The tennis season is officially underway now with action taking place in Brisbane, Chennai and Doha. That means the Australian Open is just 2 weeks away so I thought I’d do a little predictions / early thoughts post on what we can likely expect; as well as looking at some of the players who have an outside chance of making the second week or causing an upset in the draw.
I posted earlier in December about whether or not Djokovic was unbeatable on Plexicushion and what to expect from Roger, that was before any tennis had been played or we knew that Nadal was missing his second consecutive Grand Slam; so with those things in mind I’m in a better position to make a call on how I see the tournament panning out.
It’s not vastly different, I still see Fed, Djoker and Murray making the semi finals but I do think the Nadal withdrawal has a slight impact as Roger usually plays better when the Nadal factor isn’t in his mind so it could be a good omen.
My Tournament Favourite: Djokovic
Djokovic is the obvious choice and it’s easy to see why. He’s won back to back Australian Opens, had a great end to 2012 and looked pretty sharp in Abu Dhabi albeit it only being an exhbition.
The surface suits his game perfectly, he’s made it clear before it’s his favourite slam because it was his maiden win back in 2008 so I think he’s going to be very difficult to beat. You can’t see anyone upsetting him in the early rounds really unless they play lights out tennis and get the job done in straights but on a slowish court where defence can triumph over attack that’s certainly not easy.
Playing Without Pressure: Federer
The headline I used is perhaps a little misleading as pressure is always inevitable when you have achieved as much as Federer has but I don’t think the fans or the press are too expectant on his chances this year.
Of course they think he will be in the mixer but after the US Open all the talk is of the Djokovic & Murray rivalry in 2012 allowing Roger to almost slip through without any pre tournament hype.
Nadal’s withdrawal also factors too as Roger doesn’t have him, or the thought of playing him to contend with any more. It kinda sucks to say but Fed definitely has had a mental block on many occasions in slams against Nadal, even last year he played phenomenally well for half a set or so but just couldn’t keep it up and Nadal dragged him down to the level he wanted the game to be played at. Of course with Nadal’s withdrawal he’s no longer an issue and I think Roger can go out and swing freely.
In my mind he should play ultra aggressive and look to serve/volley more often. The last time we saw him play really aggressive at the Australian was in 2010 when he won it, that year he returned serve really well and took the game to his opponents. If he can do that this year then I think he’s probably the only player of beating Djokovic.
On a High – Andy Murray
Fresh off a Grand Slam win and having played some of his best tennis in Australia the past couple of years you have to think Murray will factor. I think he’s in with a shout but at the same time I can see someone upsetting him and causing quite a surprise.
He’s a weird character is Murray, does he thrive off confidence like we’ve seen Federer, Nadal and Djoker to create an almost snowball effect when it comes to tournament wins? I’m not so sure. His level can be unpredictable and he’s always capable of losing to strange opponents. He’s got his Grand Slam now though so it’s stupid to write him off completely but I still can’t weigh him up.
On a side note, I’ve long predicted that his physical style will catch up with quicker than a lot of people expect. He’s put on a lot of a muscle and worked hard to be one of the fittest guys on tour but he still has a fragile frame underneath I believe. It’s the same analogy as building a house on weak foundations and I think 2013 might see a few injuries for Murray. Perhaps not in Australia but we shall see.
Can Tomic win back his home fans?
Tomic had a great 2011 making the Quarter Finals at Wimbledon and 2012 started well for him too where he made the 4th round of the Australian Open before being schooled by the GOAT. After that he went off the rails, lost early in a ton of tournaments, had run ins with the law and got accused by McEnroe of tanking at the US Open against Roddick.
He’s had a lot of critics lately and I’m not sure if his antics will go down with the Aussie sports fan, all crowds like the bad guy but usually they have to achieve to earn the respect first. If you suck and have an attitude it’s not a great mix.
My prediction for Tomic is another flop this year, he’s predicting he will turn it around, I’ve read a lot of other tennis sites that are making the prediction he will have a great year but I don’t see it.
He beat Tommy Haas in the Hopman Cup earlier in the week and now suddenly people are saying he’s willing to fight tooth and nail? Haas choked that match away, he lost a 6-1 lead in the first tie break and then served for the match in the third set before finally losing it 5-7 with a double fault. It was a good win for Tomic but I don’t think you can read into it an awful lot as it would served up on a plate for him.
My Outsider – Philipp Kohlschreiber
Kohlschreiber is my outsider to do quite well at this years Australian Open, I’ve yet to see him on court but he’s in action today against Ivan Dodig in Qatar.
A lot boils down to how much work he’s put in the off season on whether he’ll do well in Australia, if he’s been on the mince pies and the Glühwein over Christmas then he will probably flop. But if he’s put in the practise and does well in Qatar I can see him making good progress in Melbourne.
He’s got all the shots so I can’t see why he wont make the 4th round or better. Anyone wanting to see what he’s capable of watch the highlights vs. Roddick at the Australian Open in 2008, a classic match.
Other outsiders:
- Milos Raonic
- Kei Nishikori
- Sam Querrey
- Andreas Seppi
My Flop Prediction: Juan Martin Del Potro
I hope Del Potro fans don’t get annoyed at this one because he’s actually probably in my list of top 5 favourite players, afterall anyone who schools Nadal 6-2 6-2 6-2 in a slam is clearly a great player but for some reason I can see him losing early this year.
Since his injury lay offs he’s always looked unfit to me and in the heat of Australia on courts that are conducive to lengthy rallies he could suffer. I guess it depends if he runs into someone who can handle his power, if they can then I see him having trouble.
Predictions aside it looks set to be another great Grand Slam and a fine way to start the year. It’s a shame that Nadal is missing as it’d be nice to have that quartet going head to head but I’m still looking forward to seeing some good tennis being played and Rod Laver arena can get pretty electric with the right match. If we get anything like Nadal vs. Verdasco from 2009 it should be epic.
What are your predictions? Any outsiders you can see doing well that might make a deep run in the tournament? Let me know.
NIce! I just know Roger will be “lucky” to draw Murray in his half instead of Ferrer… Berdych and Del Potro will probably be in his bracket too! These would be hard to pass! Who would you want to play if you we’re Roger: Tsonga and Ferrer or Berdych and Murray! I think Roger will beat Djokovic in the final if they meet. Roger knows he’s not getting younger and hopefully wouldn’t blow match points! It all depends on the draw! If Roger gets a decent draw, I like his chances! Remember, Roger’s on the bottom half of the draw and they play semis on Thursday and Djoker would play semis on Friday. That’s an extra day rest for Fed! Allez!
Haha. I’m hoping Fed/Ferrer in same half. But you never know, they tend to look a little fixed do the draws!
Good point about the semi final days!
Good job as usual Jonathan. I agree with your assessments. I hope in the coming years that Fed has left he loses a bit of his stubbornness. He has given too many matches away in recent years by not playing the points, and playing a bit more percentage tennis. He has the ability to play any shot, and so if he decided to play better defense, and pick his offensive opportunities better, he wouldn’t be losing to Rafa, djokovic, and Andy at all. Recently, I made the comment that I enjoyed his genius no matter what, but I’m getting a bit frustrated with him giving matches away with unforced errors. I don’t like to see him lose to Murray who acts like a jerk on court, or to djokovic who acts so over the top when he wins. It’s getting irritating. especially when he sometimes gives away the match after fighting so hard. I think Paul Annecone should have a sit down with him, and get him to see the smart strategy of picking your time and place for genius.
Hey Tim,
I kinda agree he has to play smart but I think he has to be super aggressive to beat those guys. He can’t afford to get passive or get pagged back too defensively. I think over the last year he’s had a great balance of that though. 3 Masters 1000 titles and a slam. That’s an immense season.
There weren’t many matches he threw away in 2012, far less than 2011 anyway.
I can’t agree more, Tim. I think I’m too frustrated by Fed’s only strategy of aggression but lack of defensive tactics. Especially, during the times the courts becoming slower, and the guys like Murray and Ferrer tasting more success to their talent, it’s very clear that he needs to change his basic approach. Also throwing away the matches (irrespective of 2011or 2012) is never an option that Fed is not a teenager to learn from mistakes.
You kidding me right?? Lack of defensive tactics?
1.) He’s a great defender – watch highlights vs. Nadal in Indian Wells or any of the Del Potro matches from this year. Or Berdych in Madrid; whipped forehands on the run to win big points when pegged back behind the baseline.
2.) There’s no way Roger can play defensive and hope to win matches. He has to be seriously aggressive to keep the points short. Any time a rally gets drawn out against Djoker or Murray he becomes a massive underdog. He should only use defense when attack isn’t an option, and even then he has to transition from defense into attack at the earlier possible time otherwise he’ll get burned.
Murray may have acted a ‘jerk’ when he was younger – but I feel he’s earned a bit more respect now! Also, why do you expect Roger to beat all-comers when there are so many players improving now?
Hi,
He still has that very petulant side to him. Not sure it will ever go.
I don’t expect Fed to beat all comers? I’m just going on recent performances, he’s still making the latter stages of Slams. Djoker and Murray are definitely a big challenge for him.
Yes i absolutley agree with your comment!!!! 🙂
I think it’s between Roger and Novak. Would be wonderful to see a final between them. Anyway, this is what I said on Ruan’s blog: two of the last three AO’s, Roger was beaten by Nadal. So his absence improves his chances greatly. What also improves his chances is the fact that he can only meet Djokovic in the final. His biggest threats to make the semis would be Delpo and Berdych, but I think he will handle either Ferrer or Murray, or any other potential semifinal opponent. And I firmly believe Djokovic is beatable at this tournament.
But don’t forget Djoker is 6-0 in sets vs Fed on Plexicushion.
I think with Nadal missing it increases his chances of making the final but not sure it effects his chances of beating Djokovic unless it allows him to play freely mentally which it might.
Kylie: So you think that Fed could ‘handle’ Murray that easily then? What matches have you been watching recently? LOL. Fed played brilliantly in the tour finals against Murray but lost-out to Murray and Delpo in earlier matches – and Murray has a good H2H against Federer, so I wouldn’t be so sure….
In a Slam, Roger still has the edge over Murray. Andy still hasn’t really shown he can win consistently at a GS level while having to beat two of the top four – best of 3 is a whole different ball game than best of 5.
Kyle, I agree. I think fed has a reasonable good chance in AO. I hope that he has a simple draw, preferably with berdych on the other half. It’s not that federer can’t beat him, I mean he has obv. shown he can but berd for some reason always plays his A game against him and the same can not be said about feddy. He has played some very poor matches versus him, the US open the most recent one. I’m not that worried about Delpo to be honest. The two times they met a the AO federer beat him easily. I hope Roger draws ferrer, but even if he would get murray it wouldn’t be the end of the world. The best thing for RF would probably be if he would meet murray in the final, meaning andy beat novak, but I doubt that will happen. Novak loves the AO and he will almost surely be in the final. Eventhough federer is 6-0 in sets against novak the last two matches at AO, I still think he could pull a win. Those two matches weren’t as onesided as the score suggested a few tiebreak, fed sometimes serving for the set ect. If he is in the zone or serves well I can see him winning.
I have a feeling that Djokovic isn’t going to win it this year. We haven’t had a surprise finalist at the Australian Open on the ATP side in a few years and for some reason I think this may be the year. It would shake things up a bit and make things interesting. I’m disappointed Rafa won’t be there but it should still be a really good start to the grand slam year, and fingers crossed for number 18 😉
Yeah would be interesting if someone can make a breakthrough! Who do you think it could be? Raonic?
Raonic is definitely one of the possibilities. Personally I would love to see him do it because I’m a big fan of his. It’s hard to say, because some of the players I would consider to be surprise finalists should they make it to the final would be the likes of Tsonga, Tipsarevic, Berdych- players who are all in the top 10 but just haven’t quite made the extra step.
Not on the Raonic bandwagon myself but I’ve not seen a lot of him. First impressions though not sure I will warm to him.
Tsonga made final in Aus before, be cool if he could do it again but I’m not sure.
I’m with Ferrer all the way to win his first slam. In terms of Del Potro, he played a great match against Djokovic at the US Open and think we’ll see him in the second week of AO.
I dunno if Ferrer has got it in him to win a slam. Has the fitness and desire but a lack of talent costs him when it comes to crunch time. He’d have to put in some serious leg work to win it.
Del Potro, his fitness annoys me. He’s in Uruguay this week playing Exhibition matches. Doesn’t sound like great prep work. He should be playing Sydney as usual.
What about JJ? Don’t you think he would make a surprise? I really like the way he play. I predict he will be in 2nd week of AO… I also predict Djokerer final, and if Roger played like he did again Djoker in WTF, he will prevail. Can’t wait to see Genius on the move…
Took me a while lol but I figure JJ is Jerzy Janowicz? I dunno about him, he did well indoors but could be a flash in the pan.
Do you mean if Fed plays like he did in WTF, Djoker will win? Or Roger will win?
I think he has to play similar to how he tried at WTF just with less errors and a bit more energy.
Also, talking about the end of last year is pointless because Roger was at the end of an exhausting year. He will be very refreshed come the Australian Open and I firmly believe the SA tour has rejuvenated him and he will be more energized than we’ve seen in quite a while.
And Jonathan, Fed might be 0-6 in sets against Nole on the blue stuff but he had the lead in 4 of them I believe (3 in 2008 and 1 in 2011). Also, he wasn’t exactly playing superb tennis and/or was that confident in those tournaments. If he has a good run to the final, let’s say, he’d have a much better chance to beat him.
I guess you have a point. Roger 2.0 wasn’t playing in those matches. 2008 is a skewed because of mono but 2011 was such a comprehensive win for Djoker though, even after a strong year end for Fed in 2010. I make Djoker the favourite on recent performances, but I don’t think it matter, Roger knows he can beat him so not like he’s going in with a mental disadvantage.
Some of my predictions in 2013 Tennis:
1) World No.1 – Not again for Roger. (I don’t wish this at all, being one of his biggest fans).
2) No French Open to Nadal.
3) #2 means: New FO champion – Djoker’s Career Grandslam.
4) New year-end world top two: Djoker and Murray.
5) No more than 1 major win to Federer.
6) New face in top 10: Milos Raonic.
7) Another hype but surely out of 20 again – Tomic.
Any more from any one?
Thanks for the predictions Ramesh!
I think you have a chance to be right with them all. Number 1 for Fed probably not a big priority.
Although can you ever be sure? 2012 didn’t really turn out like I thought…
You’re right, Jo. For the No. 1 rank in 2012, the build up started in 2011 after the US open and was probably the best I have ever known. What makes even more difficult in 2013 is that defending too many points and less back up tournaments. However, better runs at AO and USO can help this time. Whatever, Federer’s schedule plans impress me a lot, and I think he is the smartest guy in the tour in coming out with brilliant scheduling. As you righly said in one of your blogs, delpo is a clown in that. Federer makes his priorities clear, and becoming No.1 is not his No.1 priority, which makes a lot of sense. I will be very glad to see him winning at least two slams this year, so I wish my prediction #5 go wrong.
Roger = The GOAT Scheduler!
I think something like a big upset will happen with djokovic,he will either meet Federer in the final or the djoker will lose in the 2nd round. The same with Murray he will either be consistent or have his breakdown and lose to a qualifier. When this happens it will open up the draw for Fed. This albeit fed might have a little laps in concentration but will come through with his experience on tour. I see Fed and a unexpected finalist with Federer winning in 4 Sets. That is my prediction for Austrailian Open 2013. It will be a tournament of a lot of high ranking seeds losing in early rounds.
You may not be that far off, though I expect Andy and Novak will be there in the final four. But the AO is the one Slam where guys get upset most in the early rounds, so I could see Berdych, Almagro, Delpo, or even Ferrer going out before the quarterfinals.
Hi Serajul,
Unfortunately I have to disagree with you.
There are two certainties in life:
1) The world did not end on 21 december 2012.
2) Novak WILL BE in the 2013 AO-final !!!
I am not his fan, I do respect his accomplishments, but no way he will not reach the final.
My only hope is that Roger will reach the final too. Unfortunately Novak will win again, but I hope Roger does.
Am a lot concerned if he does reach the final against Novak, because like a said earlier in another post, Roger gave his EVERYTHING at the WTF-final against Novak and it was still not enough.
But if I know one thing then that is that Roger will not give up. I think he knows that if Novak wins this, they will each have won AO 4 times and that will put Novak on the same level as Roger. I don’t think he wants that, because if Novak wins AO this year, he will also win it next year and surpass him at the Australian Open with winning it 5 times. Whether he wants to admit it or not, he does want to create records that no one can break.
And if Novak wins it two years straight, he wil outdo Roger in the AO-department.
He has given up on making history at the FO. Because no one can break Rafa’s record, but the other slams, he wants to keep those records for himself.
I said 2013 will be Roger’s year and I meant that. If there is one thing Roger has taught us (his fans) and the world, it is that when nobody believes in you and everyone wants you to retire, you can still accomplish everything as long as you believe in yourself and your capabilities. Nobody thought he could do it, but HE believed he could do it and he did. So I really think he will do great this year. I really hope he wins AO. And I’m ashamed to admit it, but although I am his fan and love him, I myself did not think that he could do all those things he did in 2012. So I will not doubt him again……..
But it is really hard and impossible to look beyond Novak at AO 2013. He played at Abu Dhabi against Ferrer……… and he was extremely good and really UNBEATABLE. But I will be hoping for Roger. Maybe there will be a miracle???
Hi Katyani… I understand your statement and i do agree with you. But thats the beauty of tennis ANYTHING can happen!! The dominace of the Fed era is albeit not what is was, but on any given day even Djokovic who is playin his best tennis in Melbourne their is always a lucas Rosol lurkin about to upset all past champions. We hav to let things unfold and see who captures the trophey when everything all said and done. Ps i enjoyed reading your thoughts and analysis of what might trangress in the world of tennis.
Hi Serajul,
Thank you for your comment !!! I myself love upsets (a la Rosol).
Personally, I just hope that it does not happen to Roger !!!!
Greetings from Katyani
I agree on the Murray part, I either see him making semi’s/final or losing in the 3rd round or something daft.
Hope you’re right 🙂
I think Del Potro may beat Roger if they are in the same half of draw 🙁 If Roger meets him, he needs to mix up his play, unlike what happened at New York back in 09. Murray shouldn’t really be a real problem for him, his confidence buckles every time he plays Roger in a GS and I think the Wimbledon final made it worse. I predict a Fed-Djo final.
Hi Conal,
In Holland it is almost 03:30, but I just have to respond on your comment.
Not everybody will like to hear this, but…….. Juan Martin is not that good !!
I really think and mean this, Juan Martin is probably the nicest guy on the tour (at the same level of niceness as Roger, sometimes even nicer). I think the tennisplayers of today and the upcoming tennisplayers of tomorrow should really take a lesson from him how to behave themselves. He is so nice and polite to fans and journalists, to his competitors on and off the court, he is after Roger the best sportman, does not play dirty games, does not play tricks on the other guy.
When you look at him, the first thing you can see is that he is honest. He ALWAYS respects the other player.
I love Roger, but I have to admit sometimes I like Juan Martin better than Roger !! Only sometimes !!
Having said that…..Juan Martin is not as good as Roger, Novak, Rafa and Andy.
Roger SHOULD not have lost the Basel final and the WTF to Juan Martin. I can understand why he loses to Rafa, Novak and Andy. But sorry to say this…….. he should not lose to Juan Martin. He is really not that good as the current top 4.
I can understand why Roger loses to Berdich, because Berdich is really good and a dangerous player, but Juan Martin?? Really, he is not that good YET. Maybe in the future. I mean at the WTF he could EASILY have won from Novak, but what happened??? He got tired?? No, I’m sorry. Roger can lose to anybody, but not to Juan Martin, not yet, when he playes better, than ok, but he is honestly not that good yet. I just hope he does not have Berdich on his side of the draw.
Katyani
Ah I dunno man, Del Po might be a bit more confident after World Tour Finals win but I think Fed still too smart.
Hi Jonathan, wishing you a wonderful 2013. I must confess I’ve been reading your blog regularly since I found it a few months ago, but hardly comment…hoping to change that this year.
Insightful article (as always). I’m not sure if I can agree with your prediction of the winner; my brain sees it as completely possible but then hope springs eternal in my heart for Fed 🙂 I completely agree, though, that he’ll play better knowing Nadal isn’t around. And if, by some chance, Berdych withdraws, I’m sure he’ll play even better 😉
Spot on about Andy Murray (btw, why Judy’s photo? 🙂 ) He seems to be going the Lendl way… a true contender and a definite threat but maybe doesn’t cause as many heartbreaks if he misses?
Delpo – quite muddled about his balancing of medical care and tour planning. Hope he figures that out this year.
My outside favourite is Tsonga – I would love to see him repeat the 2008 act and go a step further this year. He’s stood his ground with the top guys, doesn’t lose his cool, plays some remarkable shots….hope he can put in what he finds lacking and go for it.
Hi Vandana,
Happy New Year 🙂 and thanks for commenting!
Yeah Berdych was clearly put on this earth to beat Roger when he’s not as his best in slams. Every time he wins he ends up sucking in the next match. Like he’s satisfied with his defeat of the GOAT then that’s it!
Haha I’ve decided that Judy Murray is actually Andy Murray, he’s just the male version of her so I thought I’d use her pic instead.
Someone told me Del Potro is playing Exhos in South America this week, that’s poor preparation I think. Especially when he keeps coming up short in matches due to his fitness level.
I like Tsonga too, he’s fun to watch but he has no brains on court. He’s all in the moment and never plays that smart. Although he’s been working with Roger Rasheed over the New Year, maybe he’s learning but I’m not sure you can teach court sense. Rasheed didn’t manage it with Monfils anyway so who knows.
Jonathan
Yes, very valid point about Tsonga’s court sense. The plus point is that he has managed to remain in the top 10 since his unheralded arrival four years ago. But then of course, retaining a level and not slipping down is one thing, raising your level is another. Let’s hope maturity and wisdom smile on him….but it better be soon considering the shelf life of athletes!
Yeah when he clicks/gets in the zone he’s like a train. Managed it against Nadal and Fed in slams so got a lot of talent.
He’s 27 so should be near peak!
Oh, I didn’t realise you also think Tsonga had no tennis brains!? Ha ha.
Tennis nowadays is predictable. Top 4 or 8 are almost always there later in the 2nd week. Isn’t it the time some solid youngsters break through and climb up? Of course I’m with Roger all the way but I’d like more surprises like Wimbledon last year or Berdych gone early. It makes fun, exciting and all the people who predicts panic, ha!
I believe Roger has a good chance against Novak like Kyle says, if he plays with right tactics and stick to it, ie agressive and mixing-up, no errors etc. I’d like to think he and his team come up with new adjustment against fitter baseliners and specially practising right now for AO. Love to see more smart and imaginative plays from him. Having said that, I like him playing intuitively not thinking too much. If he plays freely without pressure, that’s when he plays his A game.
Personally I’d like to see Nishikori [Japanese!], Goffin, Kohischreiber, smaller guys with good hands do well rather than giants, except Tsonga, he’s fun! [Though French people think he hasn’t got a brain….well who knows, they prefer Fed than their own players anyway.] I think Roanic has better chances in Wimbledon and USO.
My dream scenario for Roger:
1] wins AO for record 5 times
2] wins FO for a double career slams
3] wins Wimby for a record 8 times!
4] wins USO for a record 6 times
5] wins WTF for a record 7 times
6] then naturally world no.1 end of year for 6 times
Or one of them at least?
Those predictions would be a dream come true! None of them are impossible I guess. Heads into the end of 2013 with not a lot to defend so could do pretty well. US Open win is the most likely one for me.
I like Nishikori too, he’s dangerous. If he can stay injury free then he should make second weeks of slams.
Goffin has potential too, he is small but looks like he can compete pretty well against power hitters.
Kohly lost today against Monfils. He should be beating him I think if he wants to do well at AO, he might be a bad prediction by me now. Hope you didn’t put your life savings on it 😛
As for Tsonga, I agree with the French people, he lacks court sense. He is all power and great shotmaking but he makes bad decisions and plays the wrong shot too many times.
Jonathan
Thats my dream scenario for Roger as well! Win at least one more of each Grand Slam! Thats all I’m wishing for the rest of his career!
I’ll go further than Conal……….
My dream scenario for Roger is that he wins at least two of each Grand Slams before he retires (total of 8 more) !!!
And if there is one person who can do that, then that is The Goat Roger !!!
Katyani
Hi Wanda…..I really hope your dream scenario for Federer comes true because i want Fed to be in the record books with his name and sayin ‘STANDS ALONE’ in the open era.
Hi Serajul….we are of the same mind! Still plenty of time left for Fed to win one by one to be ‘Stands Alone’ in many more categories in the record book.
For some reason, I see Verdasco making the 4th round. That would be a great thing for him to start out the year.
Possible. I thought Verdasco was gonna be a force after 2009 AO but he turned into a clown. Bags of talent but a poor work ethic.
Honestly, Verdasco doesn’t have that much talent, not more than any other guy at his level. His BH is poor and his serve is very average – it’s only his FH that really stands out.
Come on man, Verdasco is a pure talent.
You said last week Roddick is a talent though and he’s the compete opposite. Guess we have differing views on the definition.
Verdasco has talent of course, but it’s not like top 5 potential talent. He has big shot ability and a great forehand, but the rest of his game leaves more to be desired. His BH, net game, serve, and fitness are all pretty average. He has talent (every player has talent in some respect) but I don’t think he’s a guy that could break through to the top 10 like other guys in the top 20.
And Roddick’s FH in his prime was 10x the shot that Verdasco`s is.
I couldn’t disagree with you more man. Verdasco’s forehand is superior to Roddick’s by an absolute country mile.
Roddick = little talent.
Verdasco = extreme talent.
OMG! Fed has the roughest toughest draw ever! Even the early rounds are potential banana skins! Hugely lopsided in favour of Djoker! Very very poor! The top quarter is so weak, the viewing public will not even be entertained! What are you thinking AO! If Fed makes it thru the firt week, then I will allow my confidence to grow, as think Tsonga and Raonic will lose early, and Fed owns Delpo at the AO, but will he make it that far! Come on Roger, rise to the challenge! And Ferrer, Plse take out Novak!
Hi susie… I saw the draw early in the morning, and i thought what a joke. The top half of the draw has no real threat to djokovic which looks like someone is seriously wanting djokovic to win. Dare i say it that it looks fixed for him to go all the way! While Federer has been given a really hard draw. Unbelievable, i still hope Fed can go all the way.
Me too but think he will hv to weather a few storms! At least his matches will be good value whilst Djokers will be yawn quality! If it is a Murray V Djoker final, thenplse can we hv more shot variety than last years semi! I rewatched some highlights on Eurosport yesterday and the lack of shots other than baseline FH/BH was hugely apparent! And boring after a while! Give me the attacking variety of Fed any day!
Haha yeah kinda tough but anything can happen.
I think Tsonga could lose early so I’m with you on that. But no chance Ferrer will beat Djoker!
Paire (oke), then Davydenko, Tomic, Raonic, Tsonga/Del Potro, and if thats not enough, Murray AND Djoko !!!
Are you kidding me !!! Why not give Novak all the buys up to the final and let all the other guys work hard for it !!!
But one thing I can hold on to is that Roger does not do and does not want the easy way to the final.
Go Roger, you can do this. The tennisgods want you to work really hard for your 5th AO en your 18th GS.
So lets please them !!!
I know you will come far and reach the final where you will meet a WELLRESTED Novak !!!
Just play him (and Andy) the way you have played them at Wimbledon and WTF and you will win.
Katyani
Yes i absolutely agree with your comment susie. This is also why i hate when fed loses to murray when everybody knows that fed is far superior player with every shot plus extra from the book. Murray and Djokovic both do same repetitive shots. They do not posses any imagination or variety yet the commentors always over credit and are seriously biased towards murray. Apart from Jim Courier every over commentors are the same with no impartiality or give balanced account. I really hope Djokovic loses early aswell as Murray, i dont want to see a repeat of Murray v Djokovic in the final. Therefore i hope Federer gets through so that the critics and doughters are silenced once and for all!!
I really hope fed beats murray. I can’t stand the british press. They act as if it’s a done deal that murray will be in the final, as if fed is a nobody. There selectiv picking of results is so annoying. The brits keeping talking about the Olympics and shanghai, purposely not mentioning that fed was 3-2 last year against in-prime murray, beating him in straight sets the last time they met. It just pisses me off.
Hi… Sandra i know how you feel. The press and the commentors use little ‘factoids’ and erase the rest of wins/losses to fit their selective facts/stats to show that Murray and Djokovic are better than Federer. But they never show the full facts overwise Federers record is way better than both Murray/Djok put together. Can you imagine if Federer was Brithish? The hype the accollades the british press would have a field day. Fed would be made OBE given numerous knighthoods etc. The press need to stop being over biased and stop over sensationalising everything!!