(Photo by Clive Brunskill/Getty Images)
If the All England Club had commissioned a script that would bring the most compelling strands together in one perfect tapestry, it may have looked like this.
One man aims to take the crown as the greatest man ever to play tennis: Roger Federer needs just one Grand Slam title to seal the deal.
The oldest man in the draw is coming back to the best form of his life from years of injury setbacks: 31-year-old Tommy Haas arrived at Wimbledon with his first ever title on grass, and eager to reach his first ever Grand Slam final.
Another man has come here desperately eager to win a second Grand Slam after six years of drought: Andy Roddick is fitter, faster, and more hungry than ever.
And the fourth man is hoping to become the first British winner of this home trophy in more than 70 years: Andy Murray has even dressed the part, top-to-toe in the style of his forerunner Fred Perry.
He is the confident young pretender, with maturity and experience ranged against him in the form of three proven, popular and hungry combatants.
He will have to beat two of them to lay his hands on that golden cup.
But before decision-time on Sunday, tennis lovers are anticipating two of the most competitive and compelling semi-finals of the year, both full of head-to-head intricacies.
Cheekbones at Dawn
Federer on one side of the net, Haas on the other:They could be brothers.
They certainly chat in German, share fabulous bone-structure and flowing dark locks, and match up in height, weight, and physical proportion.
More than that, they are amongst the few to adhere to the single-handed backhand, and use it to particularly great effect on grass.
It is the similarity in their style, their elegant shot-making, and their speed that will make this, for the tennis purists, a dream encounter.
The fact that Haas came within a couple of points of beating Federer just weeks ago in the French Grand Slam will add tension and intensity. Haas knows he has the beating of Federer if he maintains his best tennis over the long game. He will mix it up, try to break the infamous Federer rhythm, and keep his serving big and accurate.
But Federer has been more confident in the last couple of months than in over a year.
He has the head-to-head advantage. He’s played fewer sets. He is fit, happy, and ambitious. Haas therefore faces a truly daunting prospect, but one he clearly relishes.
This could be the match of the tournament.
Andymonium
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