Chapter 1541 Wimbledon
2022 Australian Open, Djokovic was denied entry by Australian customs because he refused to be vaccinated, which caused a farce.
Of course, the whole incident was extremely complicated and tortuous, far from being that simple. After many twists and turns, it ended with Djokovic being expelled from the country, which undoubtedly became a hot topic on social networks.
But putting aside the incident itself for the moment, Djokovic did not officially withdraw from the competition until after the draw ceremony, which had a huge impact on the entire draw. All players, including the top ten in the world, suffered a lot.
A feeling of uneasiness of "not being sure of one's future or one's position" hangs over the heads of all the players like a dark cloud. Among them, those who have been patiently waiting for wild card qualifications, seed qualifications, and lucky loser qualifications are the most tormented. There is nothing they can do except wait for their fate.
Of course, that was a unique incident and the whole situation was fraught with controversy and conflict, but in short, the impact of post-draw withdrawal on lower-ranked players is direct and impactful, and there is no doubt about that.
Generally speaking, tennis industry insiders recommend that top players hold professional discussions with their teams, make decisions as quickly as possible, and withdraw from the competition before the draw to minimize the impact; but the reality is often complicated, and top players are also ordinary people, and it is difficult to give up until the last moment.
Ferrer is not No. 1 in the world, but again, his decision could have far-reaching consequences.
This time, Ferrer tried and persisted, but unfortunately it didn't work. The severity of the injury was beyond imagination, so he withdrew from the competition before the draw ceremony to minimize his negative impact on the entire event.
This move won applause and recognition.
It is precisely because of this that Nadal was promoted to the ninth seed; also because of this, the variables of this year's draw have further increased -
Maybe Ferrer is not a grass court expert, but his reputation as a "stable man" cannot be underestimated. He reached the quarterfinals at Wimbledon in 2012 and 2013, and his performance has always been steady, especially when facing players with lower world rankings. His absence will also change the competitive landscape of the first week of the tournament.
Once a dark horse emerges, passes the test of the first week, gains confidence and ignites energy, the competitive landscape in the second week may also open up further.
Unconsciously, the overall competition situation at Wimbledon has become more complicated than that at Roland Garros. Various possibilities and potential accidents have sparked sparks early on. This year's "Big Four vs. Challengers" pattern has fully blossomed. So far, the three Grand Slams have been more exciting than the other.
Then, under the watchful eyes of the crowd, the Wimbledon draw ceremony took place.
The signing table has both surprises and surprises, both ups and downs and expectations——
The matchup in the quarterfinals is exciting.
In the upper half, Djokovic-Nishikori, Wawrinka-Raonic.
In the lower half, Murray-Gauvin, Federer-Berdych.
Oh, oh oh oh, exclamations continued, the media cheered one after another, this signing list is definitely worth watching.
First, Djokovic and Nishikori, Federer and Berdych, have formed a quarterfinal match for the second consecutive Grand Slam after Roland Garros last month, but the point is that the two groups did not meet in Paris. Will they be able to meet smoothly at Wimbledon this time? Secondly, the matchups between Wawrinka and Raonic, and Murray and Galvin are all full of sparks.
As for the former, Raonic is good at grass, and Wawrinka didn't advance to the Wimbledon quarterfinals for the first time in his career until last year, so Raonic, who has returned from injury, may not be without hope of defeating Wawrinka and replicating last year's performance.
The latter, the most eye-catching Gawain in the draw, did not enter Djokovic's half as expected by the spectators, but instead faced off against Murray. Once the two players meet, it will be a rematch of the Australian Open semi-finals, which will be full of highlights. After all, Murray is the number one favorite to win Wimbledon this year, while Gawain is the most uncertain bomb at Wimbledon this year.
Of course, with Gawain entering the small division where Murray is located, this also means that Gawain and Federer's first Grand Slam encounter will still have to undergo some tests. Unless Gawain can break through Murray, the "Federer VS Gawain" will have to continue to wait for their first Grand Slam showdown.
As the current world No. 2, Gao Wen is making a full-scale attack on the Big Four's dominance.
In his career, Gawain has faced the Big Four five times in Grand Slams and maintained an undefeated record, defeating Djokovic twice, Nadal twice and Murray once, which is truly remarkable.
It is also worth mentioning that Gawain has completed two of the three major feats, "Australian Open challenge Djokovic", "French Open challenge Nadal" and "Wimbledon challenge Federer", and both ended in victory. Naturally, people are looking forward to witnessing Gawain complete the third one.
However, after the draw was released, Murray said that if he wanted to challenge Federer, he had to get past him.
Therefore, this signing list contains both unexpected and surprising things, and many spectators have already begun to eagerly predict subsequent developments.
Wait, what about Nadal? The ninth seed, where will he end up?
Maybe Nadal is not a grass court expert, and his form has been up and down this season, but as a giant, never underestimate Nadal's potential, especially on the Grand Slam stage. As long as he can successfully survive the first week of the test, Nadal will be the most dangerous opponent.
Answer--
Zone 2/4.
That is the division between Wawrinka and Raonic.
After Roland Garros, Nadal once again played the role of a spoiler. Instead of fighting with the other Big Three in advance, he won the opportunity to advance to the semi-finals and meet up.
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A bold imagination is that if Nadal can enter the second week, he will undoubtedly have the upper hand against Raonic, and then when facing Wawrinka, Nadal will also have an advantage in the match. If he breaks into the semi-finals and finally faces Djokovic across the net, then the semi-finals may once again recreate the feat of the Big Four meeting together.
Last month at Roland Garros, there was a chance to complete such a classic scene, however, the Challenger Alliance joined forces to break the scene and make their voices heard.
Now at Wimbledon, the four giants once again have the opportunity to re-establish their majesty and dominance and suppress the impact of challengers.
Just thinking about it makes my blood boil——
With Wawrinka defeating Djokovic to win the French Open, only Wimbledon has not yet been conquered by a challenger among the four Grand Slams.
Australian Open, Wawrinka in 2014 and Gao Wen in 2015.
Stan Wawrinka at the French Open in 2015.
US Open, Del Potro in 2009, Gao Wen in 2014.
These three Grand Slams have all seen breakthroughs, with challengers breaking through the blockade and becoming champions, but Wimbledon has not.
Since Federer ascended to the top in 2003, the championship has always been firmly held by four giants: Federer from 2003 to 2007, 2009 and 2012, Nadal in 2008 and 2010, Djokovic in 2011 and 2014, and Murray in 2013. For twelve whole years, the championship has never fallen into the hands of others.
There is no doubt that Wimbledon is the strongest and most stable Grand Slam for the Big Four. Perhaps, it is not a dream for the Big Four to meet in the semifinals this year? (End of this chapter)