With the French Open nearing its exciting climax, we are already looking ahead to the Wimbledon Championships of 2008.

Who will win this year? Who will be the breakthrough player at the hallowed Wimbledon courts? Who can stop the seemingly unstoppable Roger Federer? The questions go on and on and all will be revealed on July 7, but until then all we can do is speculate.

I forecast a sixth straight title for Federer, although not in a crushing manner. I expect him to plod his way through the draw. Agreed, his rivals do seem to be on to him, but then the great Swiss has a way of raising his game and mental fortitude during the Championship fortnight. His focus is complete and he is at his tactical best on grass. Wimbledon is the most important tournament of the year for him and his ticket to greatness.

‘The Wimbledon final will be an affair between Federer and Nadal, for the third time, with the Swiss winning another thriller’

His final opponent? Rafael Nadal has been improving steadily over the course of the last two years on grass, where he has successfully adapted from the slow clay. Hunting on his shoulders is Novak Djokovic, who is constantly evolving and improving with astonishing consistency. Nadal has been prone to lose his winning edge on faster courts when he faces Djokovic. Then again, the Spaniard has superior skills and I can see him getting the better of the amiable Serb this time around too.

Who can cause some damage in the draw?

Well, we cannot deny Andy Roddick a place in the sun here. He has delivered wonderful results on grass every season and has been very successful at Wimbledon, with two final appearances and a handful of second-week finishes. Lleyton Hewitt, a past champion, cannot be discounted either as he favours grass too. Expect a second-week finish for the feisty Aussie. Andy Murray will carry the torch for the British and it will be interesting to see him tackle the pressure at Wimbledon. But I cannot see him progressing past the fourth round.