2017 Wimbledon Championships is just around the corner as the third Grand Slam of the season will start in a matter of days. Capping the grass season with another wonderful tournament is the perfect recipe. In men's tennis things are closer to their peak as the entire herd is making some late minute adjustments this week in Eastbourne or at the brand new ATP 250 event in Antalya, Turkey.
The world no. 1 Andy Murray is taking some time off and the good news is that he was given the first seed slot for the first time. The defending champion at Wimbledon and the current world no. 1 he is expected to turn his season around during the next two weeks. Struggling with form and the lack of success recently, he could use a favorable home field.
Wimbledon: the only Grand Slam with a unique seeding system in place
The list of seeded players of 2017 edition has been announced and for some inexperienced first-hand reader it might be a bit confusing. Wimbledon remains the only Major who combine few elements in order to provide a number.
All other Slams are totally depending on the ATP ranking alone. Wimbledon adds some extra flavor by taking into consideration past grass court performances with a two years margin. Andy Murray is indeed the first seed given the fact that he is the defending champion and a semifinalist of 2015 edition. Djokovic is the second seed while Roger Federer comes on the third slot despite being fifth in the general ranking. The fourth slot goes to Rafael Nadal which ends the possibility of having a Big Four confrontation before the semifinals stages.
Andy Murray out of Wimbledon without the world no. 1 place under his belt?
For the current world no.1, Wimbledon is a stepping stone of this season. Lacking success during the first 6 months of the season he might lose the golden seat after Wimbledon.
The warm-up season on grass court was disappointing in some ways as Murray wasn't able to deliver a high-quality tennis. After that semifinal at the French Open, things seemed as heading in the right direction. A short circuit at Queen's where Murray went out early cast a shadow of doubt on his ability to bounce back during the grass-court swing. And the competition will be one of a kind. Djokovic could use a reset on the grass season while Roger Federer seems to regain that tremendous pace from the start of the season. And of course, there is Nadal who could easily make it to the higher stages given the sense of hunger he displayed during the clay session.