In this feature, players who have made a mark in the world of tennis are discussed. With the greatest-of-all-time discussion inconclusive and unlikely to be resolved within the near future, the new question is Greatest of the Year!
This title is not dependent on just rankings. There are many factors which make a player phenomenal and this list is based on all of them. Largely, tennis has become a game for just two players, Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer. This list aims to highlight
the achievements of every player who has showed improvement, or proved themselves as formidable opponents in 2010.
Number 8: Tomas Berdych
Many tennis fans will question the inclusion of Czech Number 1 Tomas Berdych on this list. His achievements for the year, while certainly nothing to scoff at, have not been too remarkable. His downfall is that he is talented, but freezes up during key matches
and does not exercise his full potential. Despite this, he managed to make it to a final as well as a semi-final at two separate Grand Slams.
Berdych’s 2010 run was not uneventful. By his own standards, he had a magnificent year. The Czech player put in a semi-finals appearance at the French Open in Roland Garros, and a title match appearance at the Wimbledon Championships. At the All-England
Club, he was defeated easily by World Number 1 Rafael “Rafa” Nadal. In addition to this, he also won himself a spot at the Barclay’s ATP World Tour finals at London, where top-eight players compete against each other for the title of the year-ending tournament.
Besides these achievements, Berdych has not accomplished considerable on the ATP tour, although his upset of Roger Federer at the Miami event is quite a feat.
Number 9: Bob and Mike Bryan
This doubles duo is definitely one of the most-wanted teams in sports this years. The two American brothers teamed up with each other yet again to fight for a stunning run in 2010.
The Bryan Brothers are without a doubt the most triumphant doubles team this year, and they are known as one of the most successful doubles pairing in the history of the sport.
The pair won two Grand Slams this year. They scored their first doubles titles at the Australian Open in Melbourne. The second title was won at the US Open in New York, where they defeated Pak-India duo of Aisam-ul-Haq Qureshi and Rohan Bopanna in the final.
In addition to this, they were also victorious at 4 straight Masters 1000 series events. The two brothers ended the year as World Number 1 on the ATP doubles ranking. They also qualified for the Barclays ATP World Tour Finals event as first seeds, and managed
to fight the tournament out until the semi-final. They were defeated by eventual champions Daniel Nestor and Nenad Zimonjic.
To top off these feats, they also broke the record for most tour titles, with Bob Bryan holding 67 and brother Mike holding 69 titles. Their next aim for broken records will be the one by WTA tennis legends Martina Navratilova and Pam Shriver, who set the
bar high at 79 tour titles.
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