Top Ten Thoughts about Tennis in 2010 Part II
At the end of the 2010 tennis season for the Association of Tennis Professionals and the Women’s Tennis Association, spectators and critics are discussing the most impressive events and their consequences. This was one of the most exciting and amazing years
of the decade, and will no doubt go down in tennis history as a year to be talked about. This list details ten salient thoughts about the season, as well as some predictions, reviews and plaudits for the players this year. The second instalment of this series
enlists the next three of ten points, while the first one discussed the first three. The last and third instalment will hold four points relevant to the season.
4. In the year 2011, it is very likely that a player besides World Number 1 Rafael Nadal and World Number 2 Roger Federer will win a Grand Slam event. This is a relatively safe bet to make, although some fans may disagree. It is true that the two players
have dominated 23 of the last 26 majors, with either the Spaniard or the Swiss player taking away the coveted titles. However, it should be considered that the two players did not play in the final of an event until the end of this year, and even then they
did not meet in a Grand Slam tournament. This means that four of the players directly below them on the rankings, such as British Number 1 Andy Murray, Swede Robin Soderling, Czech Number 1 Tomas Berdych and World Number 3 Novak Djokovic are slowly catching
up the two players, and preventing their entry into the finals of each event. All four of these players managed to play well enough to qualify for the finals of a Grand Slam event. Three of these players, Djokovic, Murray and Soderling, have even accomplished
this feat multiple times. In all probability, one of these players will take away a Grand Slam title next season.
2. One of the most entertaining players to watch in tennis today is Frenchman Michael Llodra. While many viewers are unfamiliar with him and his style of play, his 2008 Davis Cup tie serve and volley performance quickly made fans out of the many spectators
who watched. This year, Llodra gathered more fans for himself with his performance at the Paris Masters, where he made it to the event’s semi-finals. Michael Llodra, who is coached by former Women’s Tennis Association pro Amelie Mauresmo, plays in a different
way. He also plays extremely well, as he will have sufficient opportunity to prove at the Davis Cup final weekend. Llodra will play doubles with Arnaud Clement against the Serbian duo, Nenad Zimonjic and Viktor Troicki.
3. Another player with a distinctive style of play is World Number 7, Spaniard David Ferrer. His no-fuss style of play has brought his record to a total of 60 matches won and two titles earned. However, his best achievement this year was no doubt one of
the 24 losses he suffered this year. This one, in specific, was played against Fernando Verdasco at the fourth round at Flushing Meadows. Although Ferrer was at the losing end, he carried on the match to close with a score line of 7-5, 7-6(8), 3-6, 3-6, 6-7(4).
This resiliency and stubbornness is not unusual for the Spanish player, who lost his Grand Slam matches in five sets at three of the Majors tournaments.
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