Nick Kyrgios, Alexander Zverev, Grigor Dimitrov, Lucas Pouille and Karen Khachanov the names in the frame
Sunday 2 July 2017 18:57, UK
Wimbledon is just around the corner, and the usual suspects have been tipped for glory in the men's singles - but which players could upset the odds at the All England Club?
Roger Federer has been installed as favourite to take home his eighth Wimbledon crown - and a first since 2012 - while defending champion and world No 1 Andy Murray sits second in the odds with Sky Bet.
The pair's nearest challengers are expected to be Rafael Nadal - who followed up an Australian Open final appearance with victory at Rolland Garros - and Novak Djokovic, who has struggled for form in 2017 but remains a threat having won three times in London (2011, 2014, 2015).
The quartet of Murray, Djokovic, Nadal and Federer - now all in their 30s - have won the last 14 Wimbledons between them, but with no outstanding candidate, the door is wide open for a younger player to break through and claim a first Grand Slam title this time around.
But who is capable of ending such dominance? We profile five players outside the top 10 who could enjoy a run to the final…
Kyrgios has proven himself capable of beating the big names this year - having twice overcome Novak Djokovic - but he is often incapable of beating his own temperament. When the going gets tough, rackets are smashed and verbal outbursts are the norm for this fiery right-hander.
Questions therefore remain over whether Kyrgois can hold it together for a two-week long Grand Slam tournament, but this time around, the 22-year-old is also battling injury problems, having been forced to withdraw from Queen's earlier in June.
Body, not mind, could prove to be Kyrgios' primary downfall on this occasion - but keep it together, and Wimbledon glory could he his. The talent is certainly there.
Widely tipped as a future world No 1, Zverev is making waves on the ATP Tour having broken into the world's top 10 at the age of 20.
Though he has since dropped to 12, Zverev is a player on the rise. The German took home his first Masters title when beating Novak Djokovic at the Rome Masters - having beaten Milos Raonic and John Isner en route to the final in the Eternal City.
In doing so, Zverev became the youngest player to win a Masters 1000 title since Djokovic in 2007, but now the focus will be on bettering his third-round finish at Wimbledon last year.
In Halle, the youngster was handed a lesson in grass-court tennis by the master himself, Roger Federer. But Zverev is a quick learner and is sure to bounce back from such a humbling defeat.
Dimitrov is undergoing a second-coming at 26. The Bulgarian turned heads at Wimbledon in 2014, where he beat Andy Murray in the quarter-finals before losing to Novak Djokovic in the last four.
That run to the semis helped Dimitrov into the top 10 for the first time, but a drop in form saw him slip to world No 40 just two years later.
The right-hander is on the verge of breaking into the top 10 once more this year, and a run to the semi-finals at Queen's shows that he means business in 2017.
Pouille's preparations for Wimbledon began well, with the Frenchman claiming his second ATP Tour title of the season when beating Queen's champion Feliciano Lopez at the Stuttgart Open.
The 23-year-old had to dig deep in Germany, with testing encounters against Benoit Paire, Philipp Kohlschreiber and Jan-Lennard Struff coming before his 4-6 7-6 6-4 win over Spaniard Lopez.
However, Pouille then showed his vulnerability when losing to Florian Mayer in Halle at the second-round stage. He is far from flawless, but can at least look at last year's Wimbledon showing for inspiration.
Pouille's run to the quarters at the All England Club came at the expense of Juan Martin del Potro and Bernard Tomic, and though he lost to Tomas Berdych in the last eight, the world No 15 is a stronger and fitter outfit than he was last season. A favourable draw could see him playing long into the second week.
Is it too soon to talk about Khachanov pushing for Wimbledon glory? At odds of 200/1, he is more than an outsider, but the Russian is one not to be underestimated as he continues to improve on court.
Khachanov is at a career-high 38 in the world currently, while a run to the Halle semi-finals - which saw him dispatch fellow Next-Gen prospect Andrey Rublev in the process before pushing Roger Federer - only strengthened his credentials further.
Meanwhile, the 21-year-old was powerless to prevent Andy Murray from beating him in straight sets at the French Open, but the British world No 1 is certainly an admirer of the up-and-coming right-hander.
"I practised with him before he got on to the tour when he was ranked about No 350 and he was really good," Murray said. "He's a big strong guy who generates a lot of power and also has a big serve."
For those on the move, we will have Wimbledon covered via our website skysports.com/tennis, our app for mobile devices and iPad, or follow our Twitter account @SkySportsTennis to join in the conversation. Who will win the All England Club title this summer? Have your say...
Sky customers can now upgrade to Sky Sports for an unmissable summer of sport. Upgrade now!
