Boris Becker helping the nation improve their tennis serve

To mark the 125th celebration of the Championships, three times Wimbledon champion Boris Becker gives his predictions on Wimbledon 2011 while helping the nation improve their serving abilities at the specially designed ‘The Ralph Lauren 125th Anniversary Serving Challenge’ virtual tennis court.

Building on Becker’s interactive tennis clinic last year, 2011 sees the Ralph Lauren tennis legend take his skills to the queuing public, challenging them on a tennis simulator (similar to that used in virtual golf), making it the first time this technology has been used in tennis.

Boris Becker became the first unseeded player, the first German, and the youngest man (17 years, 7 months) to win Wimbledon. Becker won 49 singles titles over the next 14 years – including 2 more Wimbledon Championships (1986, 1989), the Australian Open (1991, 1996) and the U.S. Open (1989) – 15 doubles titles, and 2 Davis Cups. He also won the 1992 Olympic Men’s tennis doubles title with Michael Stich. His career prize earnings are estimated to total over $21 million.

Andy Murray’s confidence has never been greater after his victory at Queen’s Club following two exceptional performances to beat Andy Roddick in the semi-final and Jo-Wilfried Tsonga in the final.  But ahead of Murray in the current world rankings are Roger Federer, Novak Djokovic and reigning Wimbledon champion and current no.1 Rafael Nadal.

Novak Djokovic has never been further than the semi-finals at Wimbledon but has only lost once in 2011.  Djokovic is the inform player but grass isn’t his favourite surface.  Rafa Nadal will need to be on his best form and free from injury if he is to beat Roger Federer, who I believe will be crowned Wimbledon Men’s Singles Champion for the seventh time.

The Ladies Singles has been dominated in recent years by the Williams sisters, and both Serena and Venus Williams will be among the favourites even though they have both recently returned from injuries and failed to impress at last week’s Eastbourne Aegon International event.  A former champion that comes to this year’s Wimbledon finals in great form is Maria Sharapova though Li Na will be looking to add to her recent French Open victory when she bacame the first Chinese tennis player to win a grand slam.

Wimbledon 2011 begins today with the Men’s Singles 1st Round when Rafa Nadal takes on Michael Russell (USA) on Centre Court and Alison Riske (USA) taking on Vera Zvonareva (Russia) the number 2 seed on No. 1 Court.

Weather permitting, fourth seed Andy Murray v Daniel Gimeno-Traver (Spain) will be the third match on Centre Court.

Originally, Andy Murray had suggested he would take a break following the first grand slam of the year but instead he decided to play in the Rotterdam Open the following week.  With the rate Murray ‘changes’ his coaches and advisers I’d be surprised if anyone said ‘told you so’ when he played a poor match and he lost to the little known Marcos Baghdatis in Holland in the first round.

Whether it was just Andy Murray’s mind that needed a break after his defeat to Novac Djokovic in the Australian Open was doubtful when he announced he will be withdrawing from next week’s Dubai Duty Free Championships citing a wrist problem.  Murray’s next scheduled match is in the Masters Series in Indian Wells in March.

There’s no denying Andy Murray is a world class tennis player and the best British player (even counting Canadians that choose to be counted as British) for a very long time.  Whereas Tim Henman struggled to be a Top 10 men’s singles player, Murray has remained in the Top 5 for the past two seasons, often peaking in the top 3.  But for how much longer will people continue to show the level of faith in Murray’s ability to one day win a grand slam?

In all three grand slam finals Andy Murray has given a poor performance and it has been questioned whether he is overawed by the occasion.  Anyone who follows tennis would no doubt agree he has become a more disciplined, mature player and has worked on his physique resulting in both power and strength to his game, but at 23 (the same age as Novac Djokovic) when will Andy Murray be at his peak and win his first grand slam?

Andy Murray is currently number 5 in the Men’s ATP official tennis world rankings and is currently 3rd favourite to win this year’s Wimbledon Tennis Championship with online sports betting at 5/1 behind Roger Federer (9/4) and the current favourite Rafael Nadal at 7/4.  But whatever his form leading up to the tournament, there will be enough fans willing to bet on Andy Murray being the first British tennis player to win the Wimbledon Men’s Singles final since Fred Perry in 1936.

I am currently feeling decidedly under-whelmed by a sporting summer that promised me the excitement of seeing sporting Gods at work and thrills and spills beyond my wildest dreams but for the most part – failed to deliver.

The 2010 World Cup – the quadrennial gathering of the greatest football talent on Planet Earth didn’t really live up to expectations for most people.

Surely the fact that the words “Vuvuzela” and “Jabulani” are now firmly planted in the mind of everyone who viewed the South African showpiece only backs that statement up.

We were talking about them because Wayne Rooney, Cristiano Ronaldo and to a lesser extent Lionel Messi gave us nothing else to marvel at.

For me the game of the tournament was the Ghana versus Uruguay quarter final.

Anyone not Uruguayan must have felt a tinge of sadness when Asamoah Gyan blasted the ball against the crossbar with the last kick of extra time.

By this point England were long gone of course albeit with a hint of controversy.

Having been ripped to shreds by a German side that was, amazingly, scoring goals like it was going out of fashion, the only crumb of comfort for England’s massive support was that Diego Maradona and Argentina met with a similar fate.

Surely Germany must win the whole thing now? Er, no.

The slow burning Spain expertly put them to the sword before surviving the Dutch assault in the final.

Reports of poor infrastructure, badly organised fan zones and widespread petty crime just add to the desire that this one should be put down to experience.

But now we had the summer staples to look forward to.

Well not really. This sporting apathy lark must be catching.

The first week of Wimbledon was the exception to the rule. Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer were both stretched to five sets in the opening days at SW19.

We also had the record breaker between John Isner and Nicolas Mahut.

I feel it would also be less than honest to ignore the delight felt across at least half the nation by the return of Anna Kournikova to the British summer.

Week two reverted to type.

Andy Murray had coasted through with but was swatted aside by a rampant Nadal. The improving Czech, Tomas Berdych ended the interest of numbers three and two in the world.

Surely he could give the world number one a decent game at the very least?

You know the rest.

Ok then. Chin up David and on to the British Grand Prix at Silverstone.

Perhaps more than most, this event encapsulated the summer of sport.

An exciting start with Mark Webber almost forcing Sebastian Vettel off the track before a sadly predictable procession to the chequered flag.

The high point of the day was Webber having a go at his own team. “Not bad for a number two driver!”

Come on St.Andrews. Save us.

The opening day of golf’s British Open Thursday belonged to Rory McIlroy who shot a majestic 63. The Old Course looked ready to welcome the second consecutive Northern Irish major winner.

That thought lasted less than a day as Mother Nature saw fit to sigh and blow Rory off course.

Tiger Woods, as ever, was prowling but going into Sunday it was the unfancied South African, Louis Oosthuizen who led the pack.

No way could he hold off the charge of Lee Westwood, Paul Casey et al.

It was never, EVER in doubt.

An easier final day at St. Andrews may never have been seen. On the birthday of Nelson Mandela, the South African kept his head as all around lost theirs.

What might have been this past couple of months?

So it’s down to you Mr Ryder to perk me up after one of the more disappointing summers of sport.

Don’t let me down.

The 24 year old Berdych followed his achievement of reaching the semi final stage at the Paris Open in Roland Garros earlier this month and will now face Novak Djokovic for a place in the final.

Berdych who beat Federer in their last meeting in Miami played some sweet forehand shots to accompany his trademark big hitting service, while Federer continued the uncertainty that has crept into his game over recent months.

Berdych said after the famous win;

“It was really big for my confidence. That was my first Grand Slam semi-final and it made me quite hungry for my next matches.”

Berdych won the match 6-4, 3-6,  6-1,  6-4.