Wimbledon Preview: Will it be Roger again?

Roger Federer was last beaten on the grass courts of the All England Club by Mario Ancic in the first round of 2002. Since then he has been undefeated here in 35 matches, winning 102 sets and losing just eight, and winning 671 games to 394.

That incredible run has taken Federer to the brink of history. He is just seven victories away from a record sixth consecutive title, one better than the great Bjorn Borg.

After last year’s final, would anyone have believed that in 2008 the challenge to Federer’s dominance would come on multiple fronts?

Andy Murray, Novak Djokovic, Mardy Fish , Andy Roddick, Rafael Nadal and Radek Stepanek have all beaten the Swiss this year. The world number one, judged against his own high standards, has had a disappointing year with a solitary tournament win.

Of the challengers, Nadal and Djokovic, the world numbers two and three respectively, will be considered the greatest challengers.

Djokovic, the Australian Open champion, has beaten Federer twice in the past 12 months and is the world’s form player. Nadal thrives on his rivalry with Federer; he has closed that gap between them on grass. He must feel — especially given the nature of his victory in the French Open — that he can reel him in.

While the men must rise to knock Roger Federer off his throne, the women’s crown is up for grabs as well, a fact compounded by the recent retirement of world number one Justine Henin.

Venus Williams has played indifferently all season, but the defending champion, and her sister Serena, are always formidable at Wimbledon.

The top three ranked players in women’s tennis — Maria Sharapova, Ana Ivanovic and Jelena Jankovic — can beat the other two on their day. Each woman is capable of a Dr. Jekyll or Mr. Hyde performance. Sharapova has the best record at Wimbledon while Ivanovic is having her best season to date.

Lurking further down the draw are former champions Lindsay Davenport and Amelia Mauresmo. Or perhaps, as Marion Bartoli so nearly did last year, the ladies’ winner will come from nowhere.

If both draws appear in a state of flux, at least Centre Court will have a familiar look. The permanent roof is back after last year’s open-roofed tournament, with room for an extra 1200 fans and improved scoreboard and catering facilities.

Nothing stays the same and nothing lasts forevers so what surprises does the 2008 Championships have in stall?

I think Roddick and Djokovic will go far.