Posted by paolo on 25/9/2007, 0:25:49 MEN Roger Federer Am I imagining it or was Rog not quite as good in 2007 as in previous years? I know he won three grand slam tournaments as usual but there were the early season losses against Canas (twice) and Volandri and the hard court loss against Djokovic in Montreal. In the US Open final he looked distinctly vulnerable against Djokovic but in the big points it was he who produced and Djokovic who tightened up. It will be very interesting to see what happens next year but now that I have slightly doubted Rog he will probably win the Grand Slam. Rafael Nadal Once again Rafa was a monster on clay, once again he stretched Rog in the Wimbledon final and once again he fell away during the US hardcourt season. He plays such a physical game that I sometimes wonder if he will suffer burnout in the not too distant future. It could be that the five years older Federer outlasts him at the top of the game. Rafa has been number two in the world for the last two years but if he was going to depose Rog wouldn't he have done it by now? Novak Djokovic I think Djokovic is more likely than Nadal to oust Federer from the number one world ranking - not that I am saying he will. Novak made a dramatic improvement in the latter half of the year, he has all the tools but will need to answer questions about his temperament after the US Open final. He also gets injured a lot for such a young player, will his body be able to cope with the physical demands of today's game? The Rest In my opinion the only man capable of challenging the big three is Andy Murray. He's another player who seems very injury prone but if he can stay fit he has enormous potential. His ability to constantly change the pace and direction of the ball during rallies is very difficult for other players to deal with. WOMEN The Contenders Justine Henin Henin has opened up a big lead in the world rankings and is now at the peak of her powers. Although not unbeatable (witness the shocking collapse against Bartoli at Wimbledon) she is quite capable of dominating the sport for the next couple of years. More big tournament wins are on the horizon. Maria Sharapova She was clearly hampered all year by the shoulder injury. I think she needs to be very careful as shoulder injuries can be career threatening. Remodelling her service action may not be enough and it might be prudent for her to take some time out until the injury properly heals. How will she do next year? The jury is out. Svetlana Kuznetsova Has lots of power but can fall apart alarmingly if she starts to miss the lines. She will stay in the top ten for two or three more years but I think the US Open win in 2004 will remain the highlight of her career. Jelena Jankovic She is undoubtedly the best defender and best counter puncher in the women's game. With her wonderful sporting attitude she has been a breath of fresh air and to me she is the most watchable player in the sport. On the downside, she plays far too much and her serve is very pedestrian. The latter is a particular problem because it means that she has no real advantage when serving and thus the opponent always feels there is a chance of a break. I have a horrible feeling that Jelena will always come up a bit short in the Grand Slam events but I sincerely hope I'm wrong. Anna Chakvetadze Having seen a couple of her matches recently it's evident to me that Anna has one of the best tennis brains out there. She is a player who instinctively knows the right shots to play at the right times. Comparisons have been made to Martina Hingis - her consistency and variety of shot making up for a lack of power. Can I see her winning a Grand Slam? No, not really. She does have the best hair in tennis though. Ana Ivanovic Ana has made a big leap this year after spending a couple of seasons ranked in the lower top twenty. This is because she has learned to better control her considerable power and has worked hard at adding extra facets to her game, in particular an effective sliced backhand. She will be a threat to anyone but questions have to be asked after her abysmal crumble in the French Open final. Serena Williams/Venus Williams These two will be capable of winning big tournaments here and there for the next year or so but will never again ascend to the number one and two positions in the world rankings. The dedication just isn't there anymore, although Venus at least keeps herself in good physical shape. I find Serena's churlish attitude very distasteful and will not be sorry when she retires, hopefully sooner rather than later. Nicole Vaidisova She has fallen back a little this year but has struggled a bit with injuries. I fully expect her to do an "Ana Ivanovic type" leap in the next twelve months. She has power and class and is definitely a contender at the major events. Agnes Szavay This girl is possibly the future of women's tennis. She has moved up from 207 to 20 in the world rankings during the last twelve months and it's not going to take her long to make the top ten. What most impressed me in the recent final against Jankovic in China was her ability to cope when Jankovic kept getting the ball back. Time and again Jelena would successfully return shots that looked to be winners. Most opponents would have been broken down by this but Agnes showed remarkable maturity and excellent technique to stay competitive. She has a heavy serve, secure smash, powerful accurate groundstrokes and is not afraid to go to the net. She's also remarkably composed for an 18 year old. I think she will be contending at Grand Slam tournaments as early as next year. She just oozes class and quality and I am very impressed. One To Watch Alize Cornet At 17 she's a year younger than Szavay but will be in the top thirty by this time next year. She gave Jankovic fits at the US Open (poor Jelena) before eventually losing but displayed tremendous verve and athleticism. Her future looks very bright. A lot of players these days hit big powerful groundstrokes from the baseline but don't have much else. Alize has more. The Rest The other three players in the top thirty who have the potential to make a major impact on the game are Daniela Hantuchova, Tatiana Golovin and Lucie Safarova. However, these three players suffer from a dreadful lack of consistency. A tournament win (or final) is invariably followed by a first round loss against a qualifier. Come on girls, you know you can do it. It's Over Martina Hingis I think the wear and tear is taking its toll now and the comeback is beginning to peter out. I wish her well but do not believe she will ever return to the top ten.
86.135.239.130
I know this season hasn't quite finished yet but I am already contemplating 2008.
The Contenders 
Safarova in particular is a very exciting player
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