Things to look forward to at the end of 2010 ATP season
In order to find a season quite as challenging or relevant as this year’s, one would have to pore over volumes and volumes of tennis history just to find a year that has had as many intriguing storylines from players to follow. With just one Masters 100
tournament left, to be held next week in Paris, here are a few things which any avid fan will follow with keen interest:
One of these major events is without a doubt the resurgence of Andy Murray, who is Britain’s Number 1 player. Although, the 23 year old Scot has not yet won a Grand Slam title, he is without a doubt one of the game’s most formidable contenders. This is a
fact, backed up by his current position as ATP World Number 4 as well as his run as the finalist against World Number 2, Roger Federer at this year’s Australian Open in January.
His recent Shanghai Masters performance also validates him as a force to be reckoned with all the way to the end of year tournament in London and beyond. Another contender who has made the charts his own is Novak Djokovic, who has been on a winning tear
since his defeat of Federer at Flushing Meadows. He also gave the Number 1, Rafael Nadal, all that Rafa could handle at the Open. Djokovic’s driving force these days is undoubtedly the upcoming Davis Cup final, with Serbia fighting against France. With Nole’s
legendary focus and firepower, the French team should be either prepared, or afraid of the champion.
Another reason to keep watching this season is obviously Rafa. Although, Jurgen Melzer managed to upset the top player at the Shanghai Masters, the fact remains that he was a force to be reckoned with at the start of the Asia Tour. Now, he has his eye on
the one title that he has not yet bagged; the Barclays ATP World Tour Finals. If he manages to bag it, he will dispel suspicions that he loses his momentum near the end of the year. Rafa is in good place to win the tournament, but he will have some tough competition:
B4aS, or the Big Four and Soderling, have all made it to the competition.
Roger Federer is yet another champion to look forward to. While his back-to-back losses at two Majors, Wimbledon and the US Open, must have left him with some training to do, he has always owned the end of year championships, and will not be willing to give
that up to Rafa without a fight, or for that matter to any other player.
This year has been a successful one for the ATP, and it proves the worth of the full-season schedule. Many critics and spectators question and criticize this policy and claim that there should be an offseason, as is common in most team sports. This opinion
has strengthened in previous years, when wounds, lack of incentive or plain indifference has caused upper-tier players to perform mediocrity and allow less-talented players to grab titles.
However, the fact remains that tennis will always be an interval sport – it demands stretches of immense effort, and then small periods of relaxation and time off. If there’s anything this year has proven, it is this: when enough is at stake, players will
find the energy required to play tennis worthy of the Slams.
All in all, one thing is for sure: this year’s grand finale will be an event to watch, unlike the four year- 2005 to 2008- interval where four men who have not yet won a Slam seized the Paris title. These men are Tomas Berdych, Nikolay Davydenko, David Nalbandian
and Jo-Wilfried Tsonga.
This year, it’s difficult to see anyone besides the Big Four taking away the title at the Paris Masters, which is how it’s supposed to be. This is a sign which proves that the tour is as it should be; if Paris concludes with the title in the hands of a Major-less
player, it would be Andy Murray, and no one else.
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