Wimbledon 2018: Four talking points from The Championships as week two gets underway

Here, we take a look at the major talking points heading into the final seven days of The Championships

Wimbledon could still end with eminently predictable champions but the first week saw a run of one astonishing result after another.

Amid the scattering of the seeds, particularly in the men’s draw, survivors have included Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic and Serena Williams.

Together they own 20 Wimbledon singles titles, and it would come as no surprise should one of the big three of men’s tennis triumph, while increasingly Williams looks to have the women’s draw at her mercy.

Here, we take a look at the major talking points heading into the final seven days of The Championships.

Will Federer ever leave Centre stage?

Roger Federer played every match of his triumphant 2017 Wimbledon campaign on the main stadium court, and he has been a fixture there again this year. Seemingly the tournament organisers are unwilling to move him, but will happily switch around the likes of Nadal, Djokovic and the record-breaking Williams sisters to the other large show courts. Locking him in for that slot both denies others a chance to play on the big stage, and affords the Swiss an extra comfort blanket, never in doubt about where he might be sent to play day after day. Court One is a splendid arena, perfectly fit for a tennis king – a king who should be seeing more of his realm.

Roger Federer played every match of his 2017 campaign on Centre Court (Getty ) (Getty)

Where will the chaos in the women’s draw end?

The first week was, to be blunt, ridiculous in the women’s singles. Nine of the top 10 seeds have gone, with number seven Karolina Pliskova the unlikely last of the elite left standing. The world number 181 is the title favourite. Admittedly her name is Serena Williams. But Williams is feeling her way back into tennis after a year out of the game, during which time she almost died due to complications arising from the birth of daughter Olympia. It would be a superhuman feat for Williams to win Wimbledon, and perhaps it would not reflect well on the rest of the supposed star players on the WTA tour.

Karolina Pliskova is the only remaining top-10 women’s seed (Getty Images)

Where is the British success coming from?

Not in the main singles events – Kyle Edmund was the last hope and he was elbowed aside by Novak Djokovic. The good news is that doubles success may be on the horizon. Jamie Murray and his Brazilian partner Bruno Soares are the highest seeds remaining in the men’s draw, and the Scot is also partnering Victoria Azarenka in the mixed event. They look like a fun combination, and it would hardly be a surprise were they to carry off silverware at the weekend. Heather Watson is also in the hunt for doubles success after her singles frustration. The highly likeable duo of Gordon Reid and Alfie Hewett should be contenders for wheelchair honours, and the sooner they are on a bigger show court, the better.

Could an unlikely champion emerge?

Juan Martin del Potro might have Rafael Nadal in his path, but the Argentinian has reached the later stages at Wimbledon more recently than the Spaniard. Should that meeting come to pass in the quarter-finals, do not be too surprised if it proves the end of the line for Nadal. ‘Delpo’ has the talent to go all the way, make no mistake, and don’t rule out big-serving John Isner, should he get inspired. In the freakiest women’s singles this century, the unseeded Dominika Cibulkova has an outstanding chance, and so too seeded survivors Daria Kasatkina, Angelique Kerber, Jelena Ostapenko and Pliskova.