Israel’s unseeded Dudi Sela is still playing. Ivo Karlovioc had too much for Jo-Willy. Soderling is for real. Tommy Haas came through. Lleyton Hewiit put a continent on his shoulders and is carrying it forward. Stanislaus Wawrinka came back against young Jesses Levine. Unseeded Juian Carlos Ferrero is in the final 16.

Even if they say they don’t, Andy Roddick (6), Gilles Simon (9), Novak Djokovic and Andy Murray have one eye on that Swiss gentleman, the winner of 14 Grand Slam championships.

This just may be the greatest Wimbledon ever. Everywhere you look, the unexpected is happening. And, there is just enough superstar charisma left to keep it very interesting.

Of the final 16 gentlemen combatants, there is a 23 seed (Stepanek), a 20 seed (Berdych), a 19 seed (Wawrinka), a 29 seed (Andreev), a 24 seed (Haas), a 22 seed (Karlovic) and 3 unseeded (Hewiitt, Sela, Ferrero), players left. 9 never-should- have lost to that guy winners!

Purists might say, the draw was poorly seeded. Experts shake their head, looking for answers that are not there on paper. Wimbledon is not about those past performances. What you did in Paris or Melbourne does not matter. At the All England Club, all that matters is how you perform on grass for two weeks. Your next return matters. Your next serve matters. The next slip on the grass, the next bad bounce, the next missed volley can make or break your year. It is that time of this tournament.

Week two begins now. Sunday at Wimbledon will be one of the great days of tennis. The hot players will be in form. Luck of the draw is gone. This is money time.

This is the way we see the gentlemen’s draw unfolding.

Hewitt – Stepanek - Hewitt has momentum and is splaying with purpose. A former Wimbledon Champ, this 29-year old still has some bounce in his game. 31-year old Radek Stepanek knocked off Ferrer in five but it had to take a toll. We like Hewitt convincingly.

Berdych – Roddick – Roddick sounds confident and it is not all about his serve anymore. Berdych was impressive against Davydenko winning in three decisive sets. Roddick in a close one, but don’t bet the milk money.

Murray – Wawrinka – Wawrinka had trouble with Levine. He has not seen anything like Murray will throw at him. For Queen and Country. Bet the farm on Murray.

Ferrero – Simon – A surprising five set win over Gonzalez gives Ferrero all the credibility he needs. Simon is yet to be tested. This one is a toss up but the upset could happen. No bet.

Andreev – Haas – Andreev must have dreamt this draw, but he struggled with Seppi. Haas is playing with confidence and we like his girlfriend… a lot! Like to see more of her. Haas in five.

Sela – Djokovic – How did this happen? Talk about David and Goliath. Not going to happen this time around, sling shot or not. Novak has not lost a set. Djokovic is the play of the day. Softest match out there.

Verdasco – Karlovic – Karlovic played with confidence against an outmanned Tsonga. The blazing serve was working. Fernando better be home sleeping and not playing footsy with Ana. We like Verdasco, but this is a tough one. No play.

Soderling – Federer – Soderling is no fluke and has a score to settle. Federer dropped surprising set to Kohlschreiber before finishing at 6-1. Impossible to bet against the man. Federer wins.

Well, write them down. Let us know how you see it. As crazy as this draw is, when you break it down, Federer has the toughest roads to the finals. Roddick and Hewitt should meet. Murray walks to semis. Djokovic in semis unless he beats himself… again! Tomorrow has it all. How will we watch all that tennis?

Wimbledon will open the gates later today for a grand slam tennis tournament that carries with it slightly more excitement that is normal. Current men’s champion, Rafa Nadal, will not be taking part, which has opened up the men’s draw and means that a number of potential players could put their hands up and be counted.

We are all hoping that it is a fortnight that Andy Murray can take full advantage of and become the first British player to win the even for so many years that it is difficult to remember. However, there is some Swiss man that wants to win it more so than ever.

Roger Federer could win the event for the sixth time and become officially the greatest player to ever pick up a racket and take to the game. If he dazzles us again on the grass as he has done so many times in the past then we will all be quite content if he out plays Murray and knocks him out with some moments of brilliance.

It is a lot harder to predict what will happen on the women’s side of the event. There are a lot of women that can step up and use the event to re-announce themselves onto the world scene. The Williams sisters will always be a force to be reckoned with but the growing prominence of the Eastern Europeans could produce a winner.

The big news is the inclusion of Maria Sharapova who will want to prove to everyone that she can still play at the highest level. The Russian is just coming back from a bad injury that has kept her out of action for much of the last year and it will be interesting to see if she can cope with the pace and the high level of competition this year.

This is all without mentioning the number of other doubles and junior events that are going on around the area that will provide us with non stop entertainment over the next 14 days. It really is a case of sit back and be amazed as we wait to see who will win the major honours this year.

Dodgy line calls, spectacular rallies, world record speed serves as well as the odd streaker are probably all guaranteed as tennis will take over our televisions and provide us all with numerous talking points as we go about our daily lives.

Murray Mount will be busier than ever and this is by far and away the best chance in living memory for a British player to rise to the occasion and give us all something to cheer about. We would all love to see him beat Federer in an epic final but there is a lot of tennis and a few matches to be played before then and there will be plenty of players who will want Murray’s head on a stick before the tournament is over.

As circumstances would have it, the 2009 tournament may be the Brits best chance to raise the trophy in many a year. The Empire’s hopes rest solely and squarely on their best player, the enigmatic third ranked Scotsman, Andy Murray. Fresh from his clean win at Queens, Murray appears at the top of his game. Once again, there is a wave of optimism in the English air. That may not be good news for the three seed, who has won more than $2 million this year and sports a spectacular 40-6 won-lost record.

Murray has developed the reputation of a player who cannot cut the mustard when in the limelight. And, for the next two weeks, or as long as he is in play, that is squarely where the 22-year old will be.

Alan Jones, Jo Durie’s former coach, summed up Murray’s dilemma; “Winning a Grand Slam is a challenge that most players never overcome. It also does not help that he is playing at home where, as Tim Henman can testify, the pressure and scrutiny is incredibly intense. But, what is for sure is that Andy has the talent to succeed, particularly on grass. It is obvious that he is a far better physical specimen now than he was three years ago and as a result, is able to complete the five sets that are often required to win matches at the highest level. He has top be one of the fastest 6 ft 3 inch players to have ever played the game. But, to be successful at Wimbledon, Andy must overcome the safety-first approach that he adopted in matches that he lost at the Australian and French Opens. He needs to be braver.”

Jones seems to have pegged Murray to a tee. The lanky Scotsman now features a blistering serve, devastating ground strokes and blazing foot speed. What is most improved in his game is that the Scot has learned to hit winners from unlikely, off-balanced positions that seem to occur regularly on Wimbledon’s grass.

However, based on his performance at Queen’s, Murray seems most comfortable on grass. With Nadal’s withdrawal, Murray’s top half of the draw appears a bit diminished. He opens against American Robert Kendrick, who failed to win a game in their last encounter.

If form holds, Murray would meet Marat Saffin, a semifinalist last year in the 4th round and e8 seed Gilles Simon in the quarters. A likely semifinal match would be against either Juan Martin del Porto or American Andy Roddick. Never has a Brit had a smoother path to the finals.

And, if he gets there, Murray has reason to play with confidence. He has won his last four encounters with Federer and holds a 6-2 record against the 14-time Grand Slam winner, who was the bookmakers’ choice prior to Nadal’s departure.

As the media will remind anyone who will listen, Federer knows how to compete and how to win Grand Slams. These two-week pilgrimages are his cause. As a five-time Wimbledon champion and a man determined to collect his record setting 15th Grand Slam, there can be no doubt that the Swiss star will not go away easily.

Murray has had a year most players would consider a career. British tennis fans do not see it that way. They crave the Wimbledon championship. Murray began the year with big plans. Following his appearance ion the finals at the U.S. Open, there was cause for optimism.

His 2009 Grand Slam events have not gone as planned. Seed third in Melbourne and Paris, Murray got the boot in the fourth round in Australia and in the quarters at Roland Garros. As Jones observed, Murray seems to believes that his talent alone can win matches. In Grand Slams, Murray has played too close to the vest. To win at Wimbledon not only must he be braver, he must be the countless media attention aside.

Day One begins on Monday, June 22nd. Many of the games big stars will be on court. Federer (Yen-Hsun Lu), Djokovic (Julien Benneteau), Soderling (Muller), Verdasco (Ward) will all be off early. On the Ladies’s side, Serena Williams and Elena Dementieva will also be on the grass. This one is looking special, don’t miss a thing!