We can expect an interesting
battle among the top four male players: the excellent Rafael Nadal, too early
written-off Roger Federer, ambitious Novak Djokovic and Andy Murray who is in
the best shape of his life. Among the female players is difficult to say who the
favorite is, but the competition will once again be strong: Jelena Jankovic, Ana
Ivanovic, Williams sisters, Dinara Safina, Elena Dementieva... are all the candidates
for the top
By MARKO ANDREJIC from Belgrade,
SERBIA
After
less than two months of a break, the world circus with the best male and female
tennis players is on the tour again. Last year brought about many interesting
matches, turnovers, and changes on the ranking lists among the best players. Due
to that fact, the fans, experts and the players themselves await the new 2009
with anticipation. There will also be some work for the bookies since tennis has
accidentally, after a couple of suspicious results and stimulated by live betting
and possible frauds, became blacklisted as a sport with most dirty money.
This 2009, as is the tradition, the season begins in Australia. The first
grand-slam tournament, the Australian Open, is being played in Melbourne, and
the defending titles belong to Novak Djokovic and Maria Sharapova. However, the
Russian tennis player hasn't still recovered from an injury so it is not certain
whether she will show up on the courts of Melbourne Park. On the first tournament
this year, one of many that serve as a warming up for the grand-slam, Novak begun
with a defeat and as a first favorite in Brisbane he lost in the first round from
the young Latvian Ernests Gulbis who continues with the great performances from
2008.
Apart
from the tournament in Brisbane where both male and female layers compete - the
first seeded with the ladies is Ana Ivanovic - the male tennis players are currently
also playing in Chennai, India where Nikolai Davydenko has the best chances of
winning and in Doha, Qatar, where there is the strongest competition - even three
players form the top four are fighting for the title: Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer
and Andy Murray. The ladies are also playing in Auckland, where the favorites
are Elena Dementieva and Caroline Wozniacki.
Even though it is still too
early to predict anything, it is obvious that the situation among the top 20 in
both categories has changed when compared to the previous year. Among the male
tennis players, we can expect an interesting battle among the top four: Rafael
Nadal appears to be hard to reach if he manages to repeat the last-year's matches.
He hasn't begun with a good start because he was defeated in the finals of an
exhibitionist tournament by Andy Murray but that isn't really a valid criterion
for Rafa's shape. As always, he appears to be in great physical shape but it still
remains to be seen whether the title of Number 1 would be an additional motif
or a burden for him. Roger Federer, would like to forget the year behind him as
soon as possible, but tennis experts claim that the Swiss still hasn't said his
last words, and your reporter agrees with them. Since he saved the season by winning
the US Open, he will have to be behind Nadal, and pay close attention to Novak
Djokovic who is only one step behind him and ready to make that additional step
forward in order to reach his best placement on ATP ranking list. The difference
in points is minute, but he must continually play good. Djokovic has a great challenge
ahead of him - defending the title in Melbourne, his first grand-slam trophy,
and it will be interesting to see how he copes with the burden of the favorite.
During the preparation period he appeared to be pretty content and in a good mood,
so even after an unexpected defeat at the very beginning of the season he is still
to be counted on as one of the best. Andy Murray has reached his best placement
on the world tennis players' ranking list. He finally managed to become a mature
tennis player last year, more on the psychological level but also with his moves
on the court, and therefore he has already been made the fourth member of the
leading quartet. Murray has always been ambitious and if he manages to avoid the
oscillations which have usually been his companion and play a couple of good tournaments
at the beginning of the season, the Islander could finally count on considerable
rankings on grand-slam tournaments as well.
Along
with the already mentioned great players we should certainly count on good games
from three Frenchmen - Joe Wilfried Tsonga, Gilles Simon and Gael Monfils, Russians
Nikolai Davydenko who is constantly good and Igor Andreev who has made a considerable
progress, the inconvenient Andy Roddick or some of the always dangerous Spaniards
Fernando Verdasco and David Ferrer. There is also the uprising young player from
Argentina, Juan Martin del Potro and his older countryman David Nalbandian. No
doubt someone from the shadows, like Janko Tipsarevic, Marin Cilic or Ernests
Gulbis, will appear and make life difficult to the favorites.
As
far as ladies are concerned, the race is by far more uncertain so it is difficult
to single out names. Jelena Jankovic had a great finish of the last season and
therefore begins 2009 from the first place. This is a great responsibility for
Jelena who promised one grand-slam title in the forthcoming year, after the last
year's finals on Flashing Meadows. She is satisfied with the preparation period
and full of self-confidence she sets forth to defend the throne, so confident
that apart from the exhibitionist tournament in Hong Kong she will not have any
tests before Australian Open. That can be a double-edged sward. The other Serbian
tennis player, Ana Ivanovic, begins the season from the fifth place but she is
also very full of positive energy and is looking for the return to the top. After
the title won on Roland Garros, in Melbourne she is defending the last year's
finals. She has a lot of oscillations in her play but she will be one of the favorites.
Williams sisters will choose tournaments this year as well, and the younger Serena
appears powerful and capable of surpassing all challenges. The older one, Venus
appears to be slowly preparing for the sports' retirement. Russian players are
still at the top - Dinara Safina ranked 3rd, and there are also Elena Dementieva
and the young Vera Zvonareva. Among the favorites from the shadows we may mention
Agnieszka Radwanska from Poland, Dominika Cibulkova from Slovakia and Casey Dellacqua
from Australia who had a great opening of the season last year before her audience
in Melbourne.
The tennis players are faced with a difficult schedule once
again, tournaments week after week, so the physical fitness will considerably
influence the results. WAVE magazine will follow all the events in (once) white
sport on a regular basis. In May, Belgrade will also become a new place on the
tennis map since it got its first ATP tournament owing mostly to Novak Djokovic.
It remains to be seen whether Ana Ivanovic will manage to bring a WTA tour to
Serbia.
After
less than two months of a break, the world circus with the best male and female
tennis players is on the tour again. Last year brought about many interesting
matches, turnovers, and changes on the ranking lists among the best players. Due
to that fact, the fans, experts and the players themselves await the new 2009
with anticipation. There will also be some work for the bookies since tennis has
accidentally, after a couple of suspicious results and stimulated by live betting
and possible frauds, became blacklisted as a sport with most dirty money.
Apart
from the tournament in Brisbane where both male and female layers compete - the
first seeded with the ladies is Ana Ivanovic - the male tennis players are currently
also playing in Chennai, India where Nikolai Davydenko has the best chances of
winning and in Doha, Qatar, where there is the strongest competition - even three
players form the top four are fighting for the title: Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer
and Andy Murray. The ladies are also playing in Auckland, where the favorites
are Elena Dementieva and Caroline Wozniacki.
criterion
for Rafa's shape. As always, he appears to be in great physical shape but it still
remains to be seen whether the title of Number 1 would be an additional motif
or a burden for him. Roger Federer, would like to forget the year behind him as
soon as possible, but tennis experts claim that the Swiss still hasn't said his
last words, and your reporter agrees with them. Since he saved the season by winning
the US Open, he will have to be behind Nadal, and pay close attention to Novak
Djokovic who is only one step behind him and ready to make that additional step
forward in order to reach his best placement on ATP ranking list. The difference
in points is minute, but he must continually play good. Djokovic has a great challenge
ahead of him - defending the title in Melbourne, his first grand-slam trophy,
and it will be interesting to see how he copes with the burden of the favorite.
During the preparation period he appeared to be pretty content and in a good mood,
so even after an unexpected defeat at the very beginning of the season he is still
to be counted on as one of the best. Andy Murray has reached his best placement
on the world tennis players' ranking list. He finally managed to become a mature
tennis player last year, more on the psychological level but also with his moves
on the court, and therefore he has already been made the fourth member of the
leading quartet. Murray has always been ambitious and if he manages to avoid the
oscillations which have usually been his companion and play a couple of good tournaments
at the beginning of the season, the Islander could finally count on considerable
rankings on grand-slam tournaments as well.
Along
with the already mentioned great players we should certainly count on good games
from three Frenchmen - Joe Wilfried Tsonga, Gilles Simon and Gael Monfils, Russians
Nikolai Davydenko who is constantly good and Igor Andreev who has made a considerable
progress, the inconvenient Andy Roddick or some of the always dangerous Spaniards
Fernando Verdasco and David Ferrer. There is also the uprising young player from
Argentina, Juan Martin del Potro and his older countryman David Nalbandian. No
doubt someone from the shadows, like Janko Tipsarevic, Marin Cilic or Ernests
Gulbis, will appear and make life difficult to the favorites.
As
far as ladies are concerned, the race is by far more uncertain so it is difficult
to single out names. Jelena Jankovic had a great finish of the last season and
therefore begins 2009 from the first place. This is a great responsibility for
Jelena who promised one grand-slam title in the forthcoming year, after the last
year's finals on Flashing Meadows. She is satisfied with the preparation period
and full of self-confidence she sets forth to defend the throne, so confident
that apart from the exhibitionist tournament in Hong Kong she will not have any
tests before Australian Open. That can be a double-edged sward. The other Serbian
tennis player, Ana Ivanovic, begins the season from the fifth place but she is
also very full of positive energy and is looking for the return to the top. After
the title won on Roland Garros, in Melbourne she is defending the last year's
finals. She has a lot of oscillations in her play but she will be one of the favorites.
Williams sisters will choose tournaments this year as well, and the younger Serena
appears powerful and capable of surpassing all challenges. The older one, Venus
appears to be slowly preparing for the sports' retirement. Russian players are
still at the top - Dinara Safina ranked 3rd, and there are also Elena Dementieva
and the young Vera Zvonareva. Among the favorites from the shadows we may mention
Agnieszka Radwanska from Poland, Dominika Cibulkova from Slovakia and Casey Dellacqua
from Australia who had a great opening of the season last year before her audience
in Melbourne.