Will Roger Federer grab an eighth Wimbledon, after lifting the Halle grass court trophy for the seventh time this year?

Tennis grand slam players have had only two weeks to transition from clay at the French Open to the grass surface at the ongoing Wimbledon (till July 6). This gap will be increased to three weeks from next year to help players adjust better to the surface change.

Grass, once the mainstay of tennis courts everywhere but increasingly rare, is the fastest surface with the ball bouncing to knee-level. On hard courts, it could be between the knee and the shoulder, and on clay courts it is above the shoulder. This makes the play technique on grass different from that on other surfaces it is relatively more aggressive.

Slowdown on grass

Points in Wimbledon were scored quickly in the past. Champions Boris Becker and Pete Sampras, for instance, would win a point with four or five shots. Now long rallies are seen more often. TV channels flash the number of shots when a rally is long. The slowing of the games with longer rallies is meant to promote the entertainment value of the sport. Eminent commentators, once leading players themselves, have said the grass is different from how it was in the past and the balls are heavier, contributing to the slower pace. Many are calling it the homogenisation of surfaces faster courts becoming slower.

In tennis history, only six players have made a successful transition from clay to grass, winning the French Open and Wimbledon back-to-back Rene Lacoste (1925), Fred Perry (1935), Budge Patty (1950), Bjorn Borg (1978, 1979 and 1980), Rafael Nadal (2008 and 2010) and Roger Federer (2009). It is called the Channel Slam.

Warm-up to Wimbledon

In the fortnight between the two Slams, there are four grass court warm-up tournaments for men, of which the ones at Queens Club, London, and Halle in Germany are especially patronised by leading players. But the probability of these finalists winning the Wimbledon is not high as happens in the Rome Masters vis--vis the French Open. All the top players participate in the Rome Masters, played on clay.

In the warm-up to Wimbledon, however, the high-ranked players are divided between London and Halle. Since 2000 only Lleyton Hewitt and Andy Murray have won back-to-back at Queens Club (called Aegon Championship) and Wimbledon. This year, Grigor Dimitrov was the champion in London, while it was Roger Federer in Germany. Dimitrov became a sensation after beating Alexandr Dolgopolov, Stanislas Wawrinka and Feliciano Lpez Daz-Guerra.

According to the draw, and going by the seeding, the quarter-final line-up in Wimbledon is likely to be: Novak Djokovic-Tom Berdych, Murray-David Ferrer, Wawrinka-Federer, and Milos Raonic-Nadal. Till a few years ago, Djokovic, Murray, Federer and Nadal constituted the quartet in Grand Slam semifinals. That quartets grip has loosened in more recent times.

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A long shot on grass

Rusty Caldwell, parks foreman for the city of Westminster, bleeding air out of irrigation lines in Kensington Park on June 19. Kensington is one of three city parks in a pilot program replacing Kentucky bluegrass with a water saving native blend. (Austin Briggs, Your Hub)

WESTMINSTER The new grass coming up on the west side of Kensington Park isn't replacing a die-off it's replacing grass that was killed off.

Parks officials this year used an herbicide to kill the Kentucky bluegrass that had been there prior to planting native seeds including fescue, rye and Canadian bluegrass.

The new ground cover will conserve water and save the city money, said Jessica Stauffer, the community outreach coordinator for the city's Parks, Recreation and Library department.

"We went $200,000 over budget last year in watering costs for our parks," Stauffer said. "The native grass being seeded stays greener longer and means fewer taxpayer dollars used for maintenance."

In addition to Kensington, England and Oakhurst Park II are also being re-seeded in select spots totaling 8.4 acres away from playgrounds and high-traffic areas.

The new blend, which will grow between eight to 10 inches tall, won't need to be mowed because it will follow a natural cycle of dormancy and growth, said parks supervisor Jerry Magnetti.

"We'll do a second seeding this fall," Magnetti said. "It's a low-grow, low-maintenance seed mix that will fill in and look beautiful, especially in the fall and cooler months."

While it'll take another year or two for the grasses to establish, the goal is to see how this experiment works and perhaps apply it to a citywide program amid a long-term drought and rising water costs.

In 2005 the Department of Parks, Recreation and Libraries used 216 million gallons of water at a cost of $863,675 and in 2012 this grew to 319 million gallons and $1,362,975.

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Westminster parks eliminating Kentucky bluegrass in favor of native seeds

Serena Williams, who won Wimbledon in 2012, will likely open on Centre Court on Tuesday.

GLYN KIRK/Getty Images

A quick pre-Wimbledon mailbag...

First, we're starting to get questions and tweets about Wimbledon's seeding. We can debate whether tournaments should depart from rankings and take surface aptitude into account (I think it's fine), but let's be clear: this is NOT subjective. There are no conspiracies. It is a transparent formula. In fact, here it is:

Men -- The seeds are the top 32 players on the ATP Ranking list, BUT then rearranged on a surface-based system. Since 2002 a seeding committee has not been required for the Gentlemen's Singles following an agreement made with the ATP. The seeding order is determined using an objective and transparent system to reflect more accurately an individual player's grass court achievements: The formula is:

Take the ATP Ranking points at June 16, 2014 Add 100 percent of the points earned for all grass court tournaments in the past 12 months Add 75 percent of the points earned for the best grass court tournament in the 12 months before that.

Ladies -- The seeding order follows the WTA ranking list, except where in the opinion of the committee, a change is necessary to produce a balanced draw.

NGUYEN: Can Murray repeat? Will Nadal make it past round two? More Wimbledon burning questions

Since Marion Bartoli retired, who will open play on Centre Court the opening Tuesday? Serena, because she was the 2012 champion? -- @pacopowell

To rephrase: The defending women's champ christens play on Centre Court on the first Tuesday of Wimbledon. However this year, the defending champ, Marion Bartoli, is retired, busy commentating, being her pleasant self, selling crafts on Etsy and generally living the good life. Who gets her slot? The good folks at the All England Club explained to us that they have a few choices: the slot can go to the champion two years ago, the current top seed or most recent finalist. Given that Serena Williams meets two of those three criteria, the guess is that she gets the call.

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Jon Wertheim: Reviewing Wimbledon's seeding procedures, more mailbag

Ana Ivanovic has historically struggled on grass courts, but she's off to a strong start this season.

Tom Dulat/Getty Images

BIRIMINGHAM, England (AP) - Ana Ivanovic's winning start to the grass-court season was healthy enough to raise hopes that she will at last remedy her Wimbledon ills.

The former world No. 1 from Serbia looked worth her top seeding as she hurried past Mona Barthel, a tripwire opponent in the past, and into the third round of the Aegon Classic on Tuesday.

Ivanovic's hard-hitting 6-4, 6-1 win over the German had such a high ratio of winners it was hard to believe she has only once reached a Wimbledon semifinal and five times failed to reach the last 16.

''I haven't had the most success on grass,'' admitted Ivanovic, who has two weeks before Wimbledon to adapt herself to the vagaries of this surface.

''I really hope I manage to turn that around. On grass courts it's a lot about mentality and also the gameplan, because everything happens so fast.

''It's the first time I am working with my coach (Nemanja Kontic) on grass, so hopefully he can bring some innovations that will help me make that change.''

If he did, they certainly succeeded against Barthel, against whom Ivanovic had lost two of their three previous encounters. She worked hard to get lower on the green, lush surface, to hit flatter through the ball, and to move forward more often.

She also took more risks. These helped avoid going 3-0 behind, to recover well from 3-1 down, and take eight of the next nine games.

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Ana Ivanovic hoping to find success on the grass this season

Updated JUN 10, 2014 8:15p ET

BIRMINGHAM, England

Ana Ivanovic's winning start to the grass-court season was healthy enough to raise hopes that she will at last remedy her Wimbledon ills.

The former world No. 1 from Serbia looked worth her top seeding as she hurried past Mona Barthel, a tripwire opponent in the past, and into the third round of the Aegon Classic on Tuesday.

Ivanovic's hard-hitting 6-4, 6-1 win over the German had such a high ratio of winners it was hard to believe she has only once reached a Wimbledon semifinal and five times failed to reach the last 16.

''I haven't had the most success on grass,'' admitted Ivanovic, who has two weeks before Wimbledon to adapt herself to the vagaries of this surface.

''I really hope I manage to turn that around. On grass courts it's a lot about mentality and also the gameplan, because everything happens so fast.

''It's the first time I am working with my coach (Nemanja Kontic) on grass, so hopefully he can bring some innovations that will help me make that change.''

If he did, they certainly succeeded against Barthel, against whom Ivanovic had lost two of their three previous encounters. She worked hard to get lower on the green, lush surface, to hit flatter through the ball, and to move forward more often.

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Healthy Ana Ivanovic looks sharp in Wimbledon tune-up

The Scot will move above both Roger Federer and Stanislas Wawrinka thanks to his efforts on grass over the past two years. And last year's runner-up Novak Djokovic will be elevated above world No.1 Rafael Nadal to take the No.1 seeded position, leaving the Spaniard at No.2.

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Moving from No.5 to a seeding of No.3 means Murray cannot play Djokovic, Nadal or Federer until at least the semi-finals.

Wimbledon is the only one of the four grand slam events not to go strictly off the ATP ranking list when it comes to choosing its 32 seeded players, a decision it makes because of the unique nature of grass-court tennis and the relative shortness of the grass-court season.

To apply its grass-court formula, Wimbledon takes a player's official ranking points as of Monday and then adds 100% of their grass-court points over the past 12 months and 75% of their best event in the year before that.

As the defending champion, Murray receives more "bonus" points than anyone else in the draw and moves well above Wawrinka, who also falls below Federer thanks to his 2012 Wimbledon victory.

Wawrinka is the biggest loser of the formula, which does not apply to the women's event, though Wimbledon reserves the right to move women up from the WTA rankings if they so choose.

Wawrinka said it would not affect his chances of a second grand slam title. "At the end of the day, it doesn't change much. You have to play well. You have to start well the tournament if you want to go far, and that's simple."

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Murray confirmed as No.3 seed

LONDON: Andy Murray has backed Wimbledon's unique seeding system after he was given a ranking rise that could aid his defence of the men's singles title.

Murray, who starts his bid to retain the Wimbledon crown against Belgium's David Goffin on Monday, was seeded third despite being ranked fifth in the world, meaning his path to the latter stages of the tournament is less daunting than it might have been.

That two-place advantage, owing to Wimbledon's decision to change their seedings based on each player's record on grasscourts, means Murray cannot face tournament favourite Novak Djokovic until the last four and world number one Rafael Nadal until the final.

Switzerland's Stan Wawrinka, the world number three who won the Australian Open earlier this year, is the biggest loser as his seeding drops to fifth to accommodate Murray, as well as Roger Federer, who moves up to fourth.

Wimbledon's seeding system is different to the other three Grand Slams, who all use the ATP Tour rankings to decide seeds, prompting some critics to suggest they should fall in line with the Australian, French and US Opens.

But Murray, the first British man to win Wimbledon for 77 years, disagrees.

"To be honest I think the way they do it is correct with the seedings," Murray said.

"Some people might say that because my seeding's obviously moved up, but there are so few tournaments on grass now that there are so few points up for grabs on the surface that it is in a way a specialist surface.

"Not many guys, some guys like (Tommy) Robredo for example will only play one tournament a year on grass.

"So I think it is relevant the way the players perform on it, in terms of the seedings and how deep guys can go in the event.

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Tennis: Murray defends Wimbledon seeding boost

Andy Murray has defended Wimbledon's unique seeding system, even though the reigning champion is the chief beneficiary.

Andy Murray has backed Wimbledon's unique seeding system ahead of Friday's competition draw

Britain's double grand slam winner will learn who his opening opponent in his Wimbledon defence will be in Friday morning's draw.

The 27-year-old is ranked fifth in the world, but seeded third by the Wimbledon organising committee, who take grass court records into account to develop their own tournament favourites.

The Scottish Olympic champion's third seeding means he cannot face top two seeds Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal until the semi-finals, and fourth favourite and seven-time tournament winner Roger Federer until the final.

Murray said he would back Wimbledon's system even if he did not stand to benefit.

"To be honest I think the way they do it is correct with the seedings," said Murray.

"Some people might say you would say that because my seeding's obviously moved up, but there are so few tournaments on grass now that there are so few points up for grabs on the surface that it is in a way a specialist surface.

"Not many guys, some guys like (Tommy) Robredo for example will only play one tournament a year on grass.

"So I think it is relevant the way the players perform on it, in terms of the seedings and how deep guys can go in the event.

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Murray defends SW19 seeding system

Updated: Friday, 20 Jun 2014 18:05 | Comments Andy Murray will begin the defence of his title against Belgium's David Goffin

Andy Murray has defended Wimbledon's unique seeding system that will allow him to avoid top-seed Novak Djokovic until the semi-finals.

Murray will start the defence of his Wimbledon title by facing 23-year-old Belgian David Goffin in the first round.

The double grand slam winner is Wimbledon's number-three seed despite being ranked fifth in the world.

That two-place advantage, owing to Wimbledon's grass record-weighted seedings, means he cannot face tournament favourite Djokovic until the last four - and second seed Rafael Nadal until the final.

"To be honest I think the way they do it is correct with the seedings," said Murray.

"Some people might say that because my seeding's obviously moved up, but there are so few tournaments on grass now that there are so few points up for grabs on the surface that it is in a way a specialist surface.

"There are so few tournaments on grass now that in a way it is a specialist surface" - Andy Murray

"Not many guys, some guys like (Tommy) Robredo for example will only play one tournament a year on grass.

"So I think it is relevant the way the players perform on it, in terms of the seedings and how deep guys can go in the event.

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Andy Murray defends Wimbledon seeding

After finally taking home the Wimbledon title last year, will Andy Murray be able to defend it? (Steve Bardens/Getty Images)

How well and how quickly can the games best transition from clay to grass? With Wimbledon set to begin on June 23, we take stock of the men and women who made the quarterfinals or better at the French Open to determine which players to buy, sell and hold.

Rafael Nadal: Sell. The French Open champion crashed out of the Gerry Weber Open to No. 85Dustin Brown in his opening round, which was no surprise or cause for panic after the quick turnaround from Roland Garros. But the 28-year-old Spaniard has now lost his last three matches on grass dating to his stunning second-round defeat to Lukas Rosol at Wimbledon in 2012. Nadal could win Wimbledon for the third time I wouldnt bet against it but so much of it is draw dependent.Given his vulnerability in the early rounds, Ideither hold him for the short term or sell him for the long term. Its just a matter of time before he relinquishes the No. 1 ranking to Novak Djokovic, and he has winners points to defend at Canada, Cincinnati and the U.S. Open over the summer.

Maria Sharapova: Hold. Because she won her maiden Grand Slam title at 17 by beating Serena Williams on the Wimbledon grass, its easy to fall into the trap of thinking that Sharapova is a force on faster surfaces. But since that victory, in 2004, shes reached only one Wimbledon final, losing to Petra Kvitova in 2011. In fact, shes advanced past the fourth round just once since 2006. Her serve is no longer a weapon on grass in fact, its a liability and Im inclined to sell her now and reassess after the U.S. Open, where, again, she hasnt made a final since she won it in 2006.That said, she has just one match win to defend for the rest of the season, and she lost in the second round of Wimbledon last year. So if youre looking to capitalize on a rankings jump,hold for the rest of the season.

Novak Djokovic: Buy. The Serb rebounded well after his disappointing loss to Nadal in the French Open semifinals last year, making the Wimbledon final and losing to Andy Murray. I expect him to do the same this year. His defending is impeccable on grass, and if not for that draining five-set win over Juan Martin del Potro in the semifinals last year, who knows what would have happened in the final? Djokovic, 27, feels due for a Slam win, having falling short in the last five.

Simona Halep: Hold. Halep has no Wimbledon results to speak of: Shes never even advanced to the third round in three attempts. But she had never surpassed the second round of Roland Garros before this year either, when she coasted to the final. The new No. 3 has won a title on grass (last year in Rosmalen, the Netherlands), and her high seeding could give her some cushion against easier opposition through the early rounds. But her serve is attackable, and if she pulls a nightmare draw against a zoning offensive-minded player, she could lose early.

Andy Murray: Hold. Its hard to know how Murray will handle the pressure of defending his Wimbledon title. Add to that the potential distraction of having to answer question after question about new coach Amelie Mauresmo. After his run to the semifinals of the French Open, Im assuming that his price is pretty high, so Id hold him and see how it turns out. Looking more long term, Murray is definitely a buy. Sure, he has a massive amount of points to defend at Wimbledon, but he didnt do much after winning the title last year. The rest of the season is a big opportunity for him to pick up points.

Eugenie Bouchard: Hold. The 12th-ranked Bouchard is the only woman to make the semifinals of both majors this year, and shes not allergic to grass. She won the junior Wimbledon title only two years ago, and her first significant Slam success came last year at the All England Club, where she knocked out Ana Ivanovic in the secondround. In many ways, the 20-year-old Bouchard is still an unknown quantity. We simply dont have a complete data set on a player who is in her second full year on tour. But Bouchard has shown she can handle the big occasion well, and shell benefit from a higherseeding.

Ernests Gulbis: Buy. Im going out on a limb here. Gulbis is a high-risk buy given his lack of success on grass he lost to Kenny De Schepperin his opening round of Queens this week and his loopy forehand should, theoretically, be a disaster on the surface. All that is balanced against his booming serve, deft touch and the fact that hes a completely different player now compared to the one in years past. If he receives a good draw, he could be this years Jerzy Janowicz. In the long term, hes in good position to qualify for the ATP World Tour Finals, sitting at No. 7 in the Race to London standings. Hes on the rise.

Andrea Petkovic: Sell. Petkovic would tell you herself to sell. Grass is her least favorite surface by far, though she did play better last year, when she lost to Sloane Stephens 8-6 in the third set of the Wimbledon second round. Still, considering her high value coming out of the French Open, where she made her first major semifinal, it would be best to take the profit now and reassess midsummer.

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2014 Wimbledon: Buy/Sell/Hold