Top 5 Dark Horses for Wimbledon 2016

The grass courts of Wimbledon have witnessed moments that have re-written history. Even the bombing of World War II could not diminish the enthusiasm of the players and the management at Wimbledon. Wimbledon carried on resolutely, and this year it will be the 130th edition of The Championships.

1. Dominic Thiem

The young man from Austria is on a mission, and there seems to be no stopping him. Thiem successfully broke into the top-10 this year. With a seeding of 8, this is his highest ranking entering into Wimbledon. What is most striking is that Thiem has transitioned exceptionally well from clay to grass. He played two warm-tournaments-Mercedes Cup and Gerry Weber Open- coming into Wimbledon and has produced good performances in both the events. He won the Mercedes Cup, beating Roger Federer en-route to the final, and he made it to the semi-finals of the Gerry Weber Open.

If that is not convincing enough, statistics tell us that Thiem has made it to quarter-finals or better in 10 tournaments this year. This includes an impressive semifinals showing at the Roland Garros.

The stage looks set for the young gun to continue his good season and make a deep run at the Championships.

2. Nick Kyrgios

The media’s favourite, Nick Kyrgios, is seeded 15 at this year’s Wimbledon. For Kyrgios, Wimbledon will always be one the most cherished places as this is where he rose to fame. His victory against Rafael Nadal in the fourth round match of the Championships back in 2014 brought him into the limelight, and the young gun has not stopped since then. His continual rise in rankings has made him a serious contender for the NextGen’s number 1 ranking.

In the first two Grand Slams of the year, Kyrgios managed to reach the round of 32 but could not go further in the tournament. His performance at the Miami open was impressive as he reached the semi-finals stage of the Masters 1000 tournament, and he continued to post good results as he reached the quarter-finals at the Madrid Open. Even though these are good results, more is expected from the mercurial Australian. There are no doubts about his potential, the only worry is his head. If he can manage to stay focused, results will follow.

3. Taylor Fritz

He makes it to the list because of his draw. He plays his first match against Stan Wawrinka. There is no hiding that Stan has not been in his best form this year. He is clearly struggling, and the teenager is always searching for such situations. With some fiery ground-strokes, a little bit of luck and loads of energy, the teenager can cause a major upset against Stan.

4. Alexander Zverev

Another teenager who has made his mark in the last two years is Alexander Zverev. Regarded as a future top-5 player by many, Zverev would be keen to leave his impression at the biggest tournament, Wimbledon. The 28th-ranked German played the Gerry Weber Open before coming into The Championships. He took advantage of an out-of-form Roger Federer to score a big win against him in three sets. To his credit, Zverev played a good match.

As the in-form Zverev enters the main draw of Wimbledon, he is scheduled to play Mathieu in the first round. A potential third-round clash with Tomas Berdych awaits, and predicting an upset victory against him will not be going too far. Zverev may very well make it to the quarter-finals of the event by winning a potential 4th round match against Dominic Thiem as well. All he needs to do is stay focused as the rallies on grass can be very frustrating. A quick point lost or won, and the match turns on its head.

The Argentine’s name on this list might surprise a few. But, Del Potro is a former U.S. open champion and has been ranked as high as number 4 in the world. But those are things of the past. Injuries have plagued him and kept him out of the game for long. Now, as the Argentine looks to make his comeback, he cannot be discounted.

 Another reason why del Potro made it into this list is Stan Wawrinka. Del Potro may potentially face Stan in the second round. This match will be a cracker. Expect a lot of hard-hitting, loads of winners, and maybe even a victory for ‘the tower of Tandil’.

As the big guns make their final preparations for Wimbledon, these 5 dark horses are gearing up to pull off some upsets. As Roger Federer puts it perfectly