Gang of four under threat Roger Federer
Roger Federer

Roger Federer

LONDON. — As Grigor Dimitrov celebrated his Queen’s Club tennis title by blowing a kiss to girlfriend Maria Sharapova, the emerging Bulgarian star was already dreaming of an even greater achievement just down the road at Wimbledon.
After reigning supreme at the All England Club for over a decade, Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic and defending champion Andy Murray return to the grasscourt Grand Slam, which gets underway on Monday, widely expected to maintain their dominance.

Not since 2002, when Lleyton Hewitt took the title, has Wimbledon been won by someone outside of the sport’s current four super-powers.
The gulf is just as big at the other three majors, with only four of the last 42 Grand Slams won by someone other than those four.

But fans wanting to see some new talent at the top will be heartened by the emergence of a handful of candidates, spearheaded by Dimitrov, Japan’s Kei Nishikori and Canada’s Milos Raonic, who appear poised to push the old guard for the title.

Nishikori (24) has the tenacity and desire to rise even higher than his current position of 12th in the rankings, a berth he achieved by winning the claycourt title in Barcelona in April in the midst of a fine run that also saw him reach the semifinals in Miami and the final in Madrid.

Big-serving Raonic (23) has the weapons to pose a threat on grass and the world No 9 showcased his power game at Indian Wells earlier this year when he came from a set down to defeat Murray.

But the most highly-regarded of the trio is Dimitrov, a 23-year-old who is seen as the best bet to shatter the gang of four’s stranglehold on the sport’s top prizes.
Dimitrov’s dominant displays during the Wimbledon warm-up at Queen’s capped an impressive six months which has seen him rise to the fringes of the top 10 after becoming the first man since Federer and David Ferrer in 2012 to win titles on grass, clay and hard courts.

Dubbed “Baby Fed” as a teenager, Dimitrov has the perfect game for grass and believes he can upset the odds at Wimbledon. — Super Tennis.

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