Novak Djokovic and Andy Murray are two of the only top-ranked tennis players left in the men’s side as Wimbledon heads into its second week . Both players are setting up to make a run at the finals while new faces have a chance to stir things up.
Kenny De Schepper, Adrian Mannarino, and Ivan Dodig aren’t the usual competitors in the hunt at major tournaments, but they all have a shot to advance into the later stages this week.
“It’s interesting … to see new faces – for the crowd, for (the) tennis world, in general,” Djokovic said, according to The Associated Press .
“It’s good (to have) change, in a way, because it’s always expected, obviously, from top players to reach the final stages of major events. When it doesn’t happen, it’s a big surprise,” he added. “It’s a bit (of a) strange feeling not to have Federer or Nadal at the second week of a major. In the last 10 years, it was always one of them.”
Novak Djokovic and Andy Murray have both put together great rounds in recent past during major tournaments, but they won’t be facing their normal rivals like Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal this week.
Djokovic has won six Grand Slam titles, including Wimbledon in 2011. Murray has made the finals in each of the last three major events and he went on to win the US Open last September.
He has the chance to become the first British tennis player to win at Wimbledon in 77 years, which would make for a storybook ending to an unusual start at the event.
Djokovic will face Tommy Hass on Monday in hopes of making his way into the semifinals. Murray matches-up with Mikhail Youhzny while David Ferrer is also expected to be in the hunt once the semifinals roll around.
Do you think Novak Djokovic or Andy Murray will win at Wimbledon after a bevy of top competitors were eliminated early?
[Image via Edwin Martinez ]
