Before the Australian Open gets under way, I have a few questions and bold predictions for 2011 I’d like to get off my chest:
Is Juan Del Potro the Greg Oden of the ATP?
Arguably the most exciting tennis player not named Federer and Nadal, Del Potro was injured pretty much all of last year. He missed tennis and tennis missed him big time. So the the big question is, will Del Potro get back to his old form and will he contend for grand slams? The answer... I think so. Don’t expect him to win the Australian Open, but after a few months of getting back into his routine, I fully expect Del Potro to be closing in on the top 10. By the end of the year, he’ll be back in the top 8 and scary as crap for anyone that plays him.
How Go the Americans?
Querrey and Isner are a year older, wiser maybe but I think they max out at around being the 20th best in the world. They could reach a few Grand Slam QF’s, maybe even a SF but aren’t likely to win anything huge. Ryan Harrison should be fun to watch as he becomes a regular on the tour but he’ll need at least another year or two to fully blossom. As for Roddick, I actually think he’s going to have a good year. Last year, he was riddled with mono, injuries, getting married and he just couldn’t come up with anything big... but he still ended the year in the top 8. While I don’t think he can consistently keep up with the top 5 players, he has two huge weapons that will win him some tournaments. Expect to see him in some SF’s and maybe even a Grand Slam final this year.
Who will step up?
The answer in short... no one. Soderling has shown he is dangerous at the French and Wimbledon but I can’t really see him exceeding last year’s results. As for Andy Murray, I want off the roller coaster. For a few years now, he’s failed to live up to the hype and I don’t really see this year being any different. He’ll have his ups but he’ll have his downs, and that’s about it. Djokovic has the best chance to break out because he might be the only player that thinks he is better than Nadal and Federer. Let me repeat that, he thinks he’s better than them. A lot of players think they can compete and maybe win a match or two throughout the year, but I honestly think he thinks he’s consistently better than the two of them and that might just be the difference between losing in the semi’s and winning another grand slam.
Will the Federer and Nadal rivalry continue?
Yep. 2010 wasn’t the best year for the rivalry but each player in their own way made significant strides that points to a slew of battles throughout the year. Nadal proved he can stay somewhat healthy by managing his schedule better and Fed recently decided that losing sucks so he has decided to stop doing it. Barring any strange occurrences or catastrophes, I think these guys meet in at least 2 grand slam finals.
Is Juan Del Potro the Greg Oden of the ATP?
Arguably the most exciting tennis player not named Federer and Nadal, Del Potro was injured pretty much all of last year. He missed tennis and tennis missed him big time. So the the big question is, will Del Potro get back to his old form and will he contend for grand slams? The answer... I think so. Don’t expect him to win the Australian Open, but after a few months of getting back into his routine, I fully expect Del Potro to be closing in on the top 10. By the end of the year, he’ll be back in the top 8 and scary as crap for anyone that plays him.
How Go the Americans?
Querrey and Isner are a year older, wiser maybe but I think they max out at around being the 20th best in the world. They could reach a few Grand Slam QF’s, maybe even a SF but aren’t likely to win anything huge. Ryan Harrison should be fun to watch as he becomes a regular on the tour but he’ll need at least another year or two to fully blossom. As for Roddick, I actually think he’s going to have a good year. Last year, he was riddled with mono, injuries, getting married and he just couldn’t come up with anything big... but he still ended the year in the top 8. While I don’t think he can consistently keep up with the top 5 players, he has two huge weapons that will win him some tournaments. Expect to see him in some SF’s and maybe even a Grand Slam final this year.
Who will step up?
The answer in short... no one. Soderling has shown he is dangerous at the French and Wimbledon but I can’t really see him exceeding last year’s results. As for Andy Murray, I want off the roller coaster. For a few years now, he’s failed to live up to the hype and I don’t really see this year being any different. He’ll have his ups but he’ll have his downs, and that’s about it. Djokovic has the best chance to break out because he might be the only player that thinks he is better than Nadal and Federer. Let me repeat that, he thinks he’s better than them. A lot of players think they can compete and maybe win a match or two throughout the year, but I honestly think he thinks he’s consistently better than the two of them and that might just be the difference between losing in the semi’s and winning another grand slam.
Will the Federer and Nadal rivalry continue?
Yep. 2010 wasn’t the best year for the rivalry but each player in their own way made significant strides that points to a slew of battles throughout the year. Nadal proved he can stay somewhat healthy by managing his schedule better and Fed recently decided that losing sucks so he has decided to stop doing it. Barring any strange occurrences or catastrophes, I think these guys meet in at least 2 grand slam finals.
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