French Open men’s outsiders
Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer, Rafa, Roger, that’s all you hear when Grand Slams come around, and for good reason too.
Since the French Open in 2005 only two players other than that pair have managed to win a Grand Slam. Novak Djokovic in 2008 at the Australian Open, and Juan Martin Del Porto at last year’s US Open. That means out of the last 20 grand slams available, Federer and Nadal have claimed 18 between them, displaying the sort of dominance tennis has never seen before.
But that doesn’t mean other players can’t win a Grand Slam, it just means they are going to have to play the best tennis of their life to stand any chance of winning, and del Potro and Djokovic have proved that it is possible.
So instead of talking how great Roger and Rafa are here are some outsiders to consider if you feel like rooting for an underdog.
Fernando Verdasco
Ok, so the first problem with picking Verdasco for the French Open is the fact that his record against Nadal is a woeful 0-10. You might be thinking why should anyone back him? Well, these are outsiders and as outsiders they are not as dominant as the top two players in the world. That means they will need things to go their way and Verdasco could be the biggest beneficiary. He’s very good on clay and won the Barcelona Open this year, albeit with Nadal not there. But if something was to happen to Rafa at Roland Garros, Verdasco could be the man to upset Federer if they were to meet in the final in Paris.
Marian Cilic
He’s a very long shot but one day this guy will win a Grand Slam. He’s shown that he can go the distance in five-set matches and definitely has the talent to cause trouble for the world’s elite players. He’s ranked 12 in the world so he’s up there with the best already and as he’s only 21 still has lots of time to improve. However, he’s not the best on clay which will hamper is cause, but his recent performance in Munich, where he finished runner-up to Mikhail Youzhny, provides some cause for hope. Will he do it? Probably not. Can he do it? Yes he can.
Fernando Gonzalez
The 29-year-old has been injured a lot this year so his recent form can’t really be taken into account. But Gonzalez is a clay-court specialist, having being brought up on the clay courts of Chile, and could repeat his 2009 semi-final appearance in Paris. His forehand is one of the most spectacular shots in world tennis and when on song can overpower anyone, even Nadal. But the key is fitness and if he doesn’t have that Gonzalez won’t be a factor. If he’s feeling fit and healthy he should be one to watch out for.
Tags: