Wimbledon 2012: Favorites Vulnerable to a Quick Exit at the Championships

The top contenders at Wimbledon are all vulnerable because each have something to lose and, by comparison, not much to gain.

When a player like Roger Federer is expected to make a deep run each tournament, that pressure can lead to disappointing results. And Federer is one of those top players who are vulnerable at the 2012 Wimbledon Championships.

Here, let's also see who joins the Swiss to a potential early exit on the grass surface. 

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Serena Williams, USA

Although she has been historically impressive at Wimbledon, Serena Williams has seen limited success in the past two years.

After winning the championship in 2009 and 2010 (four overall), Williams bowed out in Round 4 last year and recently was ousted in Round 1 at the 2012 French Open. Not to mention, Serena is also 30 years old and hasn't won a Grand Slam in two years.

She may be a top-10 player right now. However, time is of the essence and her aggressive baseline play will get exposed on a faster surface. Just like at the Australian Open this year (her best Grand Slam, five titles), Williams was gone in Round 4 and hasn't been consistent enough during 2012 to make a strong run in Wimbledon.

David Ferrer, Spain

David Ferrer may be ranked in the top 10, but Wimbledon has never been kind to him.

Every year since 2003, Ferrer has appeared at the Championships, but Round 4 (three times) is the longest he has lasted. It's the only Grand Slam tournament where Ferrer has failed to make at least the quarterfinals, and only one of his career finals from the ATP has been on grass (2008 Ordina Open).

As for 2012, Ferrer has played well on the big stages, with a quarterfinal appearance in Australia and a semifinal appearance in France. If that momentum keeps up, he can make a deep run in Wimbledon, but let's not get ahead of ourselves.

Samantha Stosur, Austria

Much like David Ferrer, Samantha Stosur's Grand Slam Achilles heel has been the Wimbledon Championships.

Only once has she made it to the third round at Wimbledon, and the past two years, Stosur has clocked out in the first round. Currently ranked in the top five of the WTA, Stosur is coming off a semifinal appearance at the French Open and the quarterfinals in Madrid.

Then again, clay is where Stosur has seen the most success. Because of her strong serve and spin that's put on each return, grass doesn't grip as well as clay. In turn, Stosur gets outvolleyed more on grass and must prove she can play a finesse game.

Roger Federer, Switzerland

Six times has Roger Federer won the Wimbledon Championships, but unfortunately his recent history has been rather disappointing.

In 2010 and 2011, Federer bowed out of Wimbledon in the quarterfinals and he has not won a Grand Slam since the 2010 Australian Open. This recent production would be great for almost anyone else. However, Federer is held to a much higher standard.

Checking out 2012, Federer was eliminated at the first two Grand Slams in the semis and did win a clay championship in Madrid. Still, the Swiss has become vulnerable on faster surfaces and was upset by Tommy Haas at the Gerry Weber.

With other solid grass players (excluding Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic) such as Andy Murray and Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, it would be surprising to see Federer get into the quarterfinals this year.

John Rozum on Twitter.