Common Denominator: David Nalbandian

"Defeated Roger Federer twice in the round of 16 in the Grand Slams in 2003. Also beat him in the Tennis Cup Finals in 2005."

David Nalbandian had made a trip to the Wimbledon finals in 2002 (Upending George Bastl, who'd beaten Pete Sampras), but it wasn't pretty against Lleyton Hewitt in the finals. The Australian won, 6-1, 6-3, 6-2.



Would the next year be any better with Federer poised for his first Grand Slam.

For Federer, 2002 had been a mixed year. He'd won the German Open, he'd gotten to the finals of the Italian. He'd reached the semifinals of the Masters Cup. He'd finished 6th.

But what about the real story?

You know, the grand ones?

The Grand Slams.

Federer had failed to advance to the last eight in any of them (In 2001, Roger reached the quarters of both the French and Wimbledon) and twice lost in the first round. The furthers he got was the fourth round of the Australian Open and US Open.

So 2003 started with Federer entering the Australian Open as the 6th seed. First three matches, and not a set lost. But David Nalbandian, who was 2-0 vs. The Swiss Maestro, kept his record perfect with a 6-4, 3-6, 6-1, 1-6, 6-3 win. This was also the first time the two had met in a Grand Slam.



Federer came up empty at the French, but won his first Slam at Wimbledon (He has, to date, won that tournament eight times). Meanwhile, Nalbandian lost in the second round at Paris and the fourth at Wimbledon. He got to the finals in Montreal, but lost to Andy Roddick.

So at the US Open, Nalbandian beat Mark Philippoussis (Who Federer had beaten in the finals at Wimbledon) in the third round, then awaited Roger Federer, who'd dropped just one set in three matches. However, Nalbandian needed just four sets to take care of Federer, and sailed into the semifinals. He won the first two sets against Roddick, before Andy came back and won in five. Roddick then won the finals over Juan Carlos Ferrero.



Roger Federer took flight in 2004, winning the Australian Open, Wimbledon and US Open. He added the Tennis Masters Cup. But 2005 wasn't quite the same. Marat Safin beat him in the Australian Open semifinals, saving a match point. Rafael Nadal beat him in the French Open semis. Both went on to win the respected Grand Slams. So Federer had some company in the majors.

Still, he won Wimbledon and the US Open. The bad taste in the mouth was from the Tennis Masters Cup. Roger, you see, had beaten Dave there in 2003. He'd also beaten him at the US Open in 2005. Plus, for good measure, Federer had come out on top in their quarterfinal match Down Under in 2004.

When Federer outlasted Nalbandian in the first two sets (Both tiebreakers) of the Tennis Masters in 2005, it appeared to be over. But Nalbandian lost just four games in the next two sets to level it. In the fifth and deciding set, he scored a tiebreaker win of his own (7-3) to take the title in dramatic fashion.



Nalbandian had one last good year in 2006, as he reached the semifinals of the first two Grand Slams. From there, his days of being a contender in the majors was over (He did, however, win both the Madrid and Paris Masters in 2007). David, remarkably, reached the finals of one or more tournaments in all but the first of his fourteen years on the tour. He retired after 2011. He never won a Grand Slam, but put together a very respectable 8-11 record against Roger Federer all-tiem

References

Collins, Bud. The Bud Collins History Of Tennis: An Authoritative Encyclopedia And Record Book. 2nd ed. Washington, D.C.: New Chapter, 2010. Print.

“Head To Head | Roger Federer vs David Nalbandian H2H.” STEVE G TENNIS. Web. 23 Jan. 2018. www.stevegtennis.com/head-to-head/men/Roger_Federer/David_Nalbandian/.

Infosys, FedEx, Peugeot, and LeSports. "Official Site of Men's Professional Tennis | ATP World Tour | Tennis." ATP World Tour. Emirates. Web. 23 Jan. 2018.  <http://www.atpworldtour.com/>

Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation. Web. 23 Jan. 2018. <https://en.wikipedia.org/>

Sure Could Have Fooled Me! 2001 French Open

All four losing men in the last eight of Roland Garros won at least two Grand Slams.


In 2001, you had Gustavo Kuerten on his way to victory over Alex Corretja of Spain. The man from Brazil ended up with his third (And final) French Open with a 6-7, 7-5, 6-2, 6-0 win.

But getting was where the fun was.

The last eight also consisted of an American, a Russian, a Frenchman, an Australian, and another Spaniard. And some young Swiss.

Kuerten beat Yevgeny Kafelnikov for the third time at this stage of the French Open. The Russian went down 6-1, 3-6, 7-6, 6-4. Kafelnikov had the title at Roland Garros under his belt in 1996, and went on to add the 1999 Australian Open to his name. You also had the Spaniard, Juan Carlos Ferrero (Who'd be a finalist here the next two years, winning in 2003.) in the last eight, and there beating the young Lleyton Hewitt. This was as far as Lleyton would ever get, although he matched this in 2004. Hewitt had  no Grand Slams to his name at this point, but would go on to capture the US Open that year and Wimbledon in 2002 for good measure. Those two Grand Slams were a good start to his career. But one of the other quarterfinalist would prevent him from more in the coming years.

Ferrero then lost to Kuerten in the semifinals for the second straight year. Much to the delight of the crowd, it was Frances' Sebastian Grosjean subduing the 1999 winner, Andre Agassi, 1-6, 6-1, 6-1, 6-3. Agassi had some pretty good results here as far back as 1989. Ran into Grosjean, who prevented the 31-year old from going any further. But Corretja then denied Grosjean a spot in the finals with a straight set win.

Finally, and as it turns out, most dramatically, Corretja was able to advance to the semis for that meeting with the home player. But the man he beat was a still a teenager and playing in his very first Grand Slam quarterfinals. A few weeks later, this young man would upend Pete Sampras in the round of 16 to advance to another Grand Slam quareterfinals.

He was just getting started. That lad, Roger Federer. Lost in the quarters of Wimbledon, too. He had to wait another 2 years before he got going. But once he did, everyone in the tennis world took notice.

References

Collins, Bud. The Bud Collins History Of Tennis: An Authoritative Encyclopedia And Record Book. 2nd ed. Washington, D.C.: New Chapter, 2010. Print.

Infosys, FedEx, Peugeot, and LeSports. "Official Site of Men's Professional Tennis | ATP World Tour | Tennis." ATP World Tour. Emirates. Web. 14 Feb. 2017. <http://www.atpworldtour.com/>

Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation. Web. 14 Feb. 2017. <https://en.wikipedia.org/>

Commond Denominator: Bouchard And Raonic

"Semifinals of the Australian Open. Finals at Wimbledon. Next year, quarterfinals Down Under. Canadian"

That would be Eugenie Bouchard in 2014-15 and Milos Raonic in 2016-17. The two Canadians have really made believers out of Canadian tennis fans. Someday, Canada might get a singles grand slam under their belt. But maybe, "Not so fast," alas.

Bouchard, took the women's tour by storm in 2014. Well, at least until after Wimbledon. Storming past all opposition in the first five rounds Down Under, she beat a formiable top 10 player, Ana Ivanovic in the quarters and then finally lost to Na Li in the semifinals. Not a bad start to the season.

She didn't exactly take the pedal of the metal from there. For a while.

Some early round exits followed, but by May, she had her very first WTA title, in Nurnberg, beating Karolina Pliskova in the finals in three sets. And she had another grand slam semifinals up her sleeve!

May ended with Bouchard into the second week at the French Open. And she gave Maria Sharapova all she could handle in the semifinals, the Russian prevailing 4-6, 7-5, 6-2. Two grand slams played in 2014, and two semis! Could it get any better?

It did at Wimbledon.

Racing through her first six matches, Genie found herself, at 22, one match away from a grand slam title. Carling Bassett had reached the semifinals way back in 1984 at the US Open, but Canada finally had their first singles grand slam finalist! Alas, Bouchard was simply ushered out of the finals in swift and efficient manner by Petra Kvitova, who lost just three games. All of them, in the first set.

It seemed that here is where the wheels came of the chariot for Bouchard, however. She came back to here home, Canada, and lost in the first round in Montreal. Same in Cincinnati. She lost in the second round at New Haven. How about the year's final grand slam?

It was better than a round or two. In fact, Bouchard managed to win three matches. But instead of getting to her fourth quarterfinals (And maybe, fourth semifinals) of the year, she was simply dismissed by Ekaterina Makarova. It was straight sets again, but closer: 7-6, 6-2.

A finals appearance in Wuhan followed, and Bouchard was back on track. But only temporary. She won only one more match. Simona Halep, Ana Ivanovic, and Serena Williams just thrashed her at the WTA finals in Singapore. It wasn't pretty: 6-2, 6-3, followed by 6-1, 6-3 (Ivanovic got some revenge for the Australian Open with that straight-setter!) and 6-1, 6-1.

Oh, well. The year was over. 2015 started out pretty good for Eugenie. She only did one match worse in the Australian Open, making it 4 out of 5 quarterfinals reached at the slams. Maria Sharapova opposed her again in her fifth match there, and again Bouchard put enough enough resistance to take the second set before dropping the third.

But what has happened since to Bouchard? Struggles have followed. There's been injuries, including quite a bizarre one you've all probably heard about at the US Open. Her results really slipped at the grand slams and all over the place in 2015. 2016 was not better as her results were actually worse at the Grand Slams.

Eugenie started 2017 off on the right foot. In 2016, she'd reached the finals at Hobart. While she lost her first event this year at Brisbane (First round), Bouchard made her move at Sydney. She won three matches before eventually falling to Johanna Konta of Great Britain in the semifinals. Down Under for the year's first Grand Slam, she won two more matches before Coco Vanderwegh 6-4, 3-6, 7-5. However, Bouchard wasn't the story of Canadian tennis anymore at this point. No, someone was making some serious waves on the men's side.

Milos Raonic had fallen to Roger Federer in the 2014 Wimbledon semifinals. But when the two met at an event just before the first grand slam tow years later, the Canadian came out on top! At the 2016 Australian Open, he had Andy Murray where he wanted him: 2-1 up in sets! The Scottsman rallied from there, alas. And they'd meet again under dramatic circumstances later that year.

You see, Raonic beat that guy, Federer in the semifinals in five sets at Wimbledon, three years after falling to him. Murray awaited him in the finals. It wasn't too bad, although straight sets. The last two, went to tiebreakers that Andy managed to pull off! Murray continued his strong play that year, especially against Raonic, sadly. He beat him two more times: In Cincinnati and the Year-End Championship. But this time, Milos pushed Andy in the best-of-three match, narrowly losing a third-set tiebreaker.

So as 2017 dawned, things were looking up for not only the new #1 player in the world, Murray, but also the Canadian, Raonic. He was now ranked third in the world.

But as Brisbane, he lost to Grigor Dimitrov in the third round after beating Rafael Nadal in the second. The Spaniard was looking at a rematch at the Australian Open. This time, it was Nadal the winner of the quarterfinal encounter. And in straight sets. Nadal went all the way to the finals, losing to his great rival, Roger Federer. Both Federer and Nadal seemed to have regained their old form.

So can Bouchard get into contention in 2017? Can Raonic win a slam this year (Preferably Wimbledon, I would think!) and get the #1 ranking? Time, will provide an answer for both.


References


"Eugenie Bouchard's Tournament In Doubt." CNN.com. Cable News Network, 05 Sept. 2015. Web. 01 Feb. 2017. <http://edition.cnn.com/2015/09/05/tennis/bouchard-injury-us-open-2015/> International Edition.

Infosys, FedEx, Peugeot, and LeSports. "Official Site of Men's Professional Tennis | ATP World Tour | Tennis." ATP World Tour. Emirates. Web. 01 Feb. 2017.  <http://www.atpworldtour.com/>

SAP, Dubai Duty Free, IQYI, and USANA. "WTA." WTA Tennis. Women's Tennis Association, n.d. Web. 01 Feb. 2017. <http://www.wtatennis.com/>

Men's Tennis 2017: My Predictions

So a new year of tennis and the men are making a racket. Djokovic wants his #1 ranking back, and already has a title and a win over Murray under his belt.

Djokovic

Novak looked unstoppable until Wimbledon of last year, but then got trampled by a human tornado in Andy Murray last year. But since they're in Australian as I write this, Djokovic has the edge over Murray. That win earlier this year at Doha not only got him his first title of the year, but as mentioned, he beat Murray. That's the kind of confidence he needs going into the Australian Open. He looked sharp in his first round win over Fernando Verdasco. Verdasco got a set off him in the semis of Doha, but not at the event that Djokovic has won six times. Look for Djokovic to have deep runs in not on the Australian Open and French, but also he'll no doubt have a better showing at Wimbledon. If he stays healthy, I wouldn't bet against him winning at least one grand slam and regaining the #1 ranking.

Murray 

Andy no doubt wishes it was still 2016. What a finish. The new #1 ranked player in the world is still looking for:

A) For his first Australian Open title (0-5 in finals)

B) His first French Open (Lost to Djokovic last year)

Murray won Wimbledon, but hasn't gotten to a US Open finals since he won it back in 2012. As he's shown the last two years, he's a man to fear once the clay court season starts. And if he can get some better results at both Indian Wells and Miami, he might just hold on to that top ranking for a while. Whether or not he ends the year #1 is another matter. I think Andy will finishes ranked second at worst.

Wawrinka

Mr. 3-0 in Grand Slam finals has won exactly one of them in the last three years. But as you can see, he hasn't advanced to any other major finals. I believe his string of that will run out this year. I actually don't think he will win a grand slam this year. However, look for him to make deep runs in at least three of them, and pick up five or six titles. A top 5 finish is a good bet.

Nadal

A few years ago, it looked like Rafa was going to easily pass his old pal Roger Federer in career grand slams and make it at least 10 French Opens titles won. Neither has happened yet, and now Nadal has Novak Djokovic 26-23 against him lifetime (After once being up 14-4), and is stuck at 14 slams. Djokovic has 12 and could actually pass him in that category this year. He had some moments last year, but nearly three years has elapses since Rafa beat Novak or won a slam. Can he make it back? I'm not sure. And if it does happens, it won't be until the clay court season.

Federer

The mighty one had 2016 derailed by injuries despite making another two grand slam semis. He's up to 39 semi-finals reached in The Big Four tournaments. But missed the rest of the year following Wimbledon. And at 35, can he continue to compete? That, is a tough question. He still has that aura, but he's also seeded 17th in the Australian Open. There is, of course, an irony there: That's the number of grand slams he's won!

But none since 2012.

There might be a great result here or there, but I can't see Roger getting back to the top five. He's had a great career. But he (And probably Nadal, too) has seen his time pass. The new generation is here. Murray has obtained his peak. Djokoic is Djokovic. There just isn't any more room for Roger Federer to win any more grand slams.

Raonic

Milos just wants to get his first grand slam in 2017. Finalist at Wimbledon in 2016, where Andy Murray prevailed over him in three tight sets, he's back to the scene of taking him to five in last year's semifinals. Can he go further? My guess for Milos is he can win a slam this year, but most likely it will be Wimbledon or the US. The heat could be a big factor. Plus, Murray and Djokovic are on a collision course, and Raonic will be hard-pressed to beat them, at the level they are at right now.

Cilic

Nearly out in the first round of the years' first Grand Slam. What's up with the 2014 US Open winner? He won in Cincinnati last year, and was looking for his third straight semifinal appearance in the years' final major. It didn't work out. He's sort of in Raonic's boat. I can see him winning a slam this year, but my guess would be Wimbledon, given his big serve.

del Potro

Nowhere to be found in Australia, as he's skipping the Australian Open due to fitness concerns. Too bad, really. Juan had one great finish to the year, and a silver medal in Rio to boot. A big comeback year capped off by a two-set down comeback vs. Cilic at the Davis Cup. A Grand Slam might be a lot to ask for this year from Juan. But how about a return to the top ten? That's doable. Just as Cilic is in Raonic's boat, I'd say the same thing about Del Potro: He's in Wawrinka's boat! But look for Del Potro to make some noise at the remaining three slams, assuming he stays healthy.

Ferrer

Did you know this guy has 41 match wins Down Under? Hasn't won the Australian Open, but won his first round match in 2017. David Ferrer will be 35 in April of this year and has 26 titles to his name. None, however, have been Grand Slams. Yet he finds ways to hang around longer than he should at the big stage. Obviously, he isn't going to win a major this year, but come clay court season, I wouldn't be surprised (If David is healthy) if his game picks up.

Berdych

Tomas Berdych lost to Roger Federer at the Australian Open last year, and could face him in the third round this year. Tomas has 13 titles and two wins over Roger in Grand Slams in his career. Actually, he's beaten Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal on the big stage (Nadal, right here in 2015). However, he's only once been past the semifinals of a Grand Slam, and that was back in 2010. I don't think that trend will change this year, but I think Tomas could definitely beat Roger this year at Australia. From there, his path could take him to Kei Nishikori. That's probably as far as he goes. As for the rest of the year, who knows? I think Tomas is at the point where he can beat both Roger Federer and Rafa Nadal, but it's a whole new ballgame when he faces Andy Murray (His potential semifinal opponent) or Novak Djokovic). He doesn't have the game to beat either of them. Not likely he can beat Stan The Man, either.

Nishikori

Beat Murray at the US Open last year, and was a finalist there in 2014. He likes hard court, so he should have a good result in Australia. But of the "New" guys around (Cilic, Raonic and Nishikori) he's sort of the low man on the scale. He game just enough to compete with Cilic, Raonic, Murray or Djokovic. Wawrinka, too. 

Tsonga

Always a battler, he gave Murray all he could handle last year at Wimbledon. Was the only man to take two sets off him. Finalist in Australia way back in 2008. He's beaten Federer at Wimbledon and Canada (Right there in the finals). Joe is amazingly fast around the court, and the type of player to watch out for at the Grand Slams. His best years though, like Ferrer's, are probably behind him.


References


Infosys, FedEx, Peugeot, and LeSports. "Official Site of Men's Professional Tennis | ATP World Tour | Tennis." ATP World Tour. Emirates. Web. .  <http://www.atpworldtour.com/>.


Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation. Web. 17 Jan. 2017. <https://en.wikipedia.org/>

Sure Could Have Fooled Me!

Stan Wawrinka has won a grand slam in each of the last three years. And he's done the hard way: Stan beat Novak Djokovic in all of them.

Previously known only as a doubles specialist, Stan's best grand slam result as of three years ago was his semifinal appearance in the 2013 US Open. There was the matter of Andy Murray that year. Fresh off his Wimbledon win, he came to New York as the defending champion. But it took the Swiss just three sets to end any hopes of a repeat in the quarterfinals. The next match saw Stan forged ahead of Novak two sets to one, before the Serb clawed his way back.

Djokovic wasn't so lucky the next time they met in a grand slam. Novak essentially owns the Australain Open. He'd been the winner there as far back as 2008, and had added two more in 2011, 2012, and 2013. He seemed poised for another that year, but Wawrinka upended him 9-7 in the fifth set. From there, he added Tomas Berdych and Rafael Nadal to his victim list, beating the Spaniard in four sets in the finals.

Now, for me, this all seemed like a fluke. "Let's see that again!", was probably my attitude. And losing in the first round at the French Open, and failing to make it past the quarterfinals of both Wimbledon and the US Open must have had everyone else thinking that, too. Roger Federer, Stan's old countryman (And four years older than him!) beat him in four at the All-England Club. Kei Nishikori beat him at the same stage of the US Open. There'd be some irony in that two years later.

In 2015, there was no repeat Down Under. However, Stan had quite the year. Semis at Australia, winner at Rolland Garros (Over Djokovic in four sets. The Serb had finally beaten Nadal in the quarters), quarters at Wimbledon. The US Open saw him get to the semifinals and lose to Federer. Straight sets.

So as 2016 rolled around, it sort of seemed hopeless for Stan. Novak Djokovic was in god mode. He'd won Wimbledon and the US Open to finish the year off in 2015. Soon, he added the Australian Open and French Open in '16, to make it four grand slams in the row! Andy Murray played amazing tennis at Wimbledon, and won it all. Soon, he'd add his second gold medal to his list of accomplishments. The Brit was playing his best tennis. The Serb was, the Serb. He came into the US Open finals that year, looking for his third slam of the year. He'd reached the finals for the seventh time. Even before that, Novak made the final four for the tenth straight year.

But Wawrinka, who'd lost to Canadian Milos Raonic at the Australian Open, to Murray at the French, and finally a resurgent Juan Martin del Potro at Wimbledon, wasn't about to let another grand opportunity slip away.

The Brit, Daniel Evans, took him to five sets in the third round. But from there, Stan found his "A" game. Illya Marchenko felt his wrath in the four sets in the round of sixteen. Next came del Potro. Four sets again. Nishikori, four sets. Back into a grand slam finals. Djokovic stood in the way. But again, four sets, and Stan had another grand slam to his name.

Stan Wawrinka has come out of nowhere in the last three years to surprise many a fan. He's always the underdog in the grand slam finals (And for good reason). Tennis is about to turn the page from the Federer / Nadal days and welcome in a new era. A new "Big Three". As 2017 dawns, it's obvious Murray (Three slams of his own so far) and Djokovic are there. Federer (injured) and Nadal (struggling) are not. So Stan is. Can he add another grand slam for the fourth straight year? Or in the coming years after? You'll have to keep following Stan The Man and see!


References


“Official Site of Men's Professional Tennis | ATP World Tour | Tennis.” ATP World Tour. Ifosys. Web. 11 Sept. 2016. <www.atpworldtour.com>.

"Stan Wawrinka Career Statistics - Wikipedia." Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Wikimedia Foundation, n.d. Web. 11 Sept. 2016. <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ Stan_Wawrinka _career_ statistics>

Sure Could Have Fooled Me!

Novak Djokovic holds the men's record for most consecutive semifinals reached at the French Open in the open era. I would have thought Borg or Nadal. Federer came close. So despite only having one title at Roland Garros (So far!), it's another record for the Superb Serb. He just keeps on going like the Energizer Bunny!

Djokovic first had a chance to make it to the semifinals in Paris back in 2006, a year before his big breakthrough. Denying him the chance was Rafael Nadal. They'd see a lot more of each other in the coming years there. But for 2006 (And until 2015), the result was the same every time Djokovic met Nadal in the French. A loss. In this one, Djokovic failed to get a set and defaulted after losing the first two sets 6-4, 6-4. Still, he showed a lot of promise.

But Nadal was King. He'd won in 2005. He'd win it all the next year. And the next. And again in 2008. His semifinal victim in 2007 and the following year was Djokovic. He had his number on clay. At that point, at least.

In 2009, Nadal surprisingly lose to Robin Soderling in the fourth round. Djokovic didn't even make it to the last sixteen, losing to Philipp Kohlschreiber in straight sets in the third round. It was Roger Federer who finally broke through. Fed had himself lost to the Spainard in the semis of 2005, and then three straight finals. Nadal returned to win it all in 2010. But then Novak began to look like a future French champion.

Djokovic had beaten Nadal in Madrid and Rome in 2011, and had an amazing winning streak of 43 matches. But it was Federer that ended it, depriving the world of the first Novak-Rafa French Final. Rafa beat Roger in the finals in four sets. That gave him seven French Opens, one more than Bjorn Borg. He'd come back in 2012 to set the record straight over who was the best player on clay. Djokovic beat Federer in the semifinals this time around, but couldn't do the same to the Spainard in the finale. Nadal then won an excellent semifinals against Djokovic in 2013, and made it nine French Opens win a four-set win over the Serbian in 2014.

Going for a sixth consecutive French Open in 2015 seemed possible for Nadal. At least, it was until he ran into Djokovic in the quarters. It was Novak who ran Rafael into the ground in straight sets. This was a landmark victory in more ways than one. Djokovic had now beaten Nadal in every single grand slam. But his bid for his first French Open was dashed by a player from Switzerland in the finals. No, not Federer. Rather, Stan Wawrinka. Hitting a vast array of amazing backhands, it was Stan winning his first French Open and second Grand Slam.

Stan looked forward, no doubt, to another finals date with Novak this year. Sadly, Nadal and Federer weren't around by the time the semifinals got underway. Having looked strong in his first three matches, Nadal was forced to default his fourth round match, never even making it on the court. Federer himself didn't come to Paris, battling his own injury woes. So it was guaranteed the second straight year of no Nadal or Federer in the finals of the year's second grand slam. That did feel odd.

Wawrinka, meanwhile, sailed into the semifinals, only to face a man making his third straight Final Four appearance. That would be Andy Murray, the Scot. The Scot had gone five sets his first two matches, but that got the old motor going. From there, he won two straight matches in straight sets. Then he won three straight sets from Richard Gasquet, the hometown hero, after losing the first one. He then disposed of the defending champion in four sets, as well.

Djokovic had a different path. He lost just one set his first five matches, looking like a man destined to win his first French. Could Novak keep it up? Young Dominic Thiem was next. The Austrian was into his first semifinals of any grand slam. All of 22 years old. Alas, he wasn't going to play The Spoiler role here. Down he went in three sets.

In the final, it was Murray taking the first set from Djokovic, 6-3. But then, the inevitable set in. Murray won one game in the second set. Two in the third. Djokovic mounted a commanding lead of 5-2 in the fourth, before a mild setback occurred. This is a tough slam to win, you see!

Djokovic served for the match. But he won only one point on his serve. Murray ripped a passing shot for a break of his own. The Scottsman was scampering and dancing all over the court now, and seemingly had an answer for all the Serbian arsenal. A hold at 30 closed this fourth stanza to 5-4. Djokovic now needed to hold, or this thing was really going to get interesting.

Djokovic didn't want to let this opportunity slip away. Going five was too risky. Quickly, he build a 40-15 lead. Two championship points...Which Murray then promptly erased. The Stubborn Scot was just not going away quietly.

A swinging volley at deuce gave Djokovic a third match point. A long rally ensued. But it was Murray that put it into the net, giving Djokovic the win, and his first French Open.

The win was more than just his first title in Paris. Djokovic had his 12th Grand Slam, one more than Bjorn Borg. He'd also won his 65th ATP singles title. That not only put him one better than the Swede, it also topped Pete Sampras. Pete won 14 Grand Slams, but never the French (Or even reached a final). Novak could tie him (And Nadal, also with 14 majors) this year. Finally, it was Novak's fourth Big Four Title in 12 months. He'd joined a pretty select few with that. By capturing Wimbledon and the US Open in 2015 (He'd also won the Australian Open that year before the French) and following it up with another Australian Open (Djokovic's sixth, tying him with the great Roy Emerson, who coincidentally also has 12th slams.) and a French this year, Novak had become the first man since Rod Laver in 1969 to win four in a row. It should be noted that Laver got his in one calendar year, however. Of course, Djokovic fans can always say that when Laver played, three of the four slams were on grass (The French, the obvious exception). Novak is thus the first male to win four Grand Slammers in a row on four different surfaces.

Novak, however, seems primed for at least one more major this year. He surely wants to break out of a tie with Emerson for fourth place on the all-time Grand Slams won list. Next on his radar is Sampras and Nadal. What will passing them due for his legacy? To be honest with you, for me, he's already passed both. He's currently ahead in the head-to-head vs. Nadal, and the titles won count is pretty even. As for Sampras, lacking the French Open alone is a major void in his claim as the best ever. And did he ever have to face a prime Nadal or Federer?

Speaking of Federer, that's where it gets interesting. Federer currently sits at 17 majors. He's been hurt this year, so that will most likely be his final tally. Nothing to be ashamed of, of course. He's also reached an amazing 27 Grand Slam finals and 39 semifinals. Djokovic upended him in that 39th appearance Down Under earlier this year.

So, what does Djokovic need to become the Greatest Ever? Well, if he keeps his focus, I can see him getting another French Open, although a possible barrier will be brought up, shortly. But should Novak win it all again in Paris, he'll join Laver again. Laver was the last man to win all the majors at least twice.

(Although, again, there's something that should be noted. Well, two. Laver won all four in 1962, but as an amateur. When he turned pro for the 1963 year, Rod was barred from playing the majors until 1968, and even there, he skipped the Australian. After winning all four again as a pro in '69, he never again played in the French Open, and only ventured back to his homeland of Australia one more time, in 1971. In all, he only entered eight more Grand Slams after his completion of the Grand Slam at the US Open in '69)

Novak, assuming he stays healthy, will have at least two more full year and the remainder of this one to add to his collection. His winning another French will probably make most experts place him ahead of Sampras, and probably Borg. How about Laver and Federer? Those could be tough. Each of their legacies in sort of written in stone. Obviously, he'll need at least 18 Grand Slams to pass Federer (He has the head-to-head in his favour with The Swiss Maestro, too!) and attain a greater adulation. Laver's time is sort of hard to judge prior to 1968. That could be one for the never-ending debates.

Is there anyone who can stop this? Well Andy Murray could. He's back working with Ivan Lendl (Who's own legacy is missing just one Grand Slam piece, Wimbledon), who coached Murray to wins over Djokovic at the US Open finals of 2012 and Wimbledon the next year. Murray and Djokovic seemed poised for two more meetings on the final stage at the Grand Slams (And maybe even the Rio Olympics!) and Andy would like nothing more than to stop Novak from completing the calendar slam (Keeping Laver's place among the all-time greats secure). Murray himself, coincidentally, has reached the semifinals (Or better) of the French Open the last three years. His play on clay has improved in 2015 and 2016. His loss to Djokovic in the semifinals in Paris in 2015 was his only loss on clay. This year, he went 1-1 vs. Rafael Nadal on clay and 1-2 vs. Novak Djokovic on the red stuff. He even won in Rome over Djokovic in the finals for his biggest clay court title to date. Could a rematch be in order in 2017? I wouldn't bet against it. For good measure, can the Scottsman continue to reach the semis or better in Paris and add to his own legend? Time will tell.

References

Pugmire, Jerome. "Djokovic's French Open Semifinal Is 4th Day In Row On Court." The Big Story. Associated Press, 02 June 2016. Web. 26 June 2016, http://bigstory.ap.org/article/7c258cae387e4ec
6a140e051c32762c3/djokovics-french-open-semifinal-4th-day-row-court.

"Official Site of Men's Professional Tennis." ATP World Tour. Emirates. Web. 26 June. 2016, http://www.atpworldtour.com/

Wikipedia: The Free Encyclopedia. Wikimedia Foundation, Inc. Web. 26. June. 2016, https://en.wikipedia.org/

Sure Could Have Fooled Me!

Novak Djokovic has already equaled the total ATP singles titles won by the great Pete Sampras!

It goes without saying that by winning his 64 singles title at Madrid Spain over Andy Murray (Although the Scotsman promptly got his revenge the next time out in Rome), the great Serb also tied the great Swede, Bjorn Borg. However, this didn't shock me, as Borg basically bowed out after 1981, playing in just one ATP tournaments in the next three years (In his last event, Borg lost in the first round). Bjorn was only 25 years old in 1981, and we are left to wonder what might have been had he stayed on, though things clearly wouldn't have been easy with John McEnroe, Jimmy Connors, plus some up-and-comers named Lendl and Wilander.

Ironically, it will be McEnroe, Lendl and Connors on Djokovic's hit list as far as ATP titles won is concerned should he ever pass Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer. Nadal sits at 69, while the injured Federer is stuck at 88, and probably has at the most five more titles left in him. Lendl is at 94. Connors, 109.

So how did Djokovic do it so quickly? When he lost to Murray in Rome, it was Murray's 36th title. Andy is a week older than Novak, and the day of that final was the Scotman's 29th birthday. So Novak could have passed Borg and Sampras before his 29th.

Sampras carried on until he was 31, bowing out at 2002, US Open. That was in September. The writing, though, had been on the wall for at least two years as far as Pete had been concerned. He was in a two-year title drought, and had won just 2 titles in 2000, the year he turned 29. The year before, 1999, Sampras won five titles, including his 5th Wimbledon. He'd add a 6th the next season, but then had to wait until his last tournament two years later to win another title. Pete didn't formally announce his retirement until 2003. It is, in a way, a shame he didn't try and hang on one more year. That was the year Novak arrived. Well, sort of.

But Novak arrived with a wimper. He played some future tournaments, and nothing more. And it was a struggle for Djokovic. He ended the year not playing a single ATP tour event, and his ranking was in the 600s.

The guy who really arrived that year was Roger Federer. Federer had beaten Sampras in the 2001 Wimbledon Round Of 16, then made it into the top ten in 2002. But 2003 was where he entered the status of all-time great. Although he finished the year second to Andy Roddick, he won his first grand slam at the prestigious Wimbledon. It was just the beginning. But Sampras (Obviously) and Federer were still safe from Djokovic at this point. Nadal didn't hit his stride until 2005.

Djokovic didn't even reach a grand slam quarters until 2006 at the French Open. Ironically, he arrived in Paris less than a week past his 19th birthday. Federer had, five years earlier, reached his first final eighth at the same event. No one really knew who Roger Federer was then. No one really knew who Novak Djokovic was in 2006. Federer hadn't reached a French Final by '06. Nadal beat both Djokovic and Federer in that tournament, throwing out a warning to anyone.

Djokovic had to default his match vs. Nadal, but there was no way, despite his denials afterwords, that he was in Rafa's (Or Federer's) class at that point. Neither Federer nor Nadal were at Sampras' level quite then. Although, Roger looked to be on his way.

The next year might have marked the first sign of the new horizon in tennis. Djokovic looked great. Federer destroyed him at the Australian Open, but the soon-to-be 20-year old had the breakthrough. Semis at French. Semis at Wimbledon. Finals at the US Open. In between the four big tournaments, Novak won the first of his (current) record twenty-nine Masters title at Miami. He thrashed Murray, Nadal and Guillermo Canas (Back from his 2005 suspension) in straight sets in the last three rounds. Later, in Canada, he got through Nadal again. Andy Roddick and Roger Federer (In the finals) also fell victim to the superb Serb.

2008 brought him his first Grand Slam, down under. He'd win five more as of this writing, of course. He beat Federer in the semifinals (The first of three times he'd do that) in just three sets. Though all were close, Novak just found a way. And then, after dropping the first set in the finals to Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, he won three straight sets again.

He added Indian Wells, Rome and even the ATP Year End to his name that year, but it still seemed like he was a distant third to Federer and Nadal. Rafa took over that year, beating Djokovic and Federer in straight sets at the French Open. Then he won Wimbledon over Federer, who could only salvage the US Open in the Grand (Slam) scheme of things.

2011 was Novak's best season prior to 2015. He not only won three Grand Slams, but Novak added five Masters to that for good measure. That year, Djokovic won 10 titles (After winning just 2 in 2010). The inconstant version of him was now officially over. Though Nadal and Federer stayed close, sometimes even passing him in the rankings, it became apparent that the Serb wanted to keep being #1. He ended 2012 at that spot, narrowly lost it the next year to the Spaniard, while Federer fell to 6th. Federer made a strong comeback in 2014, but could not regain the top spot from Djokovic. Nadal still owned the French, but injuries were beginning to catch up to him. In 2015, he finally lost to Djokovic at the French. Novak looked unreal that year. He won three more slams (Missing only in the French Open Finals vs. Stan Wawrinka), added six more Masters (And reached the finals in Canada and Cincinnati for good measure), plus he won the Year-End. It was the fourth straight year and fifth time overall that he won the Grand Finale. Novak had won 10 titles in 2011. He had topped that in '15 by winning 11 of the 16 tournaments he entered. Just domination. His overall record was 82-6 that year, compared to 70-6 four years earlier. There was, of course, no stopping him as 2016 approached. Aged only 28 at the end of last year, Novak had 59 career singles ATP titles to his name.

More than his coach Boris Becker. More than Federer's (then) coach, Stefan Edberg. More than Illie Nastase. More than Mats Wilander. And coming up on Guillermo Vilas' 62. It was hard to believe. His rival Andy Murray was stuck at 35. Novak kept him there by beating him in straight sets at the Australian Open in January of 2016. He'd finished off Federer in the semis (Federer's 12th appearance in the final four Down Under in the past 13 years). Before that, in his first tournament of the new year, Djokovic swept through the field at Doha. No one got a set off him. Nadal won three games in the finals.

Indian Wells and Miami were conquered by the Serb for the fifth and sixth time, respectively. The clay court season, never an easy task, proved a challenge. Novak lost in the second round at Monte Carlo after receiving a first round bye. Nadal got back to his winning ways on the grand stage of clay, collecting his 28th Masters title. That tied him with Djokovic for most Masters won in a career. But only temporary.

When the the next Masters tournament came rolling around in Madrid, Novak made it clear he was gunning for another title. He took care of the Canadian, Milo Raonic in the quarters, disposed of Kei Nishikori in the semis and Murray in the finals. That was title #64. He'd done it!

But, there was always a reminder that no matter how good you are, there are obstacles in the way. Murray wasn't about to let him do that to him again. It had been a while. August of 2015 to be exact, since he'd beaten Novak, but Andy found a way. Novak and Pete Sampras are now tied in career titles, Murray making sure of that. That's not where the comparison ends: Sampras finished his illustrious career without a title at Roland Garros!

And that leads us to Djokovic's problem. He, too, has failed to win the big prize at Paris. He's won matches there over Murray, Federer and even Nadal, but can't seem to string seven wins a row at the French Open. It's still a big gap in his resume. Will 2016 change that? It would be appropriate if he passed Sampras in career titles with a win there this year. Beat the one thing Pete couldn't!


References


Collins, Bud. The Bud Collins History Of Tennis: An Authoritative Encyclopedia And Record Book. 2nd ed. Washington, D.C.: New Chapter, 2010. Print.

Official Site Of Men's Professional Tennis. Association Of Tennis Professionals. Web. 23 May 2016. <http://www.atpworldtour.com/>

Youtube. Web. 23 May 2016.. <https://www.youtube.com/>

Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation. Web. 23 May 2016. <https://en.wikipedia.org/>

Wine, Steven. "Defending Champ Nadal Advances To Semifinals At French Open." USA Today: Latest World And US News - USATODAY.com. USA Today. 07 May 2006. Web. 23 May 2016. <http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/sports/tennis/french/2006-06-07-day-11_x.htm>

Common Denominator: Murray And Mecir

They both lost Wimbledon to a player that they later beat that same year at the Olympics. In both cases, they ended up not only with the gold, but advanced to the Australian Open Finals the next year.

Miloslav Mecir had reached the US Open Finals in 1986, only to see his fellow countryman from Czechoslovakia, Ivan Lendl there. It wasn't pretty as Lendl won 6-4, 6-2, 6-0.



But Miloslav had taken his first step on the pro tour with that appearance. He managed to beat Lendl in the Lipton Finals the next year.



Then, in 1988 at Wimbledon, he ended Mats Wilander's bid for a third straight grand slam title with a resounding 6-3, 6-1, 6-3 win. Sweden Dreams, Mats. But next on the agenda for Mioslav came Stephen Edberg, who coached Roger Federer the last two years. For the first two sets, it was all Milo!



The Czech raced out to a 2-0 lead and it appeared that Mecir had a Wimbledon Finals date with either Lendl or Boris Becker (It was Becker who won in four). Edberg, however, weathered the storm and fought back to win 4-6, 2-6, 6-4, 6-3, 6-4. It was never easy, however, as Edberg needed to charged back from 3-1 down in the fifth. In the finals, Becker was going four sets again. Going down in four, I should say.

Miloslav, did however, lose early in the US Open that year. He exited in the third round against Emilio Sanchez. From there, it was off to "The Quest For Gold", as the pros were eligible to go to the Olympics for the first time in tennis. Actually, it was the first time tennis had been held as an Olympic sport since 1924! Mecir showed up in Seoul, Korea, and left not a soul wondering why here was there.

The Final Four, however, saw Edberg and Wilander again in his path. But this time, on hard court, there was no comebacks from the Swedes. Edberg did, in fact, lead two sets to one, but Mecir closed him out 6-4, 6-2 for the win. Wilander was next in the finals, and Mecir beat him in just four sets, despite losing the opening frame.



Mecir results were disappointing the rest of the year, but as 1989 dawned, so did the Australian Open. Miloslav looked impressive. He dropped just one set on the way to the finals (To Mark Kratzmann), beating a young Croatian named Goran Ivanisevic in the quarterfinals. But once again, his old pal Ivan Lendl was there in the finale to hand him a crushing, straight-set defeat.



Andy Murray was experiencing the same thing in 2012. Still seeking his first grand slam title, he pushed Novak Djokovic to five sets in the Australian Open. At the French, it was smooth sailing for the Scottish force for three rounds. Richard Gasquet got the first set off him, before Andy won three straight sets four the fourth straight match (And avenging his second round loss to Richard in Italy). In the quarterfinals, however, Andy found himself face to face with David Ferrer, who always seems to get better with age. On this day, Ferrer, who was about 30 and playing like he was about 20, prevailed in four sets. Murray's grand slam quest had been thwarted again.

It didn't look like that would happen at Wimbledon. The Great Britain faithful watched in amusement and delight as Andy turned aside one challenge after another. Nikolay Davydenko was turned aside in three sets in the opening round. Martin Cilic was also disposed of in straight sets in the round of 16. Ferrer again found himself in a four-set match with Murray in the quarters, but this time, Murray came out on top. Jo-Wifried Tsonga put up a spirited fight in the semifinals, but again Murray won in four. Now, only one man remained for Murray to sip the champagne!

Unfortunately, the man was Federer.

Andy didn't succumb to nerves or overconfidence. He took the first set, 6-4. But Roger Federer was hell-bent on capturing The Big W for the seventh time. He stormed back to win 7-5, 6-3, 6-4, dropping to his knees. So close for Andy, who could not hold back all the sweeping emotions of the packed crowd on hand to see if he could finally get it done.

Well, not here. But how about at the same place three weeks later. The 2012 Olympics aren't a slam, but does that matter? It didn't for Andy. Playing with a purpose and with poise, he swept aside the opposition. Stan Wawrinka went down in straights in the first round. Then he finished off Djokovic and Federer back-to-back in straight sets. By the time the smoke had cleared, Andy had the gold. He had also dropped one set in the whole thing.

But what about that elusive grand slam?

Well, that came in the US Open, which happened, which also happened to be the very next slam in 2012. Playing with the same fire as he had at Wimbledon and the Olympics, Andy was challenged a little more. But whatever came his way was just swept aside. As were Martin Cilic, Tomas Berdych (Who beat Federer in the quarters), and Djokovic in the last three rounds.

What happened Down Under the next year?

Well, on the way, Federer got some revenge in the Year End Tournament. Once again, a loss to Federer in front of his adoring onlookers. But still, Murray wasn't discouraged. He got through to the semis without losing a set, and took the first from Federer, 6-4. Federer won the next set in a tie-breaker. From there, the match was fast and furious, with both players exchanging sets won. Overcoming the disappointment of dropping the fourth in another tie-breaker, Murray scored a decisive 6-2 exclamation point in capturing the match in the fifth.

Djokovic was there in the finale to spoil the party, but Murray had taken 'em all for a nice ride. The 2013 season was a good one for Andy, as he got his revenge against Novak in the finals of the one he wanted the most, Wimbledon.


References


Collins, Bud. The Bud Collins History of Tennis: An Authoritative Encyclopedia and Record Book. Washington, D.C.: New Chapter, 2010. Print.

Haylett, John, and Richard Evans. The Illustrated Encyclopedia of World Tennis. New York: Exeter, 1989. Print.

Emirates. Official Site of Men's Professional Tennis | ATP World Tour | Tennis. ATP World Tour. Web. 01 Jan. 2016.  <http://www.atpworldtour.com/>

"Andy Murray." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 1 Jan. 2016. Web. 1 Jan 2016. < https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Andy_Murray>

Common Denominator: Beat Nadal AND Federer at the French Open

This one is a toughie, as Rafael and Roger have been good in Paris. Nadal has nine. Federer only one, but has been second to Nadal in 2006, 2007, 2008, and again in 2011. He lost to Nadal in the semis of '05. Another French Open Champion that beat him was Gustavo Kuerten in 2004, in the third round. Federer had made the quarters in 2001, one month before beating Pete Sampras in the fourth round at Wimbledon.

Nadal announced his presence in 2005, as he charged through the field, won the title, and seemed destined to keep it forever, to be honest with you. His wins the next three years confirmed that. Nadal got through the first three rounds of the 2009 French Open with little difficulty (Routing Lleyton Hewitt 6-1, 6-3, 6-1 in the round of 32). In the fourth round, he faced Robin Soderling. Rob had been having quite a tournament, so far. He'd upset David Ferrer in the third round, but now his luck had run out, surely.

It didn't!

Robin went out and took care of Nadal in a four-setter. Rafael had lost at his favourite event. Soderling was not done, however. He beat Nikolay Davydenko 6-1, 6-3, 6-1 to make the final four. Then, he scored a five-set win over Fernando Gonzalez.



Roger Federer, meanwhile, had survived a pair of tough five-setters to Tommy Haas in the fourth round and Juan Martin del Potro in the semis. It was down to Federer and Soderling for the 2009 French Open. Federer was not, however, about to miss out on his chance to complete the career grand slam. He beat Soderling in straigh sets.



Soderling was back the next year, however. Federer won the 2010 Australian Open for good measure, and had a streak on the line. He'd reached the semi-finals or better of every grand slam he'd entered since that fateful loss to Kuerten in 2004. But in the quarters, it was time for Soderling's revenge. It took him four sets to do it. And in the semis, Rob needed five more to beat Tomas Berdych, who'd led 2-1 before dropping the last two stanzas.



Nadal took his own personal revenge however, in the finals. The next man to look prominent to beat both Nadal and Federer actually looked poised to do in the same French Open. The very next year saw the emergence of Novak Djokovic. Novak was on fire in 2011. He'd fashioned a fine 38-match winning streak coming in. He'd beaten Federer and Nadal every time he'd faced them in 2011. Why should this by any different. Wins over del Potro in the third round in four and Richard Gasquet in straights the next round had him primed. A walk-over put him in the final four. Federer has extracted some of his fine tennis from his elixir with a straight-set win in an all-Swiss affair over Stan Wawrinka in the round of 16 and another three-set win over Gael Monfils in the quarterfinals. Nadal beat Soderling again in straight-sets in the quarters. A straight-set win in the semis against Andy Murray had him ready for another French Open title. But he'd not have to face Djokovic. Federer took him out in four, and then gave Nadal all he could handle in the first three sets before losing in four.



Djokovic beat Federer in the same round the next year, 2012.


He'd finally made his first French finals, but lost to Nadal in the finals. Losses to Nadal again the next two years seemed to imply their was a jinx. Djokovic could beat Nadal everywhere, all surfaces, except for at Paris. But his moment came in the quarters on 2015, as he upended Nadal in straights, no less. The jinx was finally broken!



Novak went on to beat Murray in a gem of the five-setter in the semis. But his bid for the career grand slam ended in a four-set loss to Wawrinka in the finals, also in four.

Djokovic, of course, will continue to grind away for that career grand slam. He's at nine slams as is, but would love to add the French in 2016. Soderling, troubled by a serious case of mono, had to withdraw from competition not long after his loss to Nadal here in 2011. But he is optimistic about a return in 2016. Can you imagine a scenario of Robin facing Novak at the next year's French? (They've never met at Paris. It's 6-1 Novak, head-to-head) A delicious taste of tennis irony!


References


Collins, Bud. The Bud Collins History Of Tennis: An Authoritative Encyclopedia And Record Book. 2nd ed. Washington, D.C.: New Chapter, 2010. Print.

“Official Site of Men's Professional Tennis | ATP World Tour | Tennis.” ATP World Tour, Ifosys, <www.atpworldtour.com/>. Web. 18 Jul. 2015.

Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation Inc. Web. 18 Jul. 2015. <https://en.wikipedia.org>.

Thoughts On The Big Four And Others At The Big W

So, Wimbledon is underway and their are four players to watch on the men's side. Four, or more? But The Big Four are on the top of everyone's head. Tennis is just like that these days, I guess!

Roger Federer, having lost early last year and going out early in Paris this year, is an interesting player to start on. He won in Halle, on grass, after losing in the fourth round in the French Open. But how about last year's debacle? Well, I think Federer is playing better this year. But last year, it was the same deal. Fed won in Halle. But then he lost in the second round at Wimbledon.

Roger faces Gilles Muller in the second round. Should he win that, he's looking at an interesting draw filled with old friends an foes from his past. In the fourth round, a potential opponent is the very man who win this thing twelve years ago, which was ancient history. Lleyton Hewitt. But Hewitt must get by Jerzy Janowicz first. JJ happens to be the 15th seed. From there, it could be Stan Warwinka or John Isner in the quarter-finals. After that, a potential Roger-Raf semi-finals. Who wouldn't want to see that?

As for Nadal, how's this for a second round opponent? Lukas Rosol (!). The two have a very interesting history at Wimbledon. Should Nadal take that one to the bank, his third round opponent would probably be either Richard Gasquet (semi-finalist here back in 2007) or Gael Monfils. A quarter-final spot would see Nadal face either Canadian Milos Raonic (eigth seed) or Kei Nishikori, who's been having a (surprisingly) fine year so far.

Novak Djokovic, who seems stuck in "Grand Slam Finals Losing" mode for about a year now (Wimbledon finals lost, US Open finals lost, French Open finals lost), has no seeds left on his draw until the fourth round. I expect him to win his next two matches. From there, it's going to be either Mikhail Youzhny or Jo-Wilfried Tsonga (twelve seed and semi-finalist to Djokovic after beating Federer in the quarter-finals in 2011). And then, a potential rematch of last years final's with Andy Murray looms! Only this time, a round earlier!

Ahhh, Murray. Stuck without a title this year, but with a new coach. Hey, notice they have the same initials? Well, first and last name! But Slam-wise, it hasn't been too bad. A quarter-finals appearance in Australia, then a surprising semi-finals appearance in France. I thought his run to the semis there back in 2011 was a fluke, but now I don't. I also think that result can give him the confidence of a repeat. Or at the very least, a third straight Wimbledon finals appearance.

First, though, Murray has to get to the third round. I don't see him losing his second round match. From there, it gets a little tough. I think he will face Kevin Anderson in the round of 16. Anderson has to probably beat Febio Fognini, who has had an interesting year, especially with umpires, right? Andy's quarter-finals opponent will probably be either Grigor Dimitrov or David Ferrer. I think Murray can beat both of those guys.

As for the others. The new top ten player, Ernests Gulbis (but only the twelfth seed) faces someone that has something very much in common with him. That opponent has beaten Roger Federer prior to a quarter-finals in a grand slam. I'm referring to Sergiy Stakhovsky, who beat Federer here last year. In the fourth round, it's a potential rematch of Gulbis and Tomas Berdych, who is seeded sixth. Gulbis won their match in the quarters of the French Open, but here, Berdych has reached a finals (back in 2010). He, too, has also beaten Roger Federer at Wimbledon, back in 2010. He also beat Djokovic in the semi-finals before falling to Nadal in the finals. Tomas always seems stuck in the quarter-finals, semi-finals, or finals of a slam!

Wawrinka, the fifth seed (no use in saying who the first four seeds are, right?) could face Denis Istomin in the third round, but he is not seeded. From there, Stan would probably have to face big-serving John Isner (ninth seed) in the round of sixteen. Then, assuming Fed wins his matches (and that might be assuming a lot), it's an all-Swiss affair in the quarter-finals!

Federer: A Look At His 2013 and 2014 Tournament Performances

So prior to entering the prestigious Wimbledon event (where he exited in the second round last year), Roger Federer's performance this year compared to last:

Event	2013	2014
Brisbane	DNP	F
Australia	SF	SF
Davis Cup (Jan)	DNP	1-0
Rotterdam	QF	DNP
Dubai	SF	W
Indian Wells	QF	F
Miami	DNP	QF
Davis Cup (April)	DNP	2-0
Madrid	R16	DNP
Monte Carlo	DNP	F
Rome	F	R32
Roland Garros	QF	4R
Halle	W	W
Events Entered	8	9
Davis Cup Ties	0	2
Matches Played	33	41
Overall (W-L)	26-7	34-7
W %	0.788	0.829
Titles Won	1	2
Finals Or Better Reached	2	5
SF " " "	4	6
QF " " "	7	7
Losses Prior To QF	1	2