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.

French Open 'Preview'

The main draw at the French Open begins this Sunday, and a wonderful occasion it will be.   Three guys are the talk of the tournament - the usual suspect, Rafael Nadal, will be there to defend his title from last year, and also try to tie the Björn Borg record of six French Open titles, Roger Federer will be there trying to salvage his year, and course, tennis' boy wonder, Novak Djokovic will be there.  Some other players that may possibly have a chance at the title, or at least going deep into the tournament are, Andy Murray, Robin Soderling, and Juan Martin Del Potro.

Novak Djokovic

The most talked about guy is without a doubt, Serbian, Novak Djokovic.  Nole is on a 39-0 run this season, with seven titles - one slam, and four masters series titles.  Currently sitting at number two in the world, if Nole makes the final, even if Nadal wins, he will take over the number one ranking position.  He has become the second player who has beaten Nadal four consecutive times, the only player who has beaten Nadal in four consecutive finals.  In their last two matches, Nole has beaten Nadal in straights sets ON CLAY.  Up until this year, when a Nadal has gotten ahead in a point, that point was his for the taking, but Djokovic has changed that dynamic.  His best performance at the French Open to date were two semifinal births in '07 & '08, losing to Nadal each time.  In '10 he made it to the quarters before being ousted by Jurgen Melzer. 

Rafael Nadal

Rafael Nadal is currently the number one player in the world, but only by 405 points, and this French Open could very well be the end of his reign.  Up until about three weeks ago, Rafa was on a 37 match win streak on clay (186-6 record overall since 2005), but then he came up against Nole in the finals of Madrid and that streak was ended.  People said that it was only because Madrid's clay was faster, and the altitude had a say in the way things happened, but then the following week in Rome, on a court that plays similar to those at Roland Garros, Djokovic captured another straight sets win.  His notorious forehand shot with the high kicking ball placed at his opponents backhand side used to prove an effective weapon, but Nole has been able to neutralize it - the short of it is that the Djokovic backhand has become a much better weapon than the Nadal forehand.  The days when the  longer rallies, especially on clay, that used to go Rafa's way are gone, at least against Djokovic.

Roger Federer

Roger Federer was known as the second best player on clay, behind Nadal. He was a French Open finalist in '06, '07, 08, losing each time to Nadal, and he won the 2009 French Open (with the absence of Nadal in the final).  This year he has been beaten by only four men - Richard Gasquet in the round of 16 in Rome, Jurgen Melzer in the quarters in Monte Carlo, three times by Djokovic - Aussie Open & Indian Wells semis, the finals in Doha, and twice by Nadal - Madrid & Miami semis.  Early years in his days of domination The Fed was always under control, always stoic, and rarely showed any negative emotion on the court. Now he's often visibly frustrated, 'Roddicking' - arguing with umpires, he's a step slower, his forehand doesn't have the sting it once had, and his backhand has become a definite liability.  Having lost the number two ranking to Djokovic earlier this year, The Fed will want to have to make a good showing if he wants to make his way back up to the top - or at least put himself in a position where he doesn't have to meet Nadal or Djokovic is the semifinals of tournaments.

Andy Murray

Andy Murray, oh Andy Murray - I really don't know what to say.  After the beat down he took in the Aussie final from Djokovic, his lil engine just couldn't/wouldn't go any further.  Traditionally, clay isn't his best surface, but maybe there is a glimmer of hope in the fact that he took Nadal to three sets in the semifinal in Monte Carlo, and also Djokovic  in Rome - this match in Rome is being hailed by some as the best match of the year & I agree. His best performance at the French Open came in '09 when he made the quarterfinals, '10 he went out in the fourth round.  We can only wait to see which Andy shows up.  Let's hope for the best...I really like this guy, and would like to see him win a major one day - Great Britain would love him for it.  I would love him for it.

Robin Soderling

Robin Soderling in the past two French Opens has been the 'giant killer'.  In 2009, he took out (an injured) Rafael Nadal in the round of 16, in 2010, he took out '09 champ Roger Federer in the quarterfinals.  So far this year, his performance has been decent, and he has reached the quarterfinals in his last three clay tournaments.  He can be very unpredictable on the clay, or in general for that matter.  Like Mr. Murray, it's a wait & see kind of thing with him as well.

Juan Martin Del Potro

Juan Martin Del Potro has gotten progressively better since his return to the tour earlier this year.  At the end of 2009, before his wrist injury, he was expected to be the guy to break up the Federer/Nadal duopoly. In route to his '09 US Open title, he took out Nadal in straight sets in the semis, and Federer in a five set thriller in the final - hitting them both off the court in the process.  He has two titles this year, one on clay at Estoril earlier this month.  He booked himself a third round clash against Nadal in Madrid, but had to withdraw before the match with a hip injury.  Up until earlier this week, he wasn't sure he'd be healthy enough to play at Roland Garros.  He could possibly face Djokovic in the third round, which will be interesting, but with Nole playing the way he is, DelPo will have to be very well rested to get by him...unless, of course Nole has a let down in playing form.  I wish him luck, but don't see him getting past the Djoker.


There are of course other guys who can possibly threaten, but these six guys I see that have the game and the mental fortitude to get the job done.  Regardless of anything else that may go on in the course of the tournament, the Nadal/Djokovic/Federer storyline is making this one of the most anticipated French Opens in a long time.

This French Open is going to be tasty! 

Ce français Ouvert va être délicieux!

BNP Paribas Open Indian Wells Masters 1000 'Preview'

Rafa

The BNP Paribas Indian Wells tournament, which started on March 7th and runs thru March 20th, is packed with some of the ATP's heavyweights.  Headlining is of course, the world's number one, Rafael Nadal.  At the Australian Open, Rafa struggled with a leg injury he sustained early in the first set of his quarterfinal match against fellow Spainard, David Ferrer.  He's been hush-hush about the injury, but played well last week in Davis Cup action.  Rafa has won at Indian Wells in 2007 and 2009.  Going up against some of the best in the business should how much he has recovered from his leg injury.

Roger Federer

Nole on beach in California

Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic , the world's numbers two & three respectively, are also in the draw.  Djokovic could take over the number two position if 1) he wins the tournament, or 2) he reaches the final and Federer loses before the title match, or 3) he reaches the semifinals and Federer loses before the quarters.  Roger currently holds a 165 point lead over Nole - 7965 points for Federer to 7800 points for Djokovic.  Nole is on a fourteen match winning streak, including two wins over Roger Federer (Australian Open semifinals and the finals of the Dubai Duty Free Championships) - both defeats in straight sets.  Roger won at Indian Wells from 2004-2006.  Nole won this tournament back in 2008.  Roger is looking to regain his form, and Nole is playing better and with more confidence that at any point during his career.  Federer and Djokovic could possibly meet in the semifinals if they each make it that far.

Robin Soderling

Andy Murray

Robin Soderling, currently ranked number four, could possibly meet the man he recently overtook for the fourth position in the rankings, Andy Murray, in the quarterfinals.  Soderling has won 3 of the 4 tournaments he has played in this year (Marseille, Rotterdam - both indoor hardcourts, and Brisbane International on an outdoor hardcourt).  He's won a total of nine titles during his career, three of them in the 1st two months of the 2011 season. The Swed is en fuego.   Andy Murray is coming off a very embarrassing disappointing Australian Open final, losing in straight sets to Novak Djokovic, and a first round loss in Rotterdam.  Up until the finals of the Aussie Open, he looked a guy on a mission, since then he's lost his mojo.  If majors were won on game alone, Mr. Murray would already have a couple trophies in his case, but unfortunately for Andy, his head gets in his way.  This isn't a major, so maybe he won't choke.

Milos Raonic

Dolgopolov

Alexandr Dolgoplov and Milos Raonic are two young players on the move, each making their presence known in 2011.  Dolgo started the year ranked number 32, and with some steady play, has moved up to his current ranking of 23.  He had a good run at the Aussie Open, making it to quarterfinals, giving Robin Soderling his only loss in the 2011 season.  He also made it to the finals of Costa Do Suipe, losing to Nicolas Almagro, and made it to the semifinals in Acapulco, losing to eventual winner, David Ferrer.  Milos Raonic started the year ranked 156 in the world and is now the number 37.  At the Aussie Open, he made it to the round of 16, and lost in the finals to Andy Roddick in Memphis.  He won his first ATP tour event at the SAP Open, defeating the Spainard, Fernando Verdasco.

Juan Martin

Juan Martin Del Potro is definitely on the comeback.  After being out the game for almost all of 2010 w/a wrist injury that required surgery, he began 2011 with a ranking of 484, he will enter Indian Wells back inside the top 100, ranked number 90.  Since his comeback, he has one title under his belt at Delray Beach defeating Janko Tipseravic is straight sets.  He's also made to semifinals since his comeback - losing in Memphis to winner Andy Roddick, and losing to Fernando Verdasco at the SAP Open in San Jose.  Juan Martin defeated Radek Stepanek in the first round of Indian Wells on Thursday 6-4, 6-4.

Of course, this isn't the whole field, and it's definitely not a post about the end all, be all in men's tennis, just some of the guys I have my eye on this year.  As always, remember I'm not a tennis expert, I'm just a boy...

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.