Wimbledon Six Packs

Wimbledon 2009 looks more open than any of the earlier years.Whatever the experts might be saying about this year's men's open being a two horse race, I believe there are more contenders than that. And they are not the usual suspects.I am backing Tommy Haas to cause a few upsets at Wimbledon this year. He has been in tremendous form and it just requires him to translate that and his quiet confidence into results. He almost did that at Roland Garros and it was almost as if history intervened. Fernando Verdaso - as surprising as it might sound - is another man who I am picking to cause a few flutters. And then there is Roddick who warrants an obligatory mention at the big W. That makes it 5. If there is a 6th man to be picked, I would go for Cilic, who is on the verge of justifying his immense talent.

In the women's event, Venus remains a firm favorite followed by Serena. Safina will find Wimbledon a tough nut to crack as she is yet to attain high comfort levels on grass, but being number 1 gives her a big mental edge in close matches. So she is in. Caroline Wozniaki and Sam Stosur my 4th and 5th picks in the women's draw. And the 6th pick is the only one for which I let my heart overrule the head. Who else but Ana.