with the American chain Cole Haan and it is not uncommon for Sharapova to wander into a local store to see who is buying her shoes. For a multimillion-pound earning sports star, she is unusually fascinated by the regular selling reports. "I love that shit," she says, bursting into laughter. "I really, really do. It's fun for me. I feel like it's an achievement."

Content off the court, the results have been flowing on it and she will be seeded No5 for Wimbledon. But ever the perfectionist, her appetite has not been sated simply by a return to the top 10. "When you've won grand slams before, when you've been No1, you see yourself better, higher than that," she says. "I have bigger goals. I have bigger goals than that."

Maria SharapovaWimbledon 2011WimbledonTennisSimon Cambersguardian.co.uk

Andy Murray seeded fourth for Wimbledon men’s singles

Posted by Sport: Wimbledon 2011 | guardian.co.uk on June 15, 2011 Comments Off

• Rafael Nadal is top seed ahead of Novak Djokovic
• Kim Clijsters forced to withdraw through injury

Andy Murray has been handed the fourth seeding for Wimbledon as expected after the All England Club elected to adhere to the top five in the world rankings.

The defending champion, Rafael Nadal, is therefore the top seed for the men's draw ahead of Novak Djokovic, with the six-times winner Roger Federer third on the list.

The returning women's champion, Serena Williams, is the eighth seed despite her world ranking dropping to 26 following her long lay-off due to injury and illness. Her sister Venus is seeded 24. The world No1 Caroline Wozniacki is the women's top seed.

Murray's seeding ensures he will not play any of the top four before the semi-finals as he aims to claim his breakthrough grand slam success on home turf.

Nadal's top billing, meanwhile, has meant that Federer will not be the top seed for the first time since his maiden Wimbledon success in 2003. Nadal had been the first seed in 2009, but he was forced to withdraw on the eve of the tournament due to injury, while last year the All England Club named Federer as top seed despite being ranked behind Nadal.

Organisers have made only subtle changes from the world rankings this time around with last year's beaten finalist, Tomas Berdych, the sixth seed, up one place from his world mark, while Andy Roddick is two places higher at eighth.

In the women's draw, the withdrawal of the second-seeded Kim Clijsters meant the players below her all moved up a place, with Tsvetana Pironkova coming in at number 32.

With the world No1 Caroline Wozniacki given top billing, Vera Zvonareva is the new second seed, Li Na third, Victoria Azarenka fourth and the former winner Maria Sharapova fifth.

Men

1. Rafael Nadal, Spain

2. Novak Djokovic, Serbia

3. Roger Federer, Switzerland

4. Andy Murray, Britain

5. Robin Sodering, Sweden

6. Tomas Berdych, Czech Republic

7. David Ferrer, Spain

8. Andy Roddick, United States

9. Gaël Monfils, France

10. Mardy Fish, United States

11. Jürgen Melzer, Austria

12. Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, France

13. Viktor Troicki, Serbia

14. Stanislas Wawrinka, Switzerland

15. Gilles Simon, France

16. Nicolás Almagro, Spain

17. Richard Gasquet, France

18. Mikhail Youzhny, Russia

19. Michael Llodra, France

20. Florian Mayer, Germany

21. Fernando Verdasco, Spain

22. Alexandr Dolgopolov, Ukraine

23. Janko Tipsarevic, Serbia

24. Juan Martín del Potro, Argentina

25. Juan Ignacio Chela, Argentina

26. Guillermo García-López, Spain

27. Marin Cilic, Croatia

28. David Nalbandian, Argentina

29. Nikolay Davydenko, Russia

30. Thomaz Bellucci, Brazil

31. Milos Raonic, Canada

32. Marcos Baghdatis, Cyprus

Women

1. Caroline Wozniacki, Denmark

2. Vera Zvonareva, Russia

3. Li Na, China

4. Victoria Azarenka, Belarus

5. Maria Sharapova, Russia

6. Francesca Schiavone, Italy

7. Serena Williams, United States

8. Petra Kvitova, Czech Republic

9. Marion Bartoli, France

10. Sam Stosur, Australia

11. Andrea Petkovic, Germany

12. Svetlana Kuznetsova, Russia

13. Agnieszka Radwanska, Poland

14. Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova, Russia

15. Jelena Jankovic, Serbia

16. Julia Görges, Germany

17. Kaia Kanepi, Estonia

18. Ana Ivanovic, Serbia

19. Yanina Wickmayer, Belgium

20. Peng Shuai, China

21. Flavia Pennetta, Italy

22. Shahar Peer, Israel

23. Venus Williams, United States

24. Dominika Cibulkova, Slovakia

25. Daniela Hantuchova, Slovakia

26. Maria Kirilenko, Russia

27. Jarmila Gajdosova, Australia

28. Ekaterina Makarova, Russia

29. Roberta Vinci, Italy

30. Bethanie Mattek-Sands, United States

31. Lucie Safarova, Czech Republic

32. Tsvetana Pironkova, Bulgaria

Wimbledon 2011WimbledonAndy MurrayTennisguardian.co.uk

Foot injury forces Kim Clijsters to withdraw from Wimbledon

Posted by Sport: Wimbledon 2011 | guardian.co.uk on June 15, 2011 Comments Off

• Women's second seed pulls out of tournament
• 'I have no other choice now but to rest and recover'

Kim Clijsters has been forced to withdraw from Wimbledon following tests on a foot injury.

The 28-year-old US Open and Australian Open champion, who initially picked up the injury while dancing at a wedding, suffered a recurrence of the problem when playing at the Unicef Open in s'Hertogenbosch.

"I'm very, very disappointed to have to withdraw from Wimbledon after injuring my foot again at the tournament in s'Hertogenbosch," Clijsters said.

"At this moment I feel frustrated that it has to happen now before one of my favourite tournaments. I've always enjoyed being a part of the Wimbledon atmosphere but I have no other choice now but to rest, recover and to not play tennis for a few weeks."

Following the second-seeded Belgian's announcement, the players below her all move up a place, with Tsvetana Pironkova coming in at number 32.

With the world No1 Caroline Wozniacki given top billing, Vera Zvonareva is the new second seed, Li Na third, Victoria Azarenka fourth and the former winner Maria Sharapova fifth.

Revised women's seeds

1. Caroline Wozniacki, Denmark

2. Vera Zvonareva, Russia

3. Li Na, China

4. Victoria Azarenka, Belarus

5. Maria Sharapova, Russia

6. Francesca Schiavone, Italy

7. Serena Williams, United States

8. Petra Kvitova, Czech Republic

9. Marion Bartoli, France

10. Sam Stosur, Australia

11. Andrea Petkovic, Germany

12. Svetlana Kuznetsova, Russia

13. Agnieszka Radwanska, Poland

14. Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova, Russia

15. Jelena Jankovic, Serbia

16. Julia Görges, Germany

17. Kaia Kanepi, Estonia

18. Ana Ivanovic, Serbia

19. Yanina Wickmayer, Belgium

20. Peng Shuai, China

21. Flavia Pennetta, Italy

22. Shahar Peer, Israel

23. Venus Williams, United States

24. Dominika Cibulkova, Slovakia

25. Daniela Hantuchova, Slovakia

26. Maria Kirilenko, Russia

27. Jarmila Gajdosova, Australia

28. Ekaterina Makarova, Russia

29. Roberta Vinci, Italy

30. Bethanie Mattek-Sands, United States

31. Lucie Safarova, Czech Republic

32. Tsvetana Pironkova, Bulgaria

Kim ClijstersWimbledon 2011WimbledonTennisguardian.co.uk