Previewing the Gentlemen's Quarterfinals

After a Maniac Monday that saw dramatic tennis all over the grounds of the All England Lawn Tennis Club, eight gentlemen are left, and after tomorrow the final four will be set. The Big 4, Nadal, Djokovic, Federer, Murray are all left, and they are joined by a cast of characters in their respective quarterfinal berths. The big storyline going into the quarterfinals is whether or not there will be a repeat of Paris, where Nadal played Murray and Federer snapped Djokovic's insane win streak. Also, in Melbourne, 3 out of the four made it to the semifinals and back at last year's US Open, where 3 out of the 4 made it. Joining them are the American Mardy Fish, Spaniard Feliciano Lopez, Frenchman Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, and the most surprising out of all of them, 18 year old Australian Bernard Tomic. After the jump, we'll preview each quarterfinal.



Gentlemen's Quarterfinals

Rafael Nadal vs. Mardy Fish
Mardy Fish is the last American remaining in the draw, and he is coming off of the best win of his career, defeating 2010 finalist Tomas Berdych in straight sets in the quarterfinal. He is also playing the best tennis of his career, ascending to be the top ranked American in the world. His movement has been excellent, his serve outstanding, and yet there is no conceivable way, other than an injury, that he wins this match against Nadal. Nadal is a better mover, hits a bit harder, and Fish just doesn't have the weapons to threaten Nadal. Fish is a really good player, but he's just not Nadal. Now, there is always the possibility of injury. Nadal appeared to have hurt his foot, but to the degree that was just Nadal being, in Patrick McEnroe's words, a "hypochondriac". Nadal has had injury problems in the past however, but to the extent that he made them up or exaggerated, we'll never know.

Andy Murray vs. Feliciano Lopez
The humorous subplot in this is that Andy Murray's mother, Judy, has been calling Lopez "Deliciano" and making other humorous and slightly odd comments about the handsome Spaniard. The actual plot involves Murray quest to be the first British male to win the Championships since Fred Perry in 1936 and Lopez making a career run, beating Andy Roddick, a three time finalist, and coming back from two sets to none down against Pole Lucaz Kubot. He has the game that can give any top player fits, with his huge serve and flat strokes. Murray will have the support, and the weight of an entire nation. The support can lift him over the top, but the weight can crush him. That's the most interesting facet of this quarterfinal, and as far as the tennis goes, Murray was very right when he himself said his return will be the most important factor here.

Roger Federer vs. Jo Wilfried Tsonga
This is the biggest quarterfinal of the four. Roger Federer, six time champion here, faces the surging Frenchman Tsonga. Tsonga has been on a tear during the fortnight, electrifying the crowd with his outstanding play. Federer, on the other hand, has not really kicked it into second gear, winning all of his matches comfortably but never reaching the heights he has previously. He will have to find his best game tomorrow, as Tsonga forces his opponents to play their best against him. Tsonga's serve and forehand are his two main weapons, and Federer will have to find his backhand if he wants to avoid falling in the quarterfinals for the second straight year.

Novak Djokovic vs. Bernard Tomic
This is a very intriguing match, not necessarily for the tennis aspect, but for the fact that Australia has not has a prospect for a very long time. Tomic is 18 years old and is in his first quarterfinal in a major. He's got an unorthodox game, and while no one expects him to win, it will be very interesting to see how he responds to being in a major quarterfinal. Djokovic, for his part, needs to play his game and avoid being dragged into a war, because his next opponent would be either Federer or Tsonga, two very dangerous opponents

Predictions
Andrew: Nadal, Murray, Federer, Djokvoic
Brandon: Nadal, Murray, Federer, Djokovic

The consensus was that while Tsonga, Lopez, and Fish have the ability to make life difficult for the top players, no one seems able to dethrone these four players, at least not right now. The closest and most fun match should be Federer's, and it will be a true test to see where he still stands.