Ten burning questions for Wimbledon

Wimbledon, perhaps the biggest Grand Slam event in tennis, began today, and the story is much the same as last year. Roger Federer comes in as a prohibitive favorite among the men, and the women's side is wide open.

Can anyone stop Roger Federer?
If he plays anything close to his best tennis, he's unbeatable at Wimbledon. The 24-year-old Swiss magician has won this tournament the last three years in a row. He has a 41-match winning streak on grass, tying Bjorn Borg for the Open Era record. Federer's game is perfectly suited for the surface. His only four losses this year have come to Rafael Nadal, but Nadal isn't a threat on grass. Federer already bounced back from his loss to Nadal in the French Open final to win a Wimbledon tune-up last week. Federer's biggest threat may be a tough early draw (Richard Gasquet in the first round and perhaps Tim Henman in the second).
Can Justine Henin-Hardenne back up her French Open title with a Wimbledon crown?
Yes. She's one of about five women who have an equal chance of taking home the trophy. The 24-year-old Belgian just took her third French Open title, so she should be brimming with confidence. The biggest question will be whether her sometimes fragile health can hold up. Her all-around game and athletic style play well on grass. Wimbledon was the first major in which Henin-Hardenne reached the final (in 2001), but it's the only one she hasn't won. She just beat her Belgian rival Kim Clijsters in a Wimbledon warm-up, so Henin-Hardenne looks raring to go.
3. Does Nadal have a chance to win this tournament?
No. Nadal, 20, has had an amazing 14 months on clay, winning 60 matches in a row, including two Roland Garros titles. But grass isn't his surface. The Spaniard's loopy forehand and extreme grip change are difficult to pull off on grass, as it reduces reaction time. The lawns of London also take the bite off his vicious topspin. Nadal cares about playing well at Wimbledon, which is a nice change from the attitude of some previous French Open winners. But he doesn't yet have the game to do it, and he had to retire from a tune-up event last week with a sore shoulder. Nadal could fall to Andre Agassi in the third round, which would be one round further than he advanced last year.
4. Can Maria Sharapova win Wimbledon again?
Yes, but probably not this year. The 19-year-old Russian captured the Big W crown two years ago. Her flat, booming strokes, with their low bounces, are perfect for grass, and she has a powerful serve. No one exceeds her competitive spirit. But injuries have limited Sharapova to just two tournaments since the beginning of April. She was upset in the fourth round of the French Open by Dinara Safina and in the semifinals of last week's warm-up event by Jamea Jackson. So Sharapova won't be coming into Wimbledon with a lot of confidence.
5. How about the top American men, Andy Roddick and James Blake?
Both can do some damage at Wimbledon, but it's unlikely either of them can win it. Roddick, 23, has been runner-up to Federer for the past two years. His big serve and athleticism do him well on grass. But he's failed to reach a tournament final yet this year and obviously has lost some confidence. So Roddick will be lucky to have another final date with Federer. Blake, 26, just beat Roddick for the first time at a tune-up event last week. That was a big win for Blake, who has struggled on grass in the past. He has the tools to do well on the surface, with a big, all-around game and great foot speed. But patience has been a problem. It doesn't appear that Blake has enough self-belief to win a major yet.
6. Can Amelie Mauresmo break through at Wimbledon?
Maybe. The 26-year-old French woman certainly has the game to win in London. She can do everything on the court, and does it with flair. Her aggressive net-rushing style is perfect for Wimbledon. Mauresmo got the monkey off her back by finally winning a major at the Australian Open in January. And she followed that up with a couple more titles in February. But Mauresmo has slumped since then. She was upset in the fourth round of the French Open by Nicole Vaidisova and then in her first match at a warm-up event this week by Nathalie Dechy. She'll need her confidence back to win the Big W.
7. Does Lleyton Hewitt have a shot at another title?
Yes, but it's hard to imagine he can beat Federer if the 25-year-old Australian is lucky enough to reach the final. With Wimbledon's grass having been slowed down a bit in recent years, Hewitt's aggressive baseline style can thrive. He won the Wimbledon crown four years ago. But that was before Federer reached his prime. Hewitt's results actually have fallen off during the past couple years, and Federer has beaten him nine times in a row. Still, Hewitt won a tune-up event last week for his first title in almost 18 months. That should give his confidence a boost coming into the tournament.
8. Can Clijsters take home the Wimbledon trophy?
That depends on her health and her attitude. The 23-year-old Belgian's power game and strong movement give her a shot in London. She made a major breakthrough in winning her first Grand Slam tournament at the U.S. Open last year. But her results have been lackluster since then. Clijsters has been nagged by injuries, and it sounds like she is more looking forward to retirement and having kids than racking up major titles. She looked listless in losing to Henin-Hardenne in the semifinals of the French Open. But if Clijsters pulls it together at Wimbledon, she can win the whole thing.
9. Who are the other threats among the men?
Mario Ancic and David Nalbandian. Ancic, a 22-year-old Croat, has a potent serve-and-volley game that's perfect for grass. Indeed, he was the last player to beat Federer on the surface — in the first round of Wimbledon four years ago. Ancic is having a strong year at 35-12 and just reached the final of a warm-up event. Nalbandian, a 24-year-old Argentine, reached the Wimbledon final in 2002. Although he camps out at the baseline, his compact swings and steady performance win him matches on grass. He owned Federer early in their careers, though the tables have turned over the past two years.
10. Who are the other threats among the women?
Martina Hingis and Venus Williams. Hingis, 25, has had impressive results in her return to the tour this year. She won her first title of 2006 in a big tournament at Rome just before the French Open. But then Hingis wilted at Roland Garros, running out of steam in a quarterfinal loss to Clijsters. The Swiss miss was probably smart to rest rather than play a Wimbledon tune-up. If Hingis is at her best, she could match her 1997 Wimbledon title. Williams, 26, is the defending champion and a three-time titlist at Wimbledon. With her power game, athleticism and self-belief, Williams has a chance in London. But she has played a lot less tennis going into the event this year than she did last year. So it's hard to know what Williams will bring to the table.

Federer, Mauresmo are top seeds at Wimbledon

When Wimbledon 2006 commences Monday at the All England Club, three-time defending champion Roger Federer and Amelie Mauresmo will be on hand as the top seeds. Both players are atop the world rankings on their respective tours.
The amazing Federer has won his last 41 matches on grass, as he tied Bjorn Borg's record on the surface last week by capturing a fourth straight Gerry Weber Open title in Halle, Germany. The sublime Swiss can set a new record with an opening-round win at Wimbledon.
Federer has ruled Wimbledon three years running, including finals victories over American Andy Roddick the previous two seasons. He is the reigning Wimbledon, U.S. Open and Australian Open champ.
The Swiss superstar is followed in the seedings by reigning two-time French Open champion Rafael Nadal, Roddick, 2002 Wimbledon runner-up David Nalbandian and Ivan Ljubicic.
The top-10 men's seeds are rounded out by No. 6 Lleyton Hewitt, Mario Ancic, James Blake, Nikolay Davydenko and Fernando Gonzalez. Hewitt was the '02 Wimbledon winner, while Ancic is the last man to beat Federer on grass, turning the trick in the opening round at the AEC four years ago.
Legendary American Andre Agassi is seeded 26th at the fortnight. The eight- time major champion captured his lone Wimbledon championship back in 1992 and was the runner-up to the great Pete Sampras here in 1999.
Agassi will make his first Wimbledon appearance since 2003, as he skipped the last two editions due to injuries.
The top-24 men's players in the world are entered.
The top-seeded Mauresmo, this year's Australian Open champ, is a three-time Wimbledon semifinalist. She is followed by U.S. Open titlist Kim Clijsters, reigning two-time Roland Garros champion and 2006 Aussie Open runner-up Justine Henin-Hardenne, 2004 Wimbledon titlist Maria Sharapova and Nadia Petrova. The five-time Grand Slam titlist Henin-Hardenne, who needs Wimbledon to complete a career Golden Slam, was the 2001 runner-up to Venus Williams at the AEC.
The top-10 women's seeds are rounded out by French Open runner-up Svetlana Kuznetsova, the reigning Wimbledon champ Williams, two-time major runner-up Elena Dementieva, Patty Schnyder and Anastasia Myskina. The five-time Grand Slam champion Williams has won the world's most prestigious tennis tournament three times.
Former world No. 1 Martina Hingis is the 13th seed. The "Swiss Miss" captured Wimbledon in 1997 and, like Williams, is a five-time Grand Slam champion.
The women's draw will do without injured stars Lindsay Davenport (back), Serena Williams (knee) and Mary Pierce (foot). Davenport was last year's Wimbledon runner-up to Venus. Serena is a two-time champion and was the '04 runner-up to Sharapova, while Davenport won the event in 1999 and is a two- time runner-up.
The draws will be held on Friday morning.

World-class tennis facility opens

The Arthur Ashe Youth Tennis and Education Center (AAYTE) reached another milestone Friday morning when the widow of tennis legend Arthur Ashe, Jeanne Moutoussamy-Ashe, cut a ceremonial ribbon and officially opened the new $12-million AAYTE headquarters in East Falls.

The new building is located at the site of Gustine Lake in Fairmount Park. Compared to the previous AAYTE headquarters on Main Street in Manayunk, the new Center is considerably larger, it contains more courts, and it has more classrooms.The new facility features 16 courts--eight indoor and eight outdoor--that are still under construction, including the Bruce and Robbi Toll Stadium Court, which will feature 500-seats for spectators. The Center has classrooms, study rooms, an arts and crafts room, a computer-learning center, a fitness room, the Arthur Ashe Reading is Fundamental library, the William Clothier historical archives and administrative offices. "I think it's just the start," said AAYTE Chairperson Christine Beck, who competed in tournaments with Ashe as a teenager. "The challenge is ahead of us." "The goal is to serve as many under-served people as possible. Tennis is your hook, but the idea is to give kids exposure to other people, to build the whole person and to value education." Beck, who is executive director of the Gesu School in North Philadelphia, said that education is important to AAYTE, since the number of tennis champions that the Center will send to the pros will be much less than the number of students it can influence through other means. "He (Ashe) was a citizen of the world. He wanted children to grow up to be productive citizens," said Beck during her time at the podium. The Center will be open during the academic day and has a new 20,000 sq. ft. recreation building on the 9.2 acres that will be open to the public. The AAYTE presented gifts to the City of Philadelphia last Friday, including a standard NBA-size basketball court, a community room, a classroom, a craft room and parking for 30 cars. The new AAYTE headquarters will serve up to 10,000 children. The building was financed through private and public funding from foundations, individuals and the state government. Two million dollars in funding for the project was secured by state representatives Kathy Manderino (D-Phila.) and Dwight Evans (D-Phila.) "I think what we have here is a blueprint for a safer Philadelphia," said Evans, who represents the West Oak Lane District. "This will offer kids a chance for behavior in a positive atmosphere and teach them life skills. I enjoyed working with Kathy Manderino to bring in the $2 million for this project." The Center is located near the Wissahickon Transfer Center, a SEPTA transportation hub that is accessible to all parts of the city. More after-school programs and community groups will be accommodated during the day and during after school hours at the new Center. On the tennis side, the facility will be able to host more United States Tennis Association sanctioned district, sectional and national tournaments while offering quality local competition within the Philadelphia region that will give AAYTE students the chance to play in tournaments at the site. The new Center will accommodate many youth and collegiate events, including the National Junior Tennis League City Championships, the District PIAA Scholastic Championships and the regional and national NCAA Championships. The eight indoor courts and the eight all-weather outdoor courts have a DecoTurf surface, which is the same material used in the US Open. Some students were inside working with AAYTE instructors after the event's dignitaries, guests and members of the media entered. Asked about the new facility, 15-year-old Brianna Tadeo, said, "It's incredible, it's huge. There's so much more to do here. Tennis will be helped and a lot of kids will be helped." "I think it's great. There's much more here. The old place had only four indoor courts," said 11-year-old Matthew Brown of Philadelphia, who liked having the classrooms available. "I think it's good for tennis and for the city." Earlier at the ceremony, City Councilman Michael Nutter said, "Some people said it wouldn't happen, they insisted that it not move too far." The completion of this project gets back to what Arthur's widow Jeanne said Friday morning as the last speaker of the day. "Arthur's message was 'we can do it all together," she said.

Ageless Agassi to defend title in LA

Four-time champion Andre Agassi will return ot the site of his 60th career title next month as he plays in the Countrywide Classic.
The 36-year-old, winner of the hardcourt event for three of the past five years, will join a field which includes Argentine David Nalbandian and former number 1 Lleyton Hewitt.
Croatia's Davis Cup sparkplugs Ivan Ljubicic and Mario Ancic are entered in the July 24-30 tournament at UCLA. Also playing: Chile's Fernando Gonzalez.
Agassi, an eight-time Grand Slam champion, has lifted 15 of his career trophies in the last five years.
He has finished in the Top ten on 16 occasions in his 20-year career, tied with Jimmy Connors for the most career Top 10 ifnishes.
He won LA titles in 1998, 2001, 2002 and 2005, one of only four players to lift a trophy quartet.