By Cliff Richey
(Cliff Richey was a semifinalist at the French Open in 1970 and the US Open in 1970 and 1972 US Open. He led the U.S. to the Davis Cup title in 1970 and finished that year as the No. 1 player in the first Grand Prix points standings. He is the author of the book ACING DEPRESSION: A TENNIS CHAMPION’S TOUGHEST MATCH ($19.95, New Chapter Press, www.CliffRicheyBook.com) and travels the country speaking on behalf of mental health.)
This year could be a very interesting year on the ATP World Tour as many questions are hanging heavy and are waiting to be answered by the top guns.
Can Novak Djokovic continue his spotless season? Will Roger Federer regain his form and win another major or two? Is Rafael Nadal going to consolidate his No. 1 ranking with another dominate year? And how about American Andy Roddick? Will he rebound back into the top five? Perhaps he can win an elusive second major. The French Open starts later this month and Wimbledon and the US Open will round out what will be a very exciting year for pro tennis.
I think Djokovic will cool off. But obviously he will be a contender in all of the remaining majors. But I don’t think he will win another one to go with his season opening Australian Open. I don’t see his game having that one huge shot that will win easy points. And that’s crucial for dominance. Logically his undefeated 2011 will have to cool off you would think.
Roger Federer is pushing 30 years old – a grey beard in pro tennis. However, he has physical and mental powers to spare. Physically I don’t see a problem. Mental sharpness is the question mark. Roger has been on tour going on fourteen years. Trust me, you get punchy after several hundred wonderful jetlags! He is the winner of more majors than anyone in history, but can he keep his desire at a level needed to beat Nadal and also that nasty horde of twenty-year-olds clawing at the ivy draped gates of Wimbledon? You need one hundred percent mental fitness. Ninety nine percent is not good enough.
Rafael Nadal is my pick to again be the dominate player in 2011. Only twenty four years old and winner of three of the four major events last year, he has the physical talents that are born and also made. He is probably the hardest worker of the current stars. He is super fit. In the fifth set, he looks like it’s still the warm-up! He has such a great attitude. Nadal is like the great Jimmy Connors. Winning and losing is a given. Jimmy was sad when the match was over. Win or lose. I think Nadal is the same. I think he will finish the year No. 1 again.
Andy Roddick? For his overall athletic talent I think he has had a very good record over these ten years he has been on tour. He is not the fastest guy on his feet and he’s not gifted with great hands around the net. He is also very suspect on the backhand side for a top tier pro. His strength? Biggest serve in tennis– maybe ever. One hundred forty nine mph. His forehand is a weapon. At age twenty-eight, Roddick still has the desire to win at least one more major to go with his 2003 US Open. But time is not on his side and the horde is on his heels as well. Roddick is the only American to win a major in the last decade. Compared to the other three pros, I think he is the biggest question mark.
So let’s pick our favorites and root them on. Truly a challenging and interesting year for all. And who knows, maybe an unknown will come forward and break all their hearts. Stay tuned.