With less than a month to go until the start of this year’s
Wimbledon Lawn Tennis Championship, it’s time to take a look at some of the
players
in contention for the most famous prize in
tennis.
Roger Federer is the clear favourite to
retain
the men’s’ title, with some
bookmakers offering
odds of 1-2 on another victorious campaign for the Swiss
champion. The ladies’ event on the other hand is still very much
up for
grabs. In fact, this year the ladies’ championship could be a more
attractive spectacle than the traditionally dominant male
event. So who are the
main contenders in ladies’ tennis?
The current world number one is Amelie Mauresmo from France.
She won the Australian open in 2006, and reached the Wimbledon Doubles final
last year. Although her busy tennis schedule doesn’t give her much time to
relax, she doesn’t waste what time she has. Amelie enjoys
skiing, riding horses and listening to the music of Dido. She was also the first
ever French woman to become world number one in September 2004.
World number two, Kim Clijsters, comes from a sporting family. Her father was
a footballer, and was Belgium’s 1988 Player of the Year. Like Mauresmo, Kim
enjoys playing sports and skiing in her free time, and her groups are Bon Jovi
and Destiny’s Child. The highlights of her career
include winning the US Open in 2005.
One of the most glamorous players is world number four Maria
Sharapova. The Russian player began tennis at the age of four and then moved to
the USA when she was nine. One of her main interests off the
court is fashion; she joined IMG Models, a modelling company, in
September 2003.
Another Russian, Nadia Petrova, occupies third spot. She
also comes from a sporting family - both her parents are
athletics coaches. This
aggressive player is sure to move up the
rankings in 2006.
One player who is possibly less likely to win but is always
well-received at Wimbledon is Venus Williams. With her sister
Serena, Venus has become one of the most famous players in modern tennis. She
won the Wimbledon Singles title in 2000, 2001 and 2005, and the Wimbledon
doubles, playing with her sister, in 2000 and 2002. Currently 13th in the world
rankings, some think she may be past her best.