Tennis is all about one-on-one rivalries.
It's boxing without the gloves, it's about making eye contact across the net and outwitting your opponent with drop shots, volleys, fast serves, wicked backhands and any other trick you have on the end of your tennis elbow. Often, the best rivalries to watch are those where the athletes have contrasting playing styles, physiques or temperaments. Two rivalries in modern tennis that fit this bill are the Federer-Nadal duel and the Serena Williams-Maria Sharapova showdown.
While listening to Radio Sport on Monday night the hype around the Rafael Nadal-Roger Federer rivalry, one of the most entertaining in modern tennis, reached a crescendo. No-one would have predicted that anticipation would be deflated so early in the competition. Back on the first Sunday of July in 2008
Nadal put an end to Federer's five-year reign at Wimbledon in a dramatic 4hr, 48min epic match. Many suggest this was one of the greatest matches in tennis history, so it was foolish to think that magical moment could have been repeated this year. Nadal exits the tournament after his first-round defeat to lick his wounds (although he denies being injured). Meanwhile, the rest of the hungry Wimbledon wolves count their lucky stars that one of the greatest is no longer around to stop their progression.
In the ''pack'' remain top-seeded Novak Djokovic; Federer, who has won seven of the eight Wimbledon finals he has graced; US Open champion Andy Murray; fourth-seeded David Ferrer, who made the French Open final; and, last but not least, Steve Darcis, ranked 135th, who might get a sniff in if he rides on the confidence boost he surely gained from becoming Nadal's first-round vanquisher and has lady luck on his side. Fans may be disappointed they won't get to see Nadal's dynamic style of play, but there are plenty of other rivalries in the men's games to keep us hooked.
Rivalries in women's tennis have also grabbed headlines, but not because of tennis. It's no surprise that the off-court banter between Williams and Sharapova, over whose relationship is more socially acceptable and who is cooler, took centre court in the weeks leading up to Wimbledon. Both women are media-savvy, though, and know how to get more exposure for their brand.
Female athletes get more media coverage for issues regarding their relationships, looks, and out-of-sport lifestyles than they do for their athletic prowess, so I wouldn't be surprised if they cooked this little catfight up over a latte one day.
Now that the tennis has started, however, it is game on and at 31 years of age Williams does not look like she is slowing down for anyone, let alone Sharapova. Williams has won 32 consecutive matches, won an Olympic gold medal at the All England Club last summer, and is the defending Wimbledon champion, an event that she has won five times.
Her closest rivals would be Victoria Azarenka, Petra Kvitova and Sharapova, and it is the last rivalry that is most intriguing - and which has captured the headlines recently for all the wrong reasons.
Putting aside the rally of insults and apologies, Sharapova has had an outstanding year having lost to only one player in the seven tournaments she has played in since the Australian Open.
Unfortunately, that one player has been Serena Williams. Sharapova was last victorious over Williams in 2004 which happened to be the Wimbledon final, but Williams has defeated Sharapova 13 times in a row since 2005. No wonder Williams is considered one of the most dominant figures in sports today.
Unless she is significantly distracted by the verbal rally she has had with Sharapova, or because of the backlash she got regarding her comment about a publicised rape case in the United States, she should sashay her way to the trophy table with few problems. Patrick Mouratoglou, the French coach who has been helping Williams - and the other half of the relationship of which Sharapova was so scathing - will be there as well. Oh, who doesn't love a great rally, whether it is on or off the court? Bring on Wimbledon and all the drama that comes with it.
