Barclays ATP World Tour Finals - London 2011 Preview

It seems like just yesterday, I was on pins and needles waiting for the 2011 Australian Open to begin, and now it's time for the year end finals.  The top eight qualifiers are (in order of ranking), Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal, Andy Murray, Roger Federer, David Ferrer, Tomas Berdych, Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, and Mardy Fish.  This year, Novak Djokovic finally announced himself as the new/current king of tennis by dominating Rafael Nadal in every final they've faced this year - two of them majors, and only losing to Roger Federer once.  At this year's Barclays ATP World Tour Finals, the storyline will be Djokovic, Nadal, and Federer.  It's not as if the other players in the tournament don't have a shot at winning, but clearly, the big three (even if Federer is now ranked number four) will be the guys to beat.

If it weren't for a shoulder injury, Nole would be the clear favorite...but, this is the same injury he was dealing with when he won the US Open this year.  Then there is Rafael Nadal, who also nursing a shoulder injury, had to pull out of the Paris Masters.  To date this year, Rafa has been unable to get the best of Nole - the inside out forehand that troubles most players is handled like child's play by Djokovic.  There's also the 'head' factor...that is, Nole is definitely inside Rafa's head.  Against every other player on tour, Federer included, Rafa has a mental advantage over them, but Djokovic is the Spaniard's kryptonite.  The third part of the storyline is Roger Federer.  With only 710 points separating him and Andy Murray in the rankings, Federer could conceivably overtake Andy Murray for the number three position.  He would have to win the title without losing any round robin matches - that would mean he would have to beat Nadal.  Keep in mind that 1) he did beat Nadal in the tour finals last year, and 2) Nadal has never won the world tour finals - in part because this late in the season, Rafa's body has been taken to the brink.


Group A will consist of Novak Djokovic-1, Andy Murray-3, David Ferrer-5, and Tomas Berdych-7.  First matches of this group will be on Monday, November 21 w/Djokovic vs Berdych, and Murray vs Ferrer.  .  Djokovic holds a 7-1 head-to-head vs Berdych - his only defeat coming in the 2010 Wimbledon semifinal.  Murray is 5-3 against Ferrer, all of the loses to Ferrer were on clay.  Let us not forget, that since the US Open, Murray has amassed a 17-1 match winning streak until losing to Berdych last week in the quarter finals of the Paris Masters.  According to Murray, his new diet has given him more energy, time will tell what it has done for his mindset.  Djokovic and Murray are each nursing injuries, so the level of their performances will be questionable until the tournament begins.  Tomas Berdych is very capable of beating any of the players in the draw, but his head seems to always let him down when things matter most.. On paper his best chance in his group would be against Andy Murray, being that he has a losing record against both Djokovic (1-7) & Ferrer (2-5).  David Ferrer, the human backboard, is a respectable player, but doesn't really have a weapon that can hurt the top guys.  He doesn't give players many free points, nor does he get many - he's a top eight player because of his ability to run down balls and keep them in play, but he doesn't have a kill shot.  He only has a winning record against Berdych, so chances that he wins more than one round in his round robin group is slim.

Group B has Rafael Nadal-2, Roger Federer-4, Jo Wilfried Tsonga-6, and Mardy Fish-8.  First matches for Group B is on Sunday, November 20 w/Federer vs Tsonga, and Nadal vs Fish.  Although Federer holds a 7-3 advantage of Tsonga, he will have his work cut out for him - two of Tsonga's three wins against Federer happened this year, one at his beloved Wimbledon in the quarter finals.  On the other side of Group B, Nadal has a 7-1 record against Mardy Fish.  Fish's only win against Nadal was this year at the Masters in Cincinnati. Nadal and Fish are both coming back from injuries, but I'll bet on an injured Nadal over an injured Fish any day.  On paper, group B seems like it will come down to Nadal and Federer reaching the semifinals, but Tsonga could prove to be a spoiler.  He has one win over Rafa this year (at Queen's Club), and as stated earlier, two wins against Federer.  To Roger's credit, he has been playing better now than earlier this year.  His shots seems to have the sting back in them, and his confidence seems to have risen - even with a less than stellar season.

As with every other tournament that has had the top four guys in the field, all eyes will be on them - with the possibility of some spoilers.  In this case, the best chance for a spoiler will be Jo-Willy (baby Ali)...he covers a lot of court for a big dude, and he is not intimidated by any of the top guys.

The finals will be shown on the Tennis Channel, coverage beginning at 7a.  For those of you who don't have the Tennis Channel, live stream will be shown on livescorehunter.com beginning at 8a with Federer/Tsonga, then Nadal/Fish at 2p.  Happy watching!

Wimbledon, the Big Four & some honorable mentions

Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic, Roger Federer, Andy Murray

It's quickly becoming that tennis time of year when it goes back to where it all began, the hallowed grounds of the All England Lawn Tennis & Croquet Club, better known to the masses as Wimbledon.  Dating back to 1877, the game today is a far cry from where it began, thanks in part to the Big Four of men's tennis, and the many tennis greats that came before them.  There's just something about watching tennis being played on grass, with everyone wearing their whites, that makes the game...sexy.  At only about five weeks, the grass court season goes by at the blink of an eye, and it's not nearly enough to time to fully appreciate the beauty of tennis played the way it originated.  Wimbledon is the final grass court tournament, and third slam of the year - it will begin on June 20th, and the final ball will be played on July 3rd.  The talk going into this year's Wimbledon is exactly where it should be, on the top four - deservedly so after their performances at the French Open.  Although the focus is definitely on them, there are some guys who could throw some monkey wrenches into the program.

Rafael Nadal

Number one, Rafael Nadal has been in the finals four times, 2006-2008 & 2010.  He was beaten by Federer in the '06 & '07 finals, before cracking the Federer code and taking the trophy for himself in 2008.  He was out with an injury in 2009 and was unable to defend his title, but coming back in 2010, he won the title again by defeating Tomas Berdych.  Rafa is not a grass court player by nature, he was born on the clay, but he made a point to improve his grass court play after winning his first French Open in 2005 & made winning Wimbledon his goal.  In the 2005 Wimbledon, he was ousted in the round of 64, but come 2006 he was in the final.  Rafa has long ago adjusted his game to suit any surface, and if he is in the draw, expect him to go far. With a renewed confidence after his French Open win, look for Rafa to be in the finals of this year's Wimbledon.

Novak Djokovic

Number two, Novak Djokovic's best performance at Wimbledon was last year when he made in to the semifinals, losing to Tomas Berdych.  He is currently having the best year of his career, with his only defeat coming from Roger Federer in the semifinals of the French Open he is currently 13-1 against top ten players.  Up until that point, he was on a 41 match win streak, with seven titles - including one major & four Masters series events.  Nole has proven (this year alone) that he can do battle with the two best players the game has ever seen, but the question going into Wimbledon is how will he bounce back after the defeat at the French.  Under normal circumstances it wouldn't have been an issue, but with the number one position being on his racket in that match, how will that weigh on him?  He has the game to go all the way, but where will his head be at?

Roger Federer

Roger Federer, current number three, is definitely not someone to be counted out, even if he is on course to be 30 years old in August.  I had doubted him going to the French Open, but he proved me & lots of others wrong.  The Federer is the most decorated player in the history of the game with sixteen major titles, six of them at Wimbledon ('03-'07 & '09).  His grass court game is Shakespearean - every move he makes is stoic, classic, and absolute poetry.  Roger has been a finalist at Wimbledon every year since 2003, with the exception of '10 where he was beaten in the quarterfinals by eventual finalist, Tomas Berdych.  Anytime there is grass underfoot, Roger must be included in the conversation.

Andy Murray

Number four ranked Andy Murray, my dearest Andy Murray. He's been in the last two Wimbledon semifinals, losing in '10 to eventual champion, Rafael Nadal, and in '09 to Andy Roddick.  Everyone knows that the Scot has the game to win a major, but he's head has not seemed to grasp that fact yet.  This probably the hardest major for Andy to play in, not because of the surface, but because of the British press.  Since Tim Henman's retirement, Andy has had the weight of British hopes for a major winner on his shoulders.  Maybe new coach/consultant, Darren 'Killer' Cahill, can help get Andy's head where it belongs.

Juan Martin Del Potro

Currently ranked number 22, Juan Martin Del Potro, will be a thorn in the side of any of top players that he may go up against.  His ranking is low only because he missed most 2010 with a wrist injury.  His game is one of power, hit his opponents off the court power, and he can move pretty well for a big guy.  He's done pretty well this year considering that he started the year off ranked 485.  The grass has never been his forte, but this a man who has had a taste of the big time and is hungry for more.

Andy Roddick

Andy Roddick, currently ranked number 10, could also make a little noise at Wimbledon.  He is a three time finalist ('04, '05, & '09) losing each final to the Swiss Maestro, Roger Federer.  The 2009 final was without a doubt his best showing at Wimbledon or against Federer in general, losing 14-16 in the fifth set.  He's a former US Open Champion (2003), and definitely has the game to win another title, but much like Andy Murray, his temper head gets in his way at times.  Roddick is on the tail end of his career, but with the right draw, and some old school ARod type play on the grass, he could definitely be around in week two of the tournament.  Can he take out an 'in form' Nadal, Djokovic,or Federer, highly doubtful.

Wimbledon Streaker

These six guys are just of sample of ones to look out for on the lawns of Wimbledon.  There are some others, like Jo Wilfried Tsonga, who recently took out Nadal in the quarterfinals of the AEGON Championships in London.  Tomas Berdych, who beat Federer in the quarters last year & went on to reach the final.  Robin Soderling, who has a game suited for the (now) slower playing grass courts at Wimbledon, or even David Ferrer, who is a scrappy, human backboard.  There will be plenty more players to raise some brows during the tournament, the majors are always full of surprises, and players making their breakthroughs, so I'm sure this one will be no different.  And of course, there is always the Wimbledon streaker!  Be sure to tune in!  If you are unable to watch on television, head over to livescorehunter.com for live feeds.

Aussie Open 2nd Semi Andy Murray Vs David Ferrer

David Ferrer (left); Andy Murray (right)

Thursday's second semi-final match between Andy Murray & David Ferrer started off as a slugfest, with both guys knocking the fuzz off of the balls.  Serving at 4-5 in the first set, the Scot was broken - first set goes to David Ferrer.  This was the first time that Andy Murray had lost a set to Ferrer on a hard court.
The second set didn't get much easier for Andy Murray.  He began to realize that the scrappy Spainard was going to be a backboard who liked the pace, so Murray began to mix things up, using the slice (not overusing the slice).  He broke Ferrer's serve, but was soon broken back.  Onto the tiebreak, where Murray's steadiness proved key.  He kept down his unforced errors & protected his serve to race out to a 6-0 led in the tiebreak, before taking the set 7-2 in the tiebreak.

David Ferrer

Seeing that his foe had been rattled by the second set tiebreak, Murray took full advantage, taking the third set 6-1.

Murray victorious

Forth set was almost a replay of the second, with Murray breaking early, then being broken back.  Andy mixed up his pace & shot selection, taking the set to the second tiebreak of the match.  Ferrer must have been thinking about his poor tiebreak record (1-11 overall, 0-11 at the Melbourn Park), and Murray once again won the tiebreak 7-2. 
Next up for the Scot will be 2008 Australian Open champion, Novak Djovokic.  Nole holds a slight lead in their head-to-head (4-3), but Murray has won the last three matches they've played against one another.  Their last meeting was at the 2009 Sony Ericsson Open in Miami, Murray winning in straight sets 6-2, 7-5.  Murray will try to become the first British citizen, since Fred Perry 75 years ago, to win a mjor title, and the odds seem to be in his favor.

Aussie Open 1st Men's Semi Djokovic vs Federer review

Let me start off by saying that I really love what Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal have done for the sport of tennis.  Between the two of them, they have won 21 of the last 23 majors that have been played.  The 2008 Aussie Open (Novak Djokovic defeated Jo-Wilfried Tsonga in the final, Roger Federer in the semi-final), and the 2009 US Open where 'The Fed' was beaten by Juan Martin Del Potro in the final - getting hit off the court in the fifth set - were the only two breaks in their party.  Bravo, job well done guys - but other guys in the mix would without a doubt make things much more exciting. 

A lot of the top guys definitely have the game to battle Rafa & Fed, but they seem to be losing matches against the 'Big 2' before they even get out on the court.  Maybe this Aussie Open is the beginning of an thrilling year of Men's tennis - a year where names other than Nadal & Federer are etched onto the trophies & winner's checks.  Now admittedly, Rafa had a bit of bad luck in his quaterfinal match against David Ferrer - the Aussie hard court has never really been his body's friend (he also had to retire in a match last year), but even without the injury, I was expecting the scrappy Ferrer to take that match. Federer on the other hand got beat.

Novak Djokovic (left); Roger Federer (right)

Nole came out for his semi against Federer with that look in his eye.  Roger was just his normal chill self, maybe thinking about his head-to-head record against the Serb.  The first set was a tight one, even the tiebreak, there was just one mini-break against Federer and that's all it took.  Second set, Nole breaks, then Roger breaks back.  Roger breaks again to go up 5-2, before Nole starts to swing free again & levels the set.  Mind you, Federer made a lot of errors in the second set (and the match as a whole), those errors were because the guy on the other side of the net had gotten in his head, thus getting him off his game.  In the first service game of the third set, Nole saved 3 break points.  Nole goes on to break the Federer serve, but then Roger breaks back to get the score back to 4 all.  But that was it for Roger, as Nole got back the belief that took gave him a win over Roger in their last meeting at the 2010 US Open semi-finals.  Will this be another flash in the pan for the Serb, or has he truly come to break up the Federer/Nadal dominance of the past five years?  That book is still unwritten. 

In Sunday's final, Nole will face the winner of the Murray-Ferrer match.  David Ferrer is a hell of a player, but if the Andy Murray we've seen throughout this tournament shows up, we will see a Djokovic-Murray final.  If Murray reverts back to his passive style of play, Mr.  Ferrer will run over him.  Either or, this Sunday's finals proves to be a good one, even if it's Nadal/Federer-less.

Buckle your seatbelts tennis fans, I think this year is going to be an exiting one!

In honour of his semi-final birth, today's hottie will be Spain's own, David Ferrer.  Vamos!

Aussie Open Day 4 Results

Day 4 is over, and I'm sad to report that Juan Martin Del Potro's run at the '11 Aussie Open has been brought to an end by the Cypriot, Marcos Baghdatis 1-6, 3-6, 6-4, 3-6.

Del Potro (left); Baghdatis (right)

 

 

 

 

 

Juan Martin Del Potro

Marcos Baghdatis

Marcos played like the guy who made it to the '06 Aussie final (losing to Roger Federer), and Del Potro played like a guy who had been out of the game for almost a year.  Juan Martin's movement wasn't there for him, nor was his weight of shot.  At one point during the match, Juan Martin had the trainer come out to look at the wrist that he had surgery on.  Baghdatis hit 46 winners/29 errors against Del Potro's 34 winners/41 errors.  Oh well, I guess Juan Martin has to crawl before he can walk.

Robin Soderling

Number 4 Robin Soderling is still moving thru the rounds under the radar, partly because of all the talk about the 'Rafa Slam' or the possible Rafa/Roger final.  He took out Gilles Müller 6-3, 7-6 (7-1), 6-1.  Soderling ended the match with an above decent stat sheet - overall first serve percentage was 58%, winning 93% of his first serves, and 67% of his second serves.  He hit 6 aces/5 double faults, 30 winners/15 unforced errors, and won 10 out of 13 net approaches.

Andy Murray

Andy Murray is still looking good (his tennis game wasn't bad either).  He beat Illya Marchenko 6-1, 6-3, 6-3.  Murray had 16 aces for the match and NO double faults.  He hit only 15 unforced errors, compared to 31 winners.  Maybe he got the 'be more aggressive' memo.

David Ferrer

Spainard, David Ferrer, gave America's Michael Russell absolutely no slack in their match, stomping him 6-0, 6-1, 7-5.  Ferrer didn't face a break point throughout the match, hitting 8 aces with 3 double faults, 28 winners and 22 unforced errors.  He won 82% of his first serves & 71% of second serves.

Rafael Nadal

Rafa was typical Rafa - he rocked American Ryan Sweeting like a hurricane 6-2, 6-1, 6-1.  Sweeting (23 yrs old, just one year Rafa's junior) did manage to break Rafa's serve once during the match, but... 

Michaël Llodra

Today's hottie will be another Frenchmen,  Michaël Llodra.

Michaël Llodra

Michaël Llodra

 

Aussie Open Day 1 Results

Sunday, January 16 (Monday, January 17th Aussie time) marked the beginning of 2011 Australian Open.  Here's a brief rundown of results of the 9 guys that are my favs in the tournament.

Roger Federer

Number two, Roger Federer, won his opening match against Lukas Lacko with an absolute tennis clinic 6-1, 6-1, 6-3.  Nothing more need be said other than the fact that his game was sick.  He was much more aggressive than Roger of the past couple years, and if he keeps this type of play up, he could regain the number one ranking sooner, rather than later. Roger hit 37 winners against 18 unforced errors & his first serve percentage was 64%.  When his first serve landing in the box, he won 87% of those points, and 67% percent of his 2nd serves.  Obviously, he was happy with his performance.

Novak 'Nole' Djokovic

Novak Djokovic, world number three also came out with an impressive start, taking out Marcel Granollers 6-1, 6-3, 6-1.  Nole came to net 19 times, winning 13 of those points - good averages for a guy that's not really known for his net play.  He was plus 17 in the winners to errors ration (34 winners - 17 unforced errors).  He's won this tournament before in 2008, so let's see if he can step it up & once again hold the hardware.

Andy Roddick

America's own, Andy Roddick's serve was en fuego throughout his first round match against Jan Hajek of the Czech Republic, with his fastest of the match being 136 MPH (219 KMH).  His overall first serve percentage was 68%, winning 80% of first serves that he got in.  He mixed up the pace of his shots well, but still isn't playing aggressive enough to worry the likes of the top 3 guys (Rafa, Roger, & Nole).  A-Rod won his match 6-1, 6-2, 6-2.  If you so please, here's the link to his aftermatch interview transcript.

Fernando Verdasco

The last of the 9 favs I have for this tournament that played on day one is Fernando Verdasco (remember his Calvin Klein ad).  Señor Verdasco came up against Rainer Schüttler, winning 6-1, 6-3, 6-2.  He came into the tournament with a 'healed' ankle injury from about 2-3 weeks ago.  He's stat sheet looked good as well as the other 3 guys - overall his first serve percentage was 62%, he won 86% of them. 33 winners and 17 unforced errors also put in the plus ratio.  He was moving well & his forehand looked sharp.  I still feel he can make it deep into the tournament, but not deep enough to take it all.


Rafael Nadal, Andy Murray, Robin Soderling, David Ferrer, and Juan Martin Del Potro will all be playing their opening round matches Tuesday.  Looking at their opening rounds draws, it would be rather shocking if they all didn't make to round 2.

Janko Tipsarevic

Hottie for Aussie Open day one will be Serbian Janko Tipseravic, who will be Verdasco's second round opponent.












Remember, I'm not a tennis expert, I'm just a boy.
 

My most favorite time of the year...the beginning of Grand Slam Tennis season!

Just six days before the Australian Open begins!  First TV showing will be Sunday, January 16th on ESPN2 from 630P-330A EST.  Aussie Open TV Schedule is here.   Let's take a look at the top 5 male players in the world & any wild cards that could possibly make some noise in the tournament.  No disrespect meant to the ladies, but their side of the draw is wide open & just about any of the top 10 or 20 players could have a chance.

Rafael Nadal - current rank #1



The number one player in the world is Spain's own, Rafael Nadal & he's won each one of the 4 majors.  Rafa goes into every tournament he enters as on the favorites.  He plays every single point as if the match depends on it - with some players, especially Roger Federer, a single point could determine the match.  Rafa being a lefty & as strong as an ox creates problems for most players.  The spin he puts on the ball, combined with the amount of pace he hits it with is intimidating to say the least.  No one scares Mr. Nadal, he scares them!  Rafa without a doubt is one of the favorites to win the Aussie Open, but it won't be easy for him.  If he makes it to the final, he is very hard to beat (ask Roger Federer, who cried in 2009 after Rafa beat him).  If Rafa does win the Aussie Open, he'd be the current holder of all 4 slams, having won the '10 French Open, Wimbledon, & US Open.  Rafael Nadal's website.



Roger Federer - current rank #2



Next up, Roger Federer, the Swiss Mister, currently ranked #2 in the world.  He's also completed the career Grand Slam (winning all 4 majors) & he was reigning number one 237 consecutive weeks, until Mr. Nadal ruined his party.  Much like Rafa, Roger is a threat to any man that stands on the opposite side of the net.  His game is like Shakespeare - every move he makes on the court is classic, stoic (except that '09 Aussie Open when he cried) & absolute poetry.  For 4 years no one could touch this man, except Rafa on the clay, which I think made him kinda lazy.  He'd gotten so used to beating the snot out of people, that he wasn't ready when the field caught up to his amazingness.  Even so, there have been only a handful of guys who have beaten him in majors in the past 5 or 6 years.  Roger's website.




Novak 'Nole' Djokovic - current rank #3

 Novak 'Nole' Djokovic from Serbia, is currently ranked #3 in the world.  He used to do really funny impressions of some other players, but I guess someone gave him shizz about it b/c he doesn't do them anymore & kinda miss them. Nole won the 2008 Aussie Open, beating Roger Federer in the semi-finals & Jo-Wilfried Tsonga in the final.  He's been in the final of two other majors - the '07 US Open, losing to Roger Federer & the '10 US Open, losing to Rafael Nadal.  Depending on which Nole shows up, he has a shot at this year's Aussie Open.  Nole isn't intimidated by the other big players, but sometimes has difficulties that can't really be explained.  Against the top 2 guys, Nole is 7-16 Vs Rafa & 6-13 Vs Roger.  Nole's website.

Robin Soderling - current rank #4

Sweden's Robin Soderling is currently ranked #4 in the world, although he only has a 25 point led over Andy Murray.  He's been in two French Open finals, losing both attempts - '09 to Roger Federer & '10 to Rafael Nadal.  At the '09 French Open, he took out Rafael Nadal scoring the biggest upset of the year beating Nadal and ending his record 31-match winning streak at Roland Garros. Robin's game is a big one, but he needs a lot of time to set up his shots because of that big wind-up.  If the wind is blowing, or he's playing on a fast court, he's basically screwed.  Luckily the Aussie Open is played on one the slower hard courts.  He's definitely one to watch here.  Robin's website.




Andy Murray - current rank #5

 The Scot, Andy Murray, is the game's #5 player in the world.  He's never won a major, but he has beaten the players ranked above him, however not in a big tournament.  Andy has been in two major's finals, the '08 US Open & the '10 Aussie Open, losing both times to Roger Federer.  Andy has a helluva game, but his head gets in his way.  He's more of a defensive player - against guys like Rafa, Roger, or Nole that style of play doesn't work.  It's not that he doesn't have the shots to win, he prefers to be a backboard - not taking his chances when they are presented to him.  He is Great Britain's best & greatest hope to bring a major to the land of the Royals.  I think one day he will win a major, but I'm doubtful that it will be at this Aussie Open.  Here's a link to his website.



Juan Martin Del Potro - current rank #259



One of the long shots this year could very well be the Argentine, Juan Martin Del Potro.  He won the '09 US Open, beating Roger Federer in the final, and in January '01 reached a career high ranking of #4 in the world before having to take the rest of the year off after surgery for a wrist injury.  He's currently only ranked #258 in the world, but that's after being out of the game for almost all of '09.  Although his chances of winning the Aussie Open after a long time off the court are slim, it could very well be an indication of how his year will go.  Before having to sit out, he was considered a player who was going to be a big threat to the big 4 of Rafa, Roger, Nole, and Andy Murray.  Make no mistake, this is a big dude (6'6") with a big game. 

There are some other players that I think could possibly make a run at the Aussie Open.  First, would be Spainard, David Ferrer, currently ranked #7.  He's only 5'9", but is built like a bull dog & has been known to give the top 5 plenty of problems.  Ferrer's website. Then, American Andy Roddick, former #1 ranked player, currently ranked #8 in the world.  A-Rod has one major under his built, which was the '03 US Open, and he has the game to get things done on the court.  Roddick is known for frequent outbursts against umpires on the court.  He also holds the record for the fastest ever recorded serve - 155 MPH & he has a blooper reel.  A-Rod's website.  Next is another Spainard, Fernando Verdasco, currently ranked #9.  He's highest ranking was in '09 when he #7 in the world.  Fernando's best Slam performance was making the semis at the '09 Aussie Open losing to Rafael Nadal.  His game has a lot of promise...will he win a slam, maybe, maybe not, but I still give the guy a chance.  Mr. Verdasco's site.




David Ferrer - current rank #7

  



Fernando Verdasco - current rank #9

Andy Roddick - current rank #8

Just for kicks, here's a vid of Fernando Verdasco doing a Calvin Klein underwear shoot

All rankings are as of Monday, January 10, 2011.  Stay tuned...the Aussie Open begins this Sunday, so once it starts, I may blog about it daily.  One of the many players will definitely be a hottie of the week/day!  These are nine guys that I think have a chance to 'do work' at the Aussie Open.  Keep in mind, I'm not a tennis expert, I'm just a boy.