Wimbledon Tennis Preview 2009: Roger Federer, Andy Murray, But No Nadal

The 2009 Wimbledon Tennis Tournament takes place from the 22th June until the 5th July. After the epic five-set battle in last year's final between Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer, what will the premier event of the tennis season hold in the face of news that defending champion Rafael Nadal will not be defending his crown due to injury?

Roger Federer

With defending champion Rafael Nadal out of the tournament, five-time Wimbledon winner and World No. 2 Roger Federer has the chance to continue his dream run which began last month when he claimed the French Open title for the first time.


The win at Roland Garros was not only Federer's first ever French Open crown, but it made Federer only the sixth person in history to win all four Grand Slam titles.


More importantly, however, was that Federer equalled Pete Sampras's all-time best record of 14 Grand Slam titles, meaning that triumph at Wimbledon would set a new tennis record and confirm Roger Federer status as the most successful player in history, if not the greatest.

That being said, Federer won't necessarily be able to stroll through to the final, with the likes of Novak Djokovic, Fernando Verdasco, and Jo-Wilfried Tsonga in his side of the draw. This could mean tricky quarter-final and semi-final matches for the former World No. 1, who will have to be at his best in order to progress to his seventh straight Wimbledon final.

Best Roger Federer Odds for Wimbledon Betting:

Bet on Roger Federer to win Wimbledon at 1.73 from

Andy Murray

World No. 3 Andy Murray is perhaps the greatest beneficiary of Nadal's absence, with the 22-year-old featuring in Nadal's side of the draw and now holding his best chance to date of booking a spot in the Wimbledon Final for the first time in his career.

Andy Murray proved his worthiness on grass by winning the Queen's Club tournament in London last week (the first British player to do so in 71 years), defeating the likes of James Blake, Juan Carlos Ferrero, and Mardy Fish without dropping a single set.

Murray has been on the ascent in world tennis rankings after a brilliant 2009 that has seen him claim three ATP titles and reach the quarter-finals of the French Open for the first time.

The Scot is now on track to put in a legitimate challenge for the title, but may have to overcome the likes of Andy Roddick, Juan Martin del Potro, Gilles Simon, or Fernando Gonzalez in order to progress to his second ever Grand Slam final.

Best Andy Murray Odds for Wimbledon Betting:

Bet on Andy Murray to win Wimbledon at 2.87 from

Prediction

All eyes will be on Roger Federer as he attempts to create more tennis history for himself at Wimbledon, whilst the home crowd will be backing Andy Murray to be the first Brit to win the Wimbledon crown since 1936.

But after the surprise at the French Open which saw two of the top four seeds eliminated by the fourth round, will we be in for any more surprise performances at Wimbledon?

Roland Garros finalist Robin Soderling will likely face Federer in the third round, so another Grand Slam final appearance will not be likely on the cards for the Swede in this tournament.


Fourth seed Novak Djokovic has historically been weak on grass, and defeat in the final of ATP Halle last week at the hands of Tommy Haas suggests that the Serb will probably fall at the semi-finals, if he is able to make it that far.

Fifth seed Juan Martin del Potro has not made it beyond the second round at Wimbledon, but this year may prove a breakthrough for the 20-year-old Argentinian, who could potentially face Andy Roddick in the quarter-finals, with the former World No. 1 finding something of a resurgence in form as of late.

So without any other players currently showing signs of contesting at the same level, the stage looks set for an exciting Roger Federer - Andy Murray final, and on the current form of both players, we could very well be set for yet another epic five-set battle in the final of the Wimbledon Grand Slam Championship.

But five-time winner Roger Federer is the favourite to create the highest of accolades for himself on the stage of this most prestigious of tennis tournaments, by winning his fifteenth Grand Slam title at the very same location where he won his first ever major back in 2003.

Find the best odds and recommended bookmakers for betting on the tournament at the complete Wimbledon Odds and Betting Preview from Sports Betting Review now!