It's time for the tennis preview! In addition to Wembley Stadium being put to use for the summer Olympics for football, another world famous institution in London will also be put to use for the Olympics-the All England Lawn, Tennis and Croquet Club (pictured), in the London suburb of Wimbledon.
It is in a couple weeks, where the Championships will be played. A precursor for some of those qualified for the summer games to get a leg up on the best surface among the grand slam events.
We just got through Roland-Garros where Rafa Nadal won his seventh straight singles title on that clay surface. Nadal is the defending Olympic men's singles champion, trying to go for two straight after gold at Beijing 2008. Nadal enters fourth in the ITF rankings, and should be qualified for London. French Open men's singles runner-up Novak Djokovic remains number one. Roger Federer is second in the ITF rankings, and along with Stan Wawrinka, are the defending men's doubles champions of the Olympics, winning gold at Beijing.
On the women's side, there will be no repeat winner in the singles as Elena Dementieva has retired from the sport, a couple years after her gold win at Beijing 2008. French Open champion Maria Sharapova is now the world's number one.
ITF world number #1's (after Roland-Garros; slated to play in the London Olympics)
Men singles: Novak Djokovic (SRB)
Men doubles: Max Mirnyi (BLR) & Daniel Nestor (CAN)
Women singles: Maria Sharapova (RUS)
Women doubles: Liezel Huber & Lisa Raymond (USA)
Even some Americans should be in as well-including John Isner, Donald Young, even Ryan Harrison. Who knows?
Up next: A look at volleyball (indoor).
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