Tennis: 12 players the Big Four should watch out for - Part II
In the first instalment of this three part series, the Grand Slam ability of certain players such as Robin Soderling, Tomas Berdych, Fernando Verdasco and Juan Martin del Potro was discussed.
These players may have exactly what it takes to oust the Big Four from the World’s top positions and make way for new challengers on the field.
The second instalment discusses four more players:
5. David Ferrer:
This 28 year old Spaniard’s career highlight was probably his appearance in the 2007 US Open semi finals; this same year, he also made a break into the top five players of the world. However, he has had a slow year, and by and large his best results have
been on clay courts.
He also went further at Wimbledon, reaching the fourth round, than he has ever been before. Ferrer also produced good hard court results, and may have what it takes to progress past his position of World Number 8 – however, his age is definitely a factor
and may hold him back.
6. Mikhail Youzhny:
The 28 year old Youzhny is another player who may end up limited by his age. The Russian has had a consistent, impressive year; he won ATP events at Munich and Kuala Lumpur, reached the quarter finals of the French Open and made an appearance at US Open
semi finals.
Youzhny, when in form, has one of the trickiest and hardest to manage games on the tour, but he also has his limitations. Now that his compatriot Nikolay Davydenko is on a downward spiral, he is Russia’s best; although, somewhat improbable hope for a Slam.
7. Andy Roddick:
This American player is another superb 28 year old tennis pro on the tour. As with every other player – even Federer’s age seems to be catching up to him – he also lacks the agility to succeed at this age.
He has suffered far more injuries this year than he normally does, which usually means that a player’s body is ready to break down. What Roddick has going for him is that he is both smart and competitive, and may be able to make the most out of his last
few seasons.
He did reach one Slam quarter final in 2010, and was out-hit on all his losses.
8. Marin Cilic:
This 22 year old is a mystery. He won the Chennai Open and was a semi finalist at the 2010 Australian Open. For a brief period of time, he was regarded as a fresh new talent on the ATP. But, the Croatian seems to have disappeared in the past seven months
entirely.
He possesses height, balance and firepower; although critics were sure that he would be the breakout player of this year, he hasn’t won any consecutive matches since August.
The third and final instalment of this series brings up the names of four more players who may or may not be able to contest the Big Four’s claim to fame.
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