The Next Wimbledon Champions? Part 2- Zverev, Ostapenko, Pouille, Pliskova, Thiem, Kvitova
Next up in our prospective list of Wimbledon champions are the younglings, not specifically in age, but the players who have been proving their worth throughout the year, but still haven’t been able to get that major title or win yet. With the oldies like Murray and Djokovic losing there spark, the power vacuum is huge and these rising threats know that Wimbledon is up for grabs.
Zverev: Ok, his performance at the French wasn’t exactly what you would call impressive, losing in the round of 128 to Fernando Verdasco, but then again, this is Verdasco we’re talking about and everybody knows that on Verdasco’s good days he can beat practically anyone, only to lose to a random qualifier in the next round.
We can also take into account the fact that Zverev’s aggressive baseline style might not be the best for clay. He relies on power and heavy, flatter ground shots than a player like, say, Dominic Thiem, and while this may be a disadvantage on clay, it is definitely and advantage on a surface like grass. With a decent serve and a few trips to the net, Zverev may just be able to push his way through the tournament.
Zverev has been performing well so far on grass. At the Ricoh Open he managed to reach the semifinals, beating Benneteau in the quarters, and losing to Muller in the semis. If Zverev is able to keep this up, the possibilities of him causing an upset and winning are high.
Ostapenko: The fiery young Latvian is riding the waves of her Roland Garros victory, and there is no doubt that she is now one of the most serious contenders on the women’s side of the draw at Wimbledon. The confidence that her previous win has given her, as well as her playing style and mental fortitude all send signals towards a strong Wimbledon run.
Ostapenko definitely hasn’t had the best results at Wimbledon before, but with her entry into the big leagues at the French Open, we can bet that this time will be different. Ostapenko’s big hitting, flat, aggressive game is going to be her biggest weapon on grass, where her flat shots can make the ball skid. With a forehand that rivals that of Andy Murray in speed, and a high risk game that involves winners that paint the lines, Ostapenko is sure to dominate when she steps on court.
The only thing that we will need to watch out for is whether Ostapenko will be able to recreate those winners for two weeks and seven matches all over again, like she did at the French. The points at Wimbledon will definitely be shorter than those at the French, which means that Ostapenko will not have to try and hit as many winners as before, but the quickness of the rallies may also push her to take more risk, which could end up making her lose the match.
If Ostapenko is able to keep her cool and maintain an aggressive style of play, she could very well be the next Wimbledon champion.
Pouille: Pouille is just coming off a great win in Stuttgart, beating Feliciano Lopez in the finals. He hit 29 aces in that match, closing with one as well, and there is no doubt that Pouille is going to be the man to watch out for as Wimbledon gets underway.
Pouille isn’t like Dominic Thiem, or Alexander Zverev, because he is not an aggressive baseline player. Yes, he is aggressive, and yes he can play from the baseline if need be, but he is also more than comfortable at the net, an advantage that will do him much good. With the sense of exactly when to come to the net, and when to stay back, Pouille’s points won at the net ratio has always been strong, ever since he made a surprise run at the 2016 Wimbledon where he reached the quarterfinals. That surprise run of his was the first time that he ever made it past the second round of a Grand Slam, and from there on Pouille has been using his unique style of play to make it big and become a real threat on the tour.
With the fast courts of Wimbledon on his side, Pouille’s serves and net game will only be more effective than usual. Pouille need not worry about match practice and getting used to the grass because he has already won a grass court title in preparation for what I’m sure he hopes is a Wimbledon title.
Pliskova: Pliskova has all the makings of a threat and strong contender this year at Wimbledon. She has the game for it as well, especially since all the tournaments and titles she has won have been on hard and grass courts, save or her single clay court title.
Surprisingly, Pliskova fared well at the 2017 Roland Garros, reaching the semifinal only to lose to Simona Halep, who is a much stronger clay court player than Pliskova. Pliskova has strong serves and powerful ground shots which she uses to dominate and dictate play. In 2016 she won a grass court tournament at Nottingham, and this year she managed to reach the quarterfinals of Stuttgart, only to lose to the eventual surprise winner, Laura Siegemund. Pliskova has also been having a strong season, moving up in the rankings and becoming a name on tour that is finally recognized and approached with apprehension.
The only problem with Pliskova will be whether she can control her hit and miss style of play. While it should be easier at Wimbledon because the points will definitely be shorter than they were at the French Open, there is still a chance that Pliskova’s high risk game may backfire and cause an early exit. However, with the way Pliskova has been playing, the chances of her being upset and making an early exit seem slim.
As long as Pliskova continues to put the pressure with her strong serves, and reign in those unforced errors, she is definitely a strong contender.
Thiem: Dominic Thiem is another young and upcoming name who has quickly rose in the rankings. He has recently reached the semifinal at the French Open, falling to the eventual winner, Rafael Nadal. Dominic has also had some strong wins on grass. In 2016 Thiem defeated Roger Federer at Stuttgart in three close sets.
Thiem probably has the least aggressive game out of all the players on this list, but this is not to say that he is not aggressive. Thiem happens to have tremendous topspin, but unlike Nadal’s topspin that sometimes just bounces and rises, Thiem’s topspin has a much more Wawrinka type quality, which means that it bounces and pushes the opponent back with it’s spin. Thiem’s one handed backhand could give him a serious advantage if he uses a slices to his advantage on the grass court.
The problems that Thiem could face though, would include the fact that his topspin may not be as effective as it would be on the clay courts. In fact, Dominic Thiem doesn’t seem to enjoy moving into the court and stepping inside the base line much, or rushing to the net. Most of his matches include him standing a few feet behind the baseline and engaging in powerful rallies.
If Thiem is able to bring about a little more aggressiveness than he showed this year at the French Open, and utilize more under spin, he is very likely to go far at Wimbledon.
Kvitova: Ok, Kvitova isn’t exactly what you would call a new name, but she is coming back from a long hiatus due to an unfortunate stabbing incident that injured the fingers on her left arm. Although Kvitova’s come back was suspect, especially at the French Open which is known to be the surface that she happens to have a lot of trouble on because she isn’t the best mover, Kvitova was still able to play well and lost in a close match in the round of 64.
Of course, that isn’t the most impressive result, but Kvitova just recently reached the semifinal at the Birmingham Classic, a testimony to the fact that Kvitova is still battle ready, just like she was when she reached the finals of the WTA Elite Trophy tournament, and won.
Kvitova has said in previous interviews that her hand is not being too much of an issue, and that she is really enjoying her time back on court. Her attitude seems to have changed as well. She’s a lot more positive, a lot more energetic, and she might just experience a repeat of her 2014 Wimbledon win.
Well, those were some of the fresher names, but watch out for a part 3 where we look at some of the oldies but goodies, who still have a chance at winning this year’s grass court Grand Slam.