Wimbledon preview

The third Slam of the season is about to start in All England Club. In these last two weeks players started to prepare themselves on grass courts and now it's time to make a preview about the following (and last) tournament on grass.

We've had many grass tournaments. Queen's (men's only), Birmingham (women's only) and Eastbourne (this one the only combined in English soil) are probably the most renewed ones but some top players also competed in Halle (men's), Bad Gastein (women's) and Den Bosch, the other combined tour.

In Queen's Club, this year's season was quite awkward. Top-ranked players got eliminated in earlier rounds; players like Andy Murray and Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, 2011 finalists, and also the four-times winners Andy Roddick and Lleyton Hewitt didn't even made the quarters and the winner was the Croatian Marian Clic, former top-10 and with zero titles in grass till this month. Even the final was bizarre, with the runner-up David Nalbandian kicking a line judge's leg.

In Halle, both Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer competed but none of them won. The Spaniard lost too early for 2011 runner-up Philip Kohlschreiber and Roger Federer - five-times winner in a city that as a street named after him - lost in the final against veteran former no2 Tommy Haas, upsetting the Swiss to win a title three years later (he also had won in Halle 2009, versus Novak Djokovic).

Women's tours were won by Melanie Oudin and Alizé Cornet, respectively in Birmingham and Bad Gastein. Those were both upsets but Oudin's one is the most outstanding; the young north-american, former top-35 in 2009, was through a lack of good results in WTA circuit (nine consecutive losses) but after going through the qualifying she did a championship by defeating former top-ranked Jelena Jankovic in the decisive match. That's the most important title in singles for Melanie, the current US Open champion in mixed doubles. About Cornet, former top-15, that's her first title in four years, second overall.

This week the main tours were the combined AEGON International 2012 in Eastbourne and Unicef Open in Den Bosch.

In Eastbourne, we could watch Andy Roddick back on old times. The former number one entered the tour due to an wild-card and using his 6th-seed status won the title by easily defeating 2011 champion Andreas Seppi in straights. This was A-Rod's 601st win and first title in 2012, which makes him the second player in activity with most wins and the 20th ever. Also, the north-american is winning at least a title since 2001 - equaling Federer. Women's title was won by Tamira Paszek in a dramatic final versus Angelique Kerber; the Austrian saved five championship-points and defeated the 8th ranked and women player with more wins in 2012. That's Tamira's first title of the season, 3rd overall.

Finally, Den Bosch. It was an easy victory by top-seed David Ferrer. The 6th ATP only lost a set (versus Paire, on semis) and won his 4th title of the season, 14th in his whole career. First title on grass for Ferru since 2008 in this same city.

In women's draw, the main attraction was Kim Clijsters' comeback. However, the former top-ranked had to withdraw in semis and the title was won by former top5 Nadia Petrova - defeating Urszula Radwanska instead of Clijsters in the final. First title on grass for Petrova, his 11th in her (long) career.

And this is what happened in the world these past two weeks. My prediction to Wimbledon? I'd bet in Djokovic and Sharapova. Nole won last year and I think he'll be too motivated to prove that his recent losses against Nadal just happened due to the surface; about Masha, she's too motivated right now and in a great shape, which makes me believe she can possibly win in the All England Club for the second time.

That's all. Cheers,
Pedro Mendes