Mal's Picks
	Washington Former ATP Tour pro MaliVai Washington is providing ESPN.com with in-depth analysis during Wimbledon. Washington, a tennis analyst for ESPN, reached the 1996 Wimbledon final.

Richard Krajicek is showing the type of form right now that he showed in 1996 when he beat me in the final at Wimbledon.

Surprisingly after taking so many months off -- close to two years -- with an injury, he's been able to put his game together, anchored by his serve. His matchup with Xavier Malisse is going to be one of the best in the quarterfinals.

QUARTERFINALS
Xavier Malisse (27), Belgium, vs. Richard Krajicek, Netherlands
Malisse went in to the fourth round as a huge underdog against a huge server on his favorite surface, against a hostile crowd and won in five sets. When you put a guy who doesn't lack confidence and has a lot of shot-making ability on the court, he can be dangerous against anyone.

Surprisingly, Wimbledon is where Malisse is making his breakthrough. People have always looked at him as a young player with a lot of talent, but that talent has not produced major results. But it's happening for him this week at Wimbledon, and he's in the quarterfinals -- his best major ever.

If you look at Krajicek's game on grass, he has to be the favorite because he's been here before. His success in this match will be based on his serve. If he hits 20-plus aces like he did against Mark Philippoussis, it's going to be difficult for Malisse to break his serve. That puts much more pressure on Malisse to hold his own serve.

Even though he isn't seeded, Krajicek is my pick to make it through to the final in the bottom half of the draw. Remember in 1996, Krajicek won the title without being seeded.
Pick: Krajicek

David Nalbandian (28), Argentina, vs. Nicolas Lapentti (22), Ecuador
No one would have thought in a thousand years that an Argentine and an Ecuadorian would be playing to reach the semifinals at Wimbledon.

David Nalbandian is an Argentine who in the course of one tournament is making a worldwide name for himself. And though a lot of people don't know the name yet, this might be the guy who in two or three years from now is winning tournaments all over the map as a top 20 player. He, right now at 20-years-old, is where every great player was at one point.

Nicolas Lapentti is the first Ecuadorian since Andres Gomez to reach the quarterfinals at Wimbledon and that was in 1984. So your pick to win this match is as good as mine. Flip a coin and whatever comes up choose the other.
Pick: toss-up

Lleyton Hewitt (1), Australia vs. Sjeng Schalken (18), Netherlands
Lleyton Hewitt is a hands-down favorite to win his quarterfinal. I don't see any way in the world that he's going to lose it. He hasn't lost a set in the entire tournament, what makes me think he's going to lose a set to Sjeng Schalken? But out of respect for Schalken, who's made it all the way to quarterfinals, I'll pick Hewitt -- in four sets.
Pick: Hewitt

Tim Henman (4), Britain, vs. Andre Sa, Brazil
Tim Henman dodged a bullet by beating Michel Kratochvil in five sets. I didn't think he would need five sets to do it, but he did. He advanced, and the British hopes are still alive. I said earlier this year that the Australian Open was a great opportunity for Henman to reach a final of a major. This is another great opportunity. He just needs to get by Andre Sa, and most likely Hewitt, and he will be the hero of Britain. There's no way he should lose to Andre Sa on grass -- a player who has never cracked the top 50.
Pick: Henman