Wimbledon 2012 Predictions: Players That Will Make a Deep Run

It's easy to suspect that players such as Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal, Maria Sharapova and Roger Federer will make a deep run at the 2012 Wimbledon Championships.

But what about the not-so-heavy favorites? Well, a contender like Tomas Berdych has the skill set to make some noise with impressive groundstrokes and a hard serve. Berdych is not alone either, so let's check out other competitors that have the talent to draw some attention at Wimbledon.

Full view of men's draw and women's draw at Wimbledon 2012.

Dominika Cibulkova, Slovakia

Other than Petra Kvitova, Dominika Cibulkova is positioned well to make a deep run and make a potential upset.

Last season she made the quarterfinals at Wimbledon and in 2012, Cibulkova reached the quarterfinals in Italy and France. With gradual improvement in recent years, the adaptation to the faster surface at Wimbledon has benefited Cibulkova well.

Against top competition Cibulkova has also played well, most notably the Roland-Garros upset over Victoria Azarenka. Playing with that type of confidence to begin Wimbledon, Cibulkova will roll through the first few rounds.

The expected Round 4 matchup against Kvitova will be the ultimate deal-breaker regarding Cibulkova's immediate development.

Marion Bartoli, France

Marion Bartoli has certainly had a disappointing 2012 season thus far. After bowing out early in Australia and France, Bartoli enters Wimbledon needing to avenge an early season struggle.

The good news is that Wimbledon has been her best and most consistent Grand Slam. Making the finals in 2007 and the quarterfinals in 2011, Bartoli has an excellent opportunity to last in 2012. The most concerning opponents from her draw are Svetlana Kuznetsova (two Grand Slam wins) and Caroline Wozniacki, but neither have had impressive success at Wimbledon.

Bartoli's constant movement and power give her an edge on the surface as well, because she puts herself in position to make stronger returns. As long as Bartoli keeps the groundstrokes efficient, she's a dangerous contender at Wimbledon. 

Juan Martin del Potro, Argentina

Juan Martin del Potro is coming off two straight quarterfinal appearances in Australia and France, as well as the semifinals in Madrid before Wimbledon. And although the championships have been his toughest Grand Slam, del Potro has a favorable draw to assist him this year.

Only David Ferrer presents as a legitimate threat until the potential matchup with Andy Murray. Ferrer, however, has never been impressive at Wimbledon either, but is also coming off two strong performances in Australia (quarterfinals) and France (semifinals).

The faster grass surface of Wimbledon though, provides a slight edge for del Potro courtesy of a fast serve and reliable groundstrokes. Considering that grass doesn't provide a great bounce like hard courts, del Potro's height will create more initial velocity when hitting lower returns.

Delpo's ability to remain accurate and keep the serve powerful will determine how long he really lasts at Wimbledon.

Tomas Berdych, Czech Republic

Throughout his career, Wimbledon has been the best and most consistent of surfaces for Tomas Berdych. Having made it to at least Round 3 every year since 2005, Berdych made the finals in 2010 and Round 4 in 2009 and 2011.

This year, Berdych has an opportunity to really polish his game early in the tournament. With not much competition expected until a possible face-off with Novak Djokovic, Berdych will have the confidence to legitimately challenge the top seed.

The serve and groundstrokes are obviously the strong points for Berdych, but his lateral agility on grass has proved well at Wimbledon. Regardless of opponent, as long as Berdych continues to slam each serve and connect well on groundstrokes a deep run is evident.

Forcing opponents off balance early in volleys will be key, because he is vulnerable to losing longer volleys and especially against stronger players.

John Rozum on Twitter.