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Borg backs Federer for Wimbledon title

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Bjorn Borg backs Federer at Wimbledon
STORY HIGHLIGHTS
  • Bjorn Borg has backed six-time Wimbledon champion Roger Federer to win 2011 event
  • CNN Open Court presenter Pat Cash has backed world number one Rafael Nadal
  • Three-time winner Boris Becker believes any of the top four players could triumph

(CNN) -- Five-time Wimbledon winner Bjorn Borg has backed world number three Roger Federer to emerge victorious this year.

Borg, who won 15 majors between 1974 and 1981, is confident the six-time champion can overcome holder Rafael Nadal, in-form Serb Novak Djokovic and fourth seed Andy Murray at the All England Club tournament.

The Swede cited Federer's form during the recent French Open at Roland Garros, where the Swiss lost to the Spaniard Nadal in the final, as the reason behind his prediction.

"I pick Federer because the way he played the French Open. I have never seen Roger play better clay court tennis than he did in Paris.

Murray's Wimbledon mission will not succeed in 2011

"Roger is a mentally strong person, so when he's coming to one of his favorite surfaces, grass, I think it's going to be very difficult to beat him at Wimbledon."

Although Borg tipped the 29-year-old Federer to shine, the former world number one would not be surprised if top seed Nadal, Australian Open winner Djokovic or home-crowd favorite Murray clinched the title.

Roger is a mentally strong person ... I think it's going to be very difficult to beat him at Wimbledon
--Bjorn Borg
RELATED TOPICS
  • Roger Federer
  • Bjorn Borg
  • Rafael Nadal
  • Wimbledon
  • Tennis

"You have four guys right now, they are playing incredible tennis and I think everybody's very confident for the moment. I pick Federer, but anyone can win."

Nadal equaled Borg's record of six French Open triumphs with his victory over 16-time major champion Federer earlier this month, and the 55-year-old said he has enjoyed watching the pair's rivalry develop over the last few years.

"My two favorite players are Federer and Nadal. I've only missed one match of all the matches they have played. They are a little bit different, different personalities, different styles.

"They produced tennis like ex-players want to see and people want to see, and they always play great tennis."

CNN's Open Court presenter and former Wimbledon champion Pat Cash disagrees with Borg, and thinks Nadal will retain his crown.

"I've got to say the number one player in the world. I think all four players (Nadal, Djokovic, Federer and Murray) have got a great chance, all four top players.

"But if I had to say one I'd have to say the number one player in the world who has just won the French Open, Nadal."

Boris Becker became the youngest-ever champion of the grass court grand slam in 1985, aged 17, and the German agrees with Borg that Federer can record a seventh Wimbledon crown.

But the three-time winner at SW19 cannot pick a winner out of the tournament's top four seeds.

"I would agree with Borg in a sense that a six-time Wimbledon champion can win it seven times.

"I don't think there is a clear-cut favorite this year. Normally you would go with the defending champion, but Federer is the most talented of all of them.

"You have Andy Murray, the great hope of Britain, and you have Novak Djokovic, the player of the year losing only one tennis match. I want to see the first week, how everybody does in their first couple of matches, then I can give you a name."

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