The third Grand Slam of 2008 will be an stimulating contest, with Roger Federer laying a claim that Wimbledon is his championship, while in the woman’s competition, history shows that often it is not the favourite who hoists the coveted trophy.

Federer last tasted defeat on the grass surface of the famous championship in the first round of 2002, at the hands of Mario Ancic.  Since this upset, the Swiss genius has imposed himself on the world – going undefeated at the All England club in 35 matches, winning an incredible 102 sets and losing only eight.

With this, the master is now on the edge of history.  Seven more wins and he will document a record sixth consecutive title, one better than Bjorn Borg – equalling William Renshaw’s famous run over 120 years ago (1881-1886), and would be just two titles away of winning more Wimbledon titles than any other man in history.

However, Federer does not appear to be the dominant force he has been in previous years.  This year he has lost to more men than in recent years with  Andy Murray, Novak Djokovic, Mardy Fish, Andy Roddick, Rafael Nadal and Radek Stepanek all lowering the Swiss’s colours this year.  Federer has only won one tournament this year so far. Yet he remains supreme on grass.

The world’s second and third ranked men, Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic, are in a remarkable position of holding aces over the planets premier player.  Djokovic – the current Australian Open champion - has beaten the Swiss twice in the last year, and many consider him to be the rising meteor of men’s tennis.

Meanwhile, Nadel, losing finalist to Federer in the last two Wimbledon championships, knows that there is no better opportunity to extend his remarkable clay record onto other surfaces.  Indeed, it was the completely one-sided nature of his French Open triumph that will have him fizzing with confidence.

However, this is not the devil red clay, where the Spaniard rules – this is the grass of Wimbledon, where Federer is the unquestioned king of the green.

In the woman’s draw, there is a question, now that Justine Henin has left the professional circuit. To some degree, there is a spectre hanging over the woman’s competition in the same way that Federer rules over the men.  But the spectre is not solitary, but rather two Queens, who between them hold six Wimbledon championships.

The Williams sisters have not been the world’s dominating sister act for some time now, but Venus, the defending champion and her sister, two-times champion Serena, are in a different class at the All England club.

Venus has won four titles, but will be threatened by the world’s top three players - Maria Sharapova, Ana Ivanovic and Jelena Jankovic – none of whom is dominant over the other.  However, now that the consistent Henin has gone, the woman’s elite are plagued by Jekyll and Hyde performances. 

Ivanovic is the form player on the woman’s circuit, but Jankovic has reached the semi-finals of both Slams so far this year, and Sharapova is a former champion who can blow anyone away on grass.

Of course, Lindsay Davenport and Amelia Mauresmo - former champions are lurking further down the draw, and of course, the 2007 runner up, Marion Bartoli, came from nowhere to compete last year – so often a trend in recent women’s Slams.

The Williams sisters are ranked in the top ten of the world currently, but despite patchy form can come in like a raging storm to win Grand Slams.  Venus was ranked 23rd seed last year, and her round of 16 annihilation of then world No. 2 Sharapova set her up for the title, becoming the lowest ranked player everto lift the Venus Rosewater Dish.

Likewise Serena, last year, went into the Australian Open ranked the world No. 81 and stormed through the drawer to win the final.

With the roof back on Centre court this year it will be another magnificent spectacle. My predictions:

Men's Fibnal: Nadal to defeat Federer.

Women's Final: Ana Ivanovic to continue her outstanding 2008 and defeat Venus Williams.