UNITED KINGDOM: TENNIS - Tennis great Borg tips Federer or Murray to win Wimbledon

Record ID: 588823

  • Title: UNITED KINGDOM: TENNIS - Tennis great Borg tips Federer or Murray to win Wimbledon
  • Date: 17th June 2009
  • Summary: LONDON, ENGLAND, UNITED KINGDOM (JUNE 16, 2009) (REUTERS) TENNIS LEGENDS, MARTINA NAVRATILOVA AND BJORN BORG WALK INTO ROOM, SIT DOWN NEXT TO TIM HENMAN CLOSE-UP OF BORG BORG, NAVRATILOVA AND HENMAN LOOKING AT SCREEN SHOWING NAMES OF GREATEST WIMBLEDON CHAMPIONS OF ALL TIME (SOUNDBITE) (English) BJORN BORG SAYING: "Coming into Wimbledon I think he is relieved in a way that he won Paris, because that was one of his main ambitions, goals, to try and win Paris. So coming into Wimbledon he feels very confident, he has equalled Sampras's record of 14 Grand Slams. We all know how Roger is playing on the grass, he plays unbelievable tennis on the grass. I think he is going to have a big challenge from Andy Murray, if I have to pick two guys for this years Wimbledon I would pick Murray and Federer." AUSTRALIAN ARTIST ROLF HARRIS UNVEILS HIS PAINTING THAT SHOWCASES PAST WIMBLEDON CHAMPIONS IMAGES OF JOHN MCENROE AND ROGER FEDERER ON PAINTING (SOUNDBITE) (English) BJORN BORG COMMENTING ON HIS DECISION TO PICK RAFAEL NADAL AS A WINNER OVER FEDERER BEFORE LAST YEARS CHAMPIONSHIP, SAYING "No but Federer is always a contender to win all tournaments, all Grand Slam tournaments, but especially Wimbledon. He is an unbelievable grass court player and for me Roger is the greatest player ever who played the tennis game. It's always good to see him play and win and we are going to see so much more of Federer in the future, he is going to win more Grand Slam tournaments in the future." CAMERAMAN AND PHOTOGRAPHER HARRIS, NAVRATILOVA AND BORG STANDING BY PAINTING (SOUNDBITE) (English) MARTINA NAVRATILOVA ON WHETHER FEDERER IS THE GREATEST PLAYER EVER, SAYING "You know it's a combination of how many Grand Slams have you won, how many tournaments have you won, how many years you were number one and he's got all those combinations. The body of work is phenomenal and now he has got that French Open and I think he can just go on and sip margaritas for the rest of his life." PAINTING IMAGE OF NAVRATILOVA ON PAINTING (SOUNDBITE) (English) MARTINA NAVRATILOVA ON NADAL, SAYING: "I think he burned out both physically and mentally, he played too many tournaments in a row and it just got to him, physically and mentally. He just didn't look that happy on the court, never mind how he was playing, he just didn't look happy to be there. Like he was fired up, but it was like when he was trying to get excited in the match, he was trying to force himself into it, it didn't seem to come with much joy. It's when you are burned out a little bit and it doesn't take much and he plays such a physical game that when he is not 100 percent it makes a big difference."
  • Embargoed: 2nd July 2009 13:00
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  • Location: United Kingdom
  • Country: United Kingdom
  • Topics: Sports
  • Reuters ID: LVA2QMSIKLQJGLGGVIP47H86F275
  • Story Text: Five-time Wimbledon champion Bjorn Borg on Tuesday (June 16) picked Roger Federer and Andy Murray as the favourites for this years Wimbledon Championship.
    The 53 year-old Swede said Federer will feel very confident going into Wimbledon after winning the French Open and completing a career Grand Slam. But Murray, who on Sunday (June 14) became the first British winner at Queen's Club in 71 years will be his biggest challenge.
    "So coming into Wimbledon he feels very confident, he has equalled Sampras's record of 14 Grand Slams. We all know how Roger is playing on the grass, he plays unbelievable tennis on the grass. I think he is going to have a big challenge from Andy Murray, if I have to pick two guys for this years Wimbledon I would pick Murray and Federer," Borg told Reuters Television at the HSBC Champions of Wimbledon launch event at the Victoria and Albert Museum in London.
    Borg got on the wrong side of Federer 12 months ago when he tipped Rafael Nadal to win the grass court major. Despite being proved right, Borg's comments did not go down too well with Federer.
    But after Federer completed his collection of Grand Slam titles by triumphing at Roland Garros nine days ago, the Swede has once again switched his allegiance.
    "No but Federer is always a contender to win all tournaments, all Grand Slam tournaments, but especially Wimbledon. He is an unbelievable grass court player and for me Roger is the greatest player ever who played the tennis game. It's always good to see him play and win and we are going to see so much more of Federer in the future, he is going to win more Grand Slam tournaments in the future," he said.
    Another tennis legend, Martina Navratilova, agreed with Borg, saying Federer has achieved everything to be considered the greatest ever.
    "You know it's a combination of how many Grand Slams have you won, how many tournaments have you won, how many years you were number one and he's got all those combinations. The body of work is phenomenal and now he has got that French Open and I think he can just go on and sip margaritas for the rest of his life," the nine-time Wimbledon champion said.
    Navratilova, however, was concerned about the plight of Nadal.
    The Spaniard, four-times a French Open champion, was beaten in the fourth round at Roland Garros and is now struggling to get fit for Wimbledon. While the rest of the world might have been surprised by Nadal's Paris downfall, Navratilova was not.
    "He just didn't look that happy on the court, never mind how he was playing, he just didn't look happy to be there. Like he was fired up, but it was like when he was trying to get excited in the match, he was trying to force himself into it, it didn't seem to come with much joy. It's when you are burned out a little bit and it doesn't take much and he plays such a physical game that when he is not 100 percent it makes a big difference."
    Navratilova tipped the Williams sisters as the likely Wimbledon winners, but said French Open champion Svetlana Kuznetsova has got the right game for the grass courts as well.
    "I think on the women's side its a trio also. The Williams sisters and Svetlana Kuznetsova who just won the French Open. If she didn't party too much I think she will be a force to be reckoned with because she is comfortable on grass and she has got the game for it. She can come to the net also, mixed it up, serve and volley or take the late approach and come in and knock out the volley, but you still have to go with the Williams sisters. They have seven titles between them on the grass and they will be hard to beat."
    The Wimbledon Championship starts on Monday (June 22).
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