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2010-01-12 19:02:28
This is the first of Ricky's five-part Australian Open preview series, running through Saturday.
Part 1: Top 25 contenders
Part 2: Draw preview
Part 3: Draw analysis
Part 4: Full tournament predictions
Part 5: Weekly “Approach Shots”
This is one of the most wide-open Grand Slams in years. In my estimation, at least seven players—maybe even as many as eight, nine, or ten—have a realistic shot of winning the whole thing. So from No. 1 to, say, No. 10, we’re talking about a player’s chances of winning the title. Beyond No. 10, we’re talking about players who have could do well, perhaps reach the quarterfinals or at least the second week, even though they are not going to be around at the very end.
25) Ivan Ljubicic – For a while it looked like Ljubicic’s career was nearing an end, but the 30-year-old Croat recovered from various injuries and reached the quarterfinals of four Masters events in 2009. He is back up to No. 24 in the world and a Top 24 seeding means he can’t face anyone in the Top 8 until the fourth round. Furthermore, Ljubicic is replacing Roger Federer in Kooyong this week so he will be getting in some great match practice.
24) Mikhail Youzhny – Youzhny pretty much fell off the tennis map in late 2008 and early 2009, but he regained his form throughout the second half of last season and is once again a force to be reckoned with. He has done well in Australia before (2008 quarterfinals), and he will be seeded 20th, which means he can avoid the Top 8 until the second week.
23) Thomaz Bellucci – Once thought of as a clay-court specialist, Bellucci is showing that he is the real deal all-around. The 22-year-old Brazilian finished 2009 at No. 36 in the world and he kicked off this season with a quarterfinal showing in Brisbane, where he took Tomas Berdych to a third-set tiebreaker. Bellucci is only getting better, and the surface in Australia should suit his game. The one problem is that he will be unseeded, and thus at the mercy of the draw.
22) Gilles Simon – Simon headed into the 2009 Aussie Open sky high, but one year can make a big difference. He dealt with knee problems throughout the second half of last season and he has dropped to No. 15 in the world. The Frenchman is not even a lock to play next week, but if he does lace it up, his seeding will give him a decent chance of reaching the fourth round. A return trip to the quarterfinals, however, would be a minor miracle.
21) Janko Tipsarevic – Thanks to a strong end of 2009 and a solid start to this season, Tipsarevic is ranked two spots off his career-high at 35th in the world. He reached the Chennai semifinals last week before losing to eventual champion Marin Cilic. Like Bellucci, Tipsarevic will just barely miss out on a seed, so the draw could be an issue. But the Serb is at his best on hard courts and he will be an extremely dangerous floater.
20) Tommy Haas – Haas was on fire last summer and was in legitimate World Tour Finals contention until swine flu derailed his season following the U.S. Open. By all accounts, however, the 31-year-old German is well-rested and good to go for Australia. A three-time Australian Open semifinalist, Haas will be guaranteed a much better draw than the one he got last year, when he ran into Rafael Nadal in round three.
19) Marcos Baghdatis – Always a fan favorite, Baghdatis receives his most vociferous support from the rowdy Cypriot contingent in Melbourne. He treated his fans to a runner-up finish at the Australian Open in 2006 and he made a surprise run to the fourth round in 2009. Baghdatis continued to struggle with injuries last season, but he ended the year with a title in Stockholm and appears to be 100 percent. The problem, of course, is that he will be unseeded.
18) Juan Carlos Ferrero – In a year marked by comebacks, Ferrero enjoyed one of the most remarkable climbs up the ATP rankings. At 29 years old and ranked 115th in the world as late as April, Ferrero suddenly caught fire and finished at No. 23. He even did his best work off the clay: semifinal at Queen’s Club, quarterfinals at Wimbledon, fourth round at the U.S. Open. His No. 23 seeding will give him an outstanding chance of making it to the second week Down Under.
17) Stanislas Wawrinka – Wawrinka has never been a major factor in Grand Slams, but he appeared in the Wimbledon fourth round last summer and played Andy Murray in a memorable five-setter. The Swiss is off to a fine start in 2009, having finished runner-up to Cilic last week in Chennai (lost in two tiebreakers). The surface in Australia should suit Wawrinka, so a fourth-round showing would come as no surprise.
16) Tommy Robredo – Robredo is making a strong case for 2010 Player of the Year. Well, sure we are only one week into the season, but still…. The Spaniard beat John Isner and Lleyton Hewitt at the Hopman Cup and then stunned Murray en route to a surprising title for Spain. Robredo, furthermore, has quietly emerged as a serious hard-court threat over the past few season. He should reach the fourth round in Australia and with some luck, a quarterfinal finish is a possibility.
15) Lleyton Hewitt – Coming back from injury in 2009, Hewitt drew Fernando Gonzalez in last year’s first round and lost in five sets. But Hewitt won’t be at the mercy of the draw this time around, as an impressive 2009 comeback has him ranked 22nd in the world. The veteran Aussie is still not 100 percent physically and probably never will be, but he has enough left in the tank to make a run at the second week Down Under.
14) Tomas Berdych – Berdych has all the talent in the world, but he continues to struggle with the mental aspect of the game (see Agassi’s book for details). In fact, his 2009 Australian Open fourth-round match against Roger Federer was a microcosm of his career. Berdych put on a stunning show for a two-set lead, but with the end in sight, he crumbled late in set three and got blown out the rest of the way. The Czech can make it back to the second week, but anything more than that would constitute a transformation in Berdych for which the tennis world has been waiting for many years.
13) Radek Stepanek – Stepanek has never played well at Grand Slams; at 31 years old, now would be a good time to start! And it just might happen, too. The veteran Czech ended his 2009 campaign with a semifinal performance at the Paris Masters and he finished runner-up last week in Brisbane, losing to Andy Roddick in two tiebreakers. Extremely difficult to play against and in fine form at the moment, Stepanek should view the fourth round of the Australian Open as a bare minimum.
12) Jo-Wilfried Tsonga – Tsonga has been dealing with physical problems (what’s new?), but he insisted earlier this week that his wrist is 100 percent. Still, Tsonga is never 100 percent. If he ever was, he would have a Grand Slam title to his name. The good news for Tsonga is that his best slam performance came Down Under (2008 runner-up), and he has the talent to produce similar magic. Given his current state, however, he will have better chances at the next three majors.
11) Marin Cilic – Cilic reached at least the quarterfinals of his last three tournaments in 2009, and five of his last six. Included in that stretch was a U.S. Open upset of Murray and a blowout win over Rafael Nadal in Beijing. Going full steam ahead, the 6’6’’ Croat successfully defended his Chennai Open title last week. None of the top players in the world is going to want to play this guy in the fourth round of the Australian Open.
10) Fernando Verdasco – Verdasco went 0-3 at the World Tour Finals, so a return trip to the brink of the Australian Open final would come as a major surprise. Then again, it came as an absolute shock last year. Verdasco has now solidified himself as a perennial Grand Slam contender, and he has the talent to hang with everyone on tour when his forehand his working and his serve does not go into some kind of shell (as it often does). But the next task for Verdasco is to score wins over the very top players in the world. Until that happens, he won’t be viewed as a potential Grand Slam champion.
9) Fernando Gonzalez – Gonzalez is still flying high at 29 years old and he had a real shot at the World Tour Finals until knee injuries became a problem. Following the offseason, Gonzalez should be 100 percent heading into Australia, where he has done well before (2007 runner-up). The Chilean reached the fourth round last year (lost to Nadal) thanks to memorable five-set wins over Hewitt and Richard Gasquet. Gonzalez’s forehand still makes him a threat to beat anyone on any given day, but the strength of the top players in the world would suggest that the quarterfinals is the best Gonzo can do this time.
8) Robin Soderling – Out of almost nowhere, Soderling emerged as a serious Grand Slam threat—on all surfaces—last year. He ended his breakout 2009 campaign with a semifinal finish at the World Tour Finals and he beat Federer in Abu Dhabi before losing to Nadal. The Swede lost his Chennai opener to Robby Ginepri, but he should be well-rested heading into Australia. A quarterfinal showing should be expected, and anything less than a fourth-round appearance would be a huge disappointment.
7) Nikolay Davydenko – While it would be a bit of a stretch, it would not be unfair to say that Davydenko is the best player in the world right now. He won the World Tour Finals, then he opened this season with a title in Doha, beating both Federer and Nadal. Still, you don’t just go from a slam afterthought to a slam winner overnight, and Davydenko has always underachieved at Grand Slams. An Aussie Open title is simply too much to ask of him, but a semifinal finish would be a step in the right direction toward becoming a major champion.
6) Andy Roddick – Given an outside shot of winning his first slam since the 2003, Roddick lost to Isner in the third round of the U.S. Open and did not win another match the entire year. The reason? A knee injury that forced him out of the World Tour Finals. But Roddick returned last week in Brisbane and returned with a vengeance, winning the title while beating Berdych and Stepanek in the process. As a result, a return trip to the Aussie Open quarterfinals should be anticipated and a second straight semifinal showing is not out of the question.
5) Andy Murray – Murray was one of the two or three best players in the world throughout the first half of last season, but he lost to Roddick at Wimbledon and to Cilic at the U.S. Open and never really recovered. After being seeded second for the U.S., Murray is down to fifth in the world and he will be in the same Aussie Open quarter as one of the Top 4 players. The Scot is still a real threat to win the whole thing, but he is not one of the main favorites at this slam given his current form.
The Final 4 (in alphabetical order)
Right now it’s too close to call between the Top 4 players in the world. The draw will be the determining factor.
Juan Martin Del Potro – To say Del Potro was humiliated by Federer last year in the Australian Open quarterfinals would be an understatement. But the Argentine is a completely different player now; that’s what happens when you win a Grand Slam (2009 U.S. Open). Del Potro has the talent to win multiple majors and become No. 1 in the world; and he could do all of that within the year. Furthermore, the Melbourne hard courts should be ideal for his game.
Novak Djokovic – Djokovic had major problems with the Australian heat last year, as he retired against Roddick in the quarterfinals. But what’s to say that will happen again? The third-ranked Serb is a former champion of this event (2008) and he was absolutely on fire last fall until wearing out at the World Tour Finals. Well-rested heading into next week, Djokovic has as good a chance as anyone in the field to be the last man standing.
Roger Federer – Federer made tennis history last summer by winning his 14th and 15th Grand Slam singles titles, but he is nowhere near that kind of form now. The world No. 1 has not won a tournament since the Cincinnati Masters, a span of five events. While that development is not a huge cause for concern, it ensures that Federer is not the clear-cut favorite despite being ranked No. 1, seeded No. 1, and coming in as a three-time champion of the Aussie Open. Still, Federer’s best is better than anyone else’s best, so another title is well within reach.
Rafael Nadal – Less than two full months ago, Nadal was an afterthought for serious Australian Open contention. He won six games in three sets against Del Potro in New York, got destroyed by Cilic in Beijing, and won zero sets in three matches at the World Tour Finals. But one month of offseason, however, was apparently enough. Nadal beat Soderling to win the Abu Dhabi exhibition then had two championship points in Doha before falling to Davydenko. The Spaniard is suddenly among the Aussie favorites, but he will probably want to avoid Davydenko in his quarter and Del Potro in his half.
Tell a friend »
And ... incidentally there is a solar eclipse on Jan 15th ... usually events can be somewhat unpredictable or contradictory at this time.
smr , 1/12/10 8:10 PM
Why would Rafa want to avoid Davy whom he bagled and had three match points in very close 2nd and 3rd sets. If he has Davy in his half, he'll be rubbing his hands with glee. I think Delpo is probably the only one, or maybe Djoko that could trouble Rafa, maybe Murray if he is on. Rafa's mind was not on the match when he played Cilic in Beijing, so I'm not at all worried about him.
Vamossssssssssssss!
carrie , 1/12/10 8:52 PM
I will be surprised if your 'top 4' all finish ahead of muzz.
Muzz was in the "top 2 or 3" in the first half of last season? Not quite accurate enough. This time last year muzz was THE HOTTEST player on tour.
Muzz has "never really recovered" from the USO? Wait a minute, Ricky. There have been no slams SINCE the USO. Compared to the other top guys, muzz has barely played since the USO. But if you must go by recent form, why not apply the same principle to rafa. Tell me, how many ranking tournaments has rafa won in the last 8 months?
Muzz may have flunked the slams last year, but you write him off at your peril. Don't forget he won the highest number of ranking tournaments in 2009 and became the first player in years to break up the fed-rafa duopoly at the top of the rankings.
Expect muzz to at least reach the SFs.
alex , 1/12/10 8:53 PM
PS ... regardless of who's in his quarter of the draw.
alex , 1/12/10 8:55 PM
few people are going to "EXPECT" Muzz to reach the semifinals
some might THINK he is going to reach the SFs, but I doubt many EXPECT it
there are some scenarios the draw could play out in which Murray would have almost zero chance of reaching the semis. So the draw will actually tell a lot.
RickyDimon , 1/12/10 9:21 PM
Ricky,
Thanks for a comprehensive summary of the top 25. I do agree that the draw could well be the determining factor this year, since any of the top four can win this.
I don't expect Murray to win, but it is possible since this surface favors his game. I want to see what kind of form he's in before I give any definitive opinion on his chances.
Nativenewyorker , 1/12/10 10:16 PM
If u put in Ljubici, Bellucci or Tipsarevic a guy like Gulbis could make a claim too.
Revallgreen , 1/12/10 10:34 PM
Native - thanks for the comment (yours are always appreciated)
Reval - once you're around here for a while, you will come to learn that I will never again predict Gulbis to win anything.
RickyDimon , 1/12/10 11:05 PM
My prediction is for Fed to win the AO regardless of his draw. I know it's not the popular pick based on current form. I think he skipped Kooyong and pulled out of DC because he's saving his energy to go all out in Melbourne and still have time to recover for Masters, etc. I think he enjoys a challenge and with all the competition he wants to impose himself. I think when he was defending champion five years running at Wimbledon and USO and the favorite, he may have taken some things for granted. After losing in SF in '08 and last year's tear-filled disaster, he has to be highly motivated despite what people say about him having GS record, family,etc. and losing motivation. I think he's prepared to possibly go five sets from QF or at least SF on given the competition. He'll be less motivated for FO having won it last year so I think he's going all in for this one.
chr18 , 1/13/10 3:02 AM
chr18,
I would never count out Fed in any grand slam. You do make some good points regarding some additional motivating factors for him this year. The memory of last year's defeat to Rafa and that emotional award ceremony, may be some real incentive, although I always believe that Fed has more than enough when he is in a grand slam.
I am not prepard to pick him to win or even say that he is the odds on favorite this time around, but that is not because of any lack of respect for his chances. I just feel that things have changed since Delpo's win over Fed and Rafa at the US Open last year. Also, Djokovic has been in really good form recently. I just think the top four are going in pretty evenly matched for this one.
We all know that anything can, and does, happen in a grand slam.
Nativenewyorker , 1/13/10 3:55 AM
NNY,
I agree del Potro's win was huge at USO and I really like his game. For me, fitness could still be an issue with him and things have to fall in place for him. At USO he had like three days to rest for the SF and he had a short 3 set SF so he was able to go all out for the final. With the scheduling at AO, he may not be so fortunate this time. The same goes for Djoker if it gets hot and humid again, unless he gets the Serena roof-closing treatment. Time will tell.
chr18 , 1/13/10 4:55 AM
LOL nadal favourite for the aussie open i see.......................
i got news for u, nadal will never win the aussie open, NEVER.
attackingtennisrulez , 1/13/10 8:55 AM
Predict Nadal never win Aussie open, just the same to predict Federer will never win Wimbledon.... Nadal will win Aussie, if not this year, next year for sure... at least he starts this year better than Federer, one exhibition title, and a runner up already.... well done Rafa.... VAMOS!!!
tettylds , 1/13/10 9:06 AM
This statement above says it all:
"Still, Federer?s best is better than anyone else?s best, so another title is well within reach."
bjawad , 1/13/10 9:54 AM
RICKY, have read the above - thank you - a lot of effort gone into the above - but - , it is a marvel that you refer above to fed "not having won a tournament since the cincinnati masters":
'The world No. 1 has not won a tournament since the Cincinnati Masters, a span of five events'.
What about rafa? (the former no. 1), when was the last time he won a tournament? and why do you "big up" an exhibition match that rafa won? (as you tend to compare the one to the other,one more favourably than the other - why do you do this so often?).
maxi , 1/13/10 10:10 AM
maxi - like you say, ricky's to be commended for the time he's put in but he does sometimes lack a bit of objectivity, balance and, like most of us, doesn't always take too kindly to offers of another perspective. I made the same point re- rafa's recent loss of form (8:53PM), but no response.
alex , 1/13/10 10:26 AM
maxi, you can't compare Fed with Rafa. We all know how 'poorly' Rafa perform since his return from injury. Fed, on the other hand, has won Cincy, and reached the final of USO, beaten only in 5 sets. So, its natural for us to expect more from him than from Rafa. I think this should be taken in a more positive way, that Fed is rated above Rafa (naturally since he is no.1 and Rafa no.2), and therefore ought to perform better than Rafa. Incidentally, he did better than Rafa, for Rafa goes 8 tournaments without a win, save for an exhibition. You also can take it in this way: that Rafa did so poorly that even winning an exhibition is a cause for celebration!
luckystar , 1/13/10 10:55 AM
Forecasting the AO winner is one thing, but if the organisers repeat their biased attitude from last year, it won't be a level playing field.
Vamossssssssssss!
carrie , 1/13/10 11:43 AM
Hi luckystar, thanks for your reply.I
think we all compare rafa to roger though, don't we? because they are like a levelling stick for each other?we love them so much,they respect each other so much. Yes, they play differently, of course,but I enjoy their rivalry and I always will.I just feel sometimes when reading Ricky Dimon's posts,he is not always giving a "true" picture.
For example, he could have said a similar post to rafa, that he had not won a tournament (not including an exhibition match, luckystar - i like that name by the way!), since - Rome? 9 months ago? and made it sound negative? He makes Federer's bit sound negative, and rafa's sound positive? why? - okay, Alex says that he is always like this, so I suppose I have to get used to this? (I dont like it, to be truthful with you). Whatever anyone thinks about Roger or Rafa, give them BOTH a bit of respect, will you - though obviously ricky gives more to rafa (I kind of understand as he CLEARLY supports rafa more) (Ricky), it's really annoying.
I would like to know the last player (apart from Roger), who reached ALL four grand slam finals in the same year, (that's for you Ricky) - and still people talk about Roger being "over". It's so insulting luckystar.
I know that "one day" Federer will leave the ATP, I know that. But until then, I want to watch him play and play - and some more of it! I suppose I should not be shocked because a lot of people have been writing Roger off for 2 years now - he still (imo) played his best tennis in 2009 - only 2 weeks ago!
He is the best player ever to me, luckystar. (I know how you feel when people put rafa down, I just dont see the point of it?). It doesn't help that this forum becomes more "rafa.com" by the day.
maxi , 1/13/10 12:38 PM
OK maxi, your points taken. I guess I have to leave it to Ricky himself to explain.
luckystar , 1/13/10 1:57 PM
Whilst I won't forecast the winner, I will place bets on who will not be in Roger's half of the draw:
Davydenko
Delpo
Murray
Ferrer
Soderling
carrie , 1/13/10 2:00 PM
My guess -
1st favourite - fed
2nd equal favourites - muzz and djoker
4th equal favourites - rafa, delpo and kolya
alex , 1/13/10 2:25 PM
LOL nadal favourite for the aussie open i see.......................
i got news for u, nadal will never win the aussie open, NEVER.
attackingtennisrulez
, 1/13/10 8:55 AM
did you mean never win it again? coz... erm... i hate to break it to you *whispers* he won it last year
Sib69 , 1/13/10 3:25 PM
did you mean never win it again? coz... erm... i hate to break it to you *whispers* he won it last year
Well spotted Sibb.
carrie , 1/13/10 3:52 PM
It will be interesting to see if the second half of the draw plays before the first half of the draw like last year.
carrie , 1/13/10 4:00 PM
Murray Lost to Tommy Robredo who is a clay court spanish player at Perths Hopman Cup last week in the final
Murray needs to pull his socks up to get into Aussie open Semis and keep his head clear
sals3 , 1/13/10 4:19 PM
sals3........robredo is a competant hard court player too.....not only a clay courter
vrael , 1/13/10 4:23 PM
Robredo, I think, is the most improved player of 2009.
carrie , 1/13/10 4:31 PM
Yes Robredo's win over Murray was impressive.
Attacking tennisrules!
Pspspspspsss... Rafa already won the A/0 oops sorry to burst your bubble lol..
afrodite7 , 1/13/10 5:12 PM
hey attacker, Nadal won the Aussie Open last year
regards.
RickyDimon , 1/13/10 5:46 PM
afrodite -
I didn't see muzz v. robredo but was under the impression that muzz was playing the more attacking version he'd been using all week. Did you or anyone see it?
alex , 1/13/10 6:40 PM
Attackingtennisrulez - JUST promise something ,,, if Rafa wins another slam, will you go back to your planet and never bother earth again?
McQ , 1/13/10 6:46 PM
post of the year (so far) by McQ
RickyDimon , 1/13/10 7:02 PM
maxi -
re: your 10:10 AM post:
this blog is not COMPARING Federer or Nadal, nor is it comparing any player to any other player. It is simply analyzing players individually.
The fact that Federer has not won a tournament in five events is notable because its surprising. Nadal having not won a tournament since whenever he last won one is not notable because it isnt surprising. Nadal wasnt favored to win any of the events he has played since the clay-court season.
Also I mentioned the Abu Dhabi exhibition because both Nadal and Soderling were trying 100 percent. I watched the match. I watched every point. It is a relevant result.
RickyDimon , 1/13/10 7:06 PM
maxi - re the rest of your 12:38 post:
Federer reaching the last four slam finals is irrelevant to how is going to do at the Aussie Open. Three of those slams were more than six months ago. I didnt discuss it because this is about the Aussie Open. Not about Federer's entire career.
Anyway, thanks for the comments. Good discussion. But just for the record, like a member of the media, I think you are contorting my words into exactly the way you WANT them to sound just for the sake of having a "reason" to go off on this message board!! No?
RickyDimon , 1/13/10 7:13 PM
No. Ricky. I think you are being very touchy and overly sensitive. Dont bother answering any of posts in future.
maxi , 1/13/10 7:31 PM
dont worry, I wont. If you dont appreciate a completely sensible and time-consuming response to your comments, neither I nor anyone else will bother answering any of your posts in the future.
RickyDimon , 1/13/10 7:35 PM
I guess Nadal and Ricky critics don't believe the Davis Cup is a tournament.
An exhibition is also a tournament if the players are out to win, and they give it
their best. So Rafa won 2 events in a row, then reached the final in Doha, and people are saying when was the last time Rafa did anything? Experience shows that the Majors are different from the rest of events. Did Rafa win the WTF, Abu Dhabi or Doha last year before winning the AO? No, so his chances should have been worse than they are now.
grafight , 1/13/10 7:37 PM
Nadal didnt win the Davis Cup. Spain did.
RickyDimon , 1/13/10 7:44 PM
there was no need to be rude towards me, when I was stating a fact
maxi , 1/13/10 7:44 PM
you misinterpreted my comment
anyway, if you want to contact me directly email me at ricky.dimon@tennistalk.com
all personal comments here will be henceforth deleted.
Now back to your regularly-scheduled tennis-related programming....
RickyDimon , 1/13/10 7:52 PM
Ricky, When it comes to tennis, Spain is Nadal.
Only joking.
carrie , 1/13/10 8:30 PM
next part of the preview is up:
http://www.tennistalk.com/en/blog/Ricky_Dimon/20100113/Australi an_Open_preview_part_2:_Anticipating_the_draw
RickyDimon , 1/13/10 9:25 PM
Interesting. Why no Monfils on your list? He hasn't pulled out, his shoulder injury is more a precaution than anything. I think he will do well in AO. On the other hand, not sure about Simon, resting his knee which is still not entirely fixed, he didn't resume practice until this year. Just playing a exho this week and showing no form whatsoever. He'll be luck to survive a round or 2 next week.
nestor , 1/13/10 9:26 PM
Monfils would be lucky to finish one match.
RickyDimon , 1/13/10 9:41 PM
chr18,
I see that there is an article about Fed's preparation with no sign of any arm or wrist injury. So it would appear that he will go into the AO completely healthy. That's good news for you.
I know that you and I will always be on opposite sides when it comes to the top two players in tennis. But I will never disrespect Fed or engage in any trash talk. Rafa respects and admires him as a great champion. There is no question about that. I will do the same.
I agree with your comments about Delpo and Djokovic. I will wait to see if Delpo can play the way he did at the US Open. I haven't seen much from him to give me a sense of his level of play, so I will have to see him play to get a sense as to where his game is at right now.
As far as Djokovic, I won't assume that he will wilt again in the horrific heat that is expected again this year. It has been a problem for him in the past. Other than the heat, I am not sure that there is much that should trouble him. He was in great form in the closing months of last year, so I am expecting him to be a real contender.
I guess we should just wish our respective favorites good luck and say, Bring it On!
Nativenewyorker , 1/13/10 9:54 PM
Hmm... Nadal DID win the Davis Cup.
So did every other member of the team.
Have you never heard the term "Davis Cup winner" applied to a single player?
When we say Michael Jordan is a "six-time NBA champion", or a "3 Olympic gold
medals winner", we don't mean he won playing all by himself (although at times it seemed that way, didn't it?)
grafight , 1/13/10 10:02 PM
Ha ha grafight;
Tell that to Lopez, Verdasco, Ferrer etc...
smr , 1/13/10 10:30 PM
Maxi (not that Ricky needs ANYONE to defend him) but did you read this:
http://www.tennistalk.com/en/blog/Ricky_Dimon/20100108/2010_Wor ld_Tour_Finals_predictions
Should make you feel a little better.
smr , 1/13/10 10:39 PM
Monfils would be lucky to finish one match.
....
Ouch!
nestor , 1/14/10 2:02 AM
nestor, well its true!
But keep in mind I said the exact same thing before the French Open and Monfils, injury and all, went on to crush people en route to the quarterfinals!!!!
RickyDimon , 1/14/10 4:14 AM
Am I wrong or the draw will be in two hours???
zare , 1/14/10 10:29 PM
55 min from now on.
rfzr , 1/14/10 11:44 PM
great ..... i cant beleive how much people distrust Rafa's abilities ........ iam kind of happy for that ...... he seems to thrive in situation where people dont give him much of a chance ...... so iam counting him to prove everyone wrong and win the tournament ...
deepz , 1/15/10 4:28 AM
Sun 12/02 15:44
Approach Shots: Federer looks to rebound in Rotterdam
Thu 09/02 21:21
Approach Shots: Federer headlines Davis Cup first round
Mon 30/01 19:22
Approach Shots: The calm after the storm
Sat 28/01 15:11
Australian Open final expert picks: Djokovic vs. Nadal
Wed 25/01 19:57
Australian Open '12 semifinal expert picks
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Excellent preview Ricky ... and very hard to predict.
smr , 1/12/10 7:59 PM