This year's draw at the Queen's Club is packed full of fantastic players and is guaranteed to give us some great tennis to watch over the next week. It's the largest warm-up tournament for Wimbledon, where the stars are looking to adapt to the grass and find their best form before descending on the All-England Club. The Aegon Championships is a hugely important tournament for many, even more so this year, as 500 points are on offer, not just 250. There can only be one winner, so who will it be? Let's analyze some of the top players in the draw.
The Favorite- Andy Murray
Murray is having a fantastic season, going deep in most, if not all tournaments. His highlights include reaching the final of the Australian Open and winning the Madrid Masters. Murray's confidence and tennis are at exceptionally high levels, and are arguably the best they've been for a long time. Grass is Murray's favorite surface. The Brit achieved his life-long dream of winning Wimbledon in 2013, beating Novak Djokovic in straight sets in the final. He's also won at Queen's three times. Murray always saves his best tennis for the grass season, and this year that prospect is even more exciting as he's been playing so exceptionally throughout the year. We can see Murray having a smooth run next week and being a huge contender for the title.
The Dark Horse- Rafael Nadal
Nadal is coming to London off the back of a win in Stuttgart, his first grass-court title since winning Wimbledon in 2010. The Spaniard is playing a very complete game on the grass, serving well, moving well and looking confident. It's been a rough few years due to the difficulties the surface gives his knees, but this year, he proclaims himself free of any injury. Rafa's confidence is a lot better too, he no longer looks doubtful on court, it's mostly aggression. If he can keep his excellent form from Stuttgart up, he'll most definitely have a great chance at having a good run.
The Early Exit- Grigor Dimitrov
Dimitrov is the defending champion of Queen's and played excellently last year during the grass-court season, lifting him to a semi-final appearance at Wimbledon. However, this year, things have turned upside-down for the Bulgarian. He's failed to make his mark at all so far the season, suffering early-exits all year. It's a shocking turn for Dimitrov, as his future appeared so spectacularly bright this time last year. Can he use the grass to turn it around, or will his misfortune continue in London?
The 1st Round Match to Watch- Nick Kyrgios - Stan Wawrinka
The newly crowned French Open champion Stan Wawrinka will face inspired youngster Nick Kyrigos in his first round match at Queen's. The Swiss has been criticized for his perhaps inconsistent style of play, but once again, he's proved he can perform when it counts. If he can keep his out-of-this-world level up at the Aegon Championships, we're in for a treat. However, if he cannot, Kyrgios is the man that is looking to take advantage. Leading the new generation, 20 year old Nick's game is suited to grass. His serve is huge, and his groundstrokes incredibly destructive. Last year, he upset Nadal at Wimbledon, achieving his biggest win yet. It'll be another huge challenge for the up and coming star, and a tough early test for Wawrinka. That'll be a match to tune into.