A new day, a new year, a new season. Oh yes, can't you just feel the hot Australian summer running through your veins? Well, neither can I, but we'll certainly be SEEing a lot of it this month! After all the holiday celebrations, it's back to reality and back to the courts.
2007 promises to be a great year for tennis. First and foremost, what will happen to the Federer - Nadal rivalry? Will Nadal recover from his 2006 second half slump and become a genuine contender for the top spot or will he just flourish on the red clay? In his Shanghai clash with Federer, the Spaniard played reasonably well, but he has to watch for being too passive on faster courts. If he doesn’t change his attitude, flat hitters such as Blake and Berdych will keep their edge over Rafa when they’re not playing on dirt.
What about all these young guns ready to attack the current elite? Gasquet, Murray, Djokovic, Berdych? How many of them will make the Top 10 and how will they perform at the majors? Berdych has already moved himself into the Top 10 at the end of last season and he looks set to achieve greater things in 2007. However, Murray, Djokovic and Gasquet aren’t too far behind the Czech and it will be interesting to see which of these youngsters will do best in the upcoming season.
But there are a lot more questions to be asked. Will the new Round Robin experiment turn out to be a disaster, or will people actually start liking it? Could Marat Safin become a true contender at the majors again? Is the fire still burning in Lleyton Hewitt? How many sets will Federer lose at Wimbledon? Will David Nalbandian finally live up to the expectations? Could Roger do it at the French? How many weeks will it take before Tommy Robredo falls out of the Top 10? Can Roddick build on his Jimmy Connors resurgence? Will Marcos Baghdatis show some consistency?
On the WTA Tour, we, regretfully, will be seeing the last of Kim Clijsters in 2007. Unless she miraculously stays fit for the entire season, and perhaps decides to reconsider her decision to call it quits at the young age of 24. But there are also plenty of things to look forward to on the women’s side. Who of the big three will be crowned queen in 2007? Justine H-H, Sharapova or Mauresmo? Can Petrova finally win a Slam? What court will we see the Williams sisters most on? Who will be the best Serb, Jankovic or Ivanovic? Could Hingis win another major? When will Chakvetadze crack the Top 10? Will we hear from Myskina again? Could Dementieva fulfill her lifelong dream and win a major?
The off-season is over. It's time to get some answers. Ready? Play!
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