Wimbledon 2014 preview: A look at the top male contenders

The gruelling claycourt part of the year has ended. It gave us some exhilarating tennis and put down a true test of character to the players. Rafael Nadal once again passed that test and walked away as the winner.We now move on to the more serene and tranquil settings of the grasscourts;to Wimbledon. The original home of tennis, this is where it all began, almost 130 years ago. The rich history and tradition is what makes Wimbledon the most prestigious Grand Slam.Here are the main contenders for the men's title:

#1 Novak Djokovic

The Djoker has been seeded number 1 in spite of being World number 2 as per the rankings due to Wimbledon's unique seeding system. He has been handed an okay sort of a draw. He wil potentially face crowd-puller Tsonga and Berdych en route to the semis where he may meet Murray.

Djokovic’s form has dropped off a bit since that dream year in 2011 when he won three of the four Grand Slams. He has been there and thereabouts though, losing in the final to Nadal two of the last three Majors. He will aim to get back that killer punch to go one step better. He starts as one of the favourites.

#2 Rafael Nadal

The sizzling Spaniard won an unprecedented ninth French Open title two weeks ago, surely cementing his reputation as the most dominant claycourt player ever. He will be aiming for his third French-Wimbledon double, which will be a great feat if he succeeds

He has probably been given the toughest route to the semis out of all the favourites. He faces most problems in Wimbledon in the initial rounds when the courts are still quick and fresh, because of which he doesn't have the time to play his big, booming forehands. In that respect, he does have tough opponents in the first few rounds in the form of Martin Klizan and Lukas Rosol – his conqueror in Wimbledon 2012. Nadal’s dodgy knees are also a problem and he has admitted that himself. If he does win, it will be a very well deserved victory due to all these factors.

#3 Roger Federer

The legendary Swiss has cemented his legacy as a legend of the game having won 17 Grand Slams and counting, an all-time record. That said, his best tennis may well be behind him. Those silky smooth strokes are still there but opponents have figured him out. However, you count him out at your own peril. He has nothing to prove to anyone, having already achieved so much.

He has been granted the kindest of draws with Swiss compatriot Stanislas Wawrinka the only real challenge en route to the semis. He is on course to meet Rafael Nadal in the semis. I have grown up watching classic matches between the two and I’m sure many tennis fans like me the world over would love to see the two legends of the modern game clash horns on grass again; it’s been a while.

#4 Andy Murray

The blue-eyed boy of the English media finally got the monkey off his back by winning Wimbledon last year. It had been seven decades since a Brit won the tournament before he did. He will be all pumped up to defend his crown, and he looks a good bet to do it.

He will aim to meet Djokovic in the semis, and his path to doing that seems easy enough. The British fans would love a repeat of his last year's heroics. Murray has succeeded in providing them a legitimate hero to back and support each year.

#5 Stan Wawrinka

He played some amazing tennis to win the Australian Open this year and has been generally in good form of late. He is currently ranked the Swiss number 1 and World number 3, which is testimony to his good performances.

At Wimbledon, Wawrinka hasn't gone past the third round in the past three attempts, so it hasn't exactly been a happy hunting ground for him. But if he gets his act together, he could be the dark horse and spring a surprise or two.

My prediction: Novak Djokovic back to his best and edging out Nadal in the final to win the 2014 Championships.