Wimbledon 2012: Top 5 Shots from the First Two Rounds

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The 2012 Wimbledon Championships have been marvelous so far, presenting upsets left and right and brilliant shot-making in every match.

In just the first four days at the All-England Club, audiences, whether they be at Henman Hill, Centre Court or simply walking around the grounds, have applauded the magnificent efforts of the athletes on court.

Roger Federer, Novak Djokovic and Andy Murray all secured their spots in the third round while Rafael Nadal was sent bowing out in only the second round (his loss was the earliest in a major since 2005 Wimbledon).

Usually a highlights compilation is made after the first week or the tournament's finish, but I just couldn't resist.

So without further ado, I bring to you the most impressive shots from the first two rounds of play in London.

Honorable Mention: Rafa Flicks a Sharp Crosscourt Winner

Although Rafa has done this at least a million times, it was a great shot to see in his opening round at the Wimbledon Championships.

He looked down and out against Brazilian Thomaz Bellucci in the opening set, but with persistence such as this he persevered and won in straight sets.

5. Andy Murray Never Says Die

Go to 2:03 to see Andy Murray's chase-down of the volley from Karlovic followed by a brilliant, measured-to-perfection passing shot.

The crowd was electric after the Scot booked a place in the third round of the tournament.

4. The Unnecessary Tweener

I don't know what the point of this was because Guillermo Garcia-Lopez was only down one break in the fourth and still had a small chance of climbing back into the match.

Other than faking out Tsonga at the net this shot was uncalled for, but it made for a great highlight.

By the way, what is with people hitting these tweeners against Jo on the grass?

3. The Duel

Go to 0:28 to see Janko Tipsarevic and Ryan Sweeting exchange deadly blows in a 29-shot rally, in which the American wins it with a down-the-line backhand.

Then check out 3:50 where Sweeting charges the net and hits a delicate drop-volley that Tipsarevic is fortunate to get a racket on. The Serb's stick save leads to a passing shot winner when he is serving for the set. Impressive stuff from Janko.

2. One of the Best Shots of the Whole Tournament

Watch the first point in this video to see Ryan Harrison's seemingly out-of-reach forehand that gets struck for a passing shot winner.

He nearly hits the blades of grass on the ground in doing so.

I've hit this shot many times in my life but never this fast, and accurately, against Novak Djokovic or at Wimbledon (so forget about what I said).

1. The Freight Train

After seeing Lukas Rosol's incredibly inspiring performance and win against Rafael Nadal, I tweeted the following to Brad Gilbert: 

Let the Czech be forever known as The Freight Train! And he Ro(so)lls onward ‪#CzechnicallySound‬‪ #UnprecedentedPace

The entire fifth set was an absolute demolition derby, albeit a close one.

I believe he can go on to win more matches in this tournament without losing to whoever comes next (Philipp Kohlschreiber) because of how mentally composed he was. His pace and flat shot-making also do well on the grass.

Oh, and if you care to see my other tweets to Brad Gilbert and other tennis commentators alike, check below.

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