A new player in the top 4
Novak Djokovic had an amazing 2011 and that eventually means he will have to defend loads of points(13,360) this season. Similarly, Nadal (9,595) and Federer (8,170) too have to defend loads of points. Then again, these players are not new to this.
Though, they will be facing difficulties doing this. Djokovic has too many points to defend, Nadal might find it difficult to hold up to the hard court Australian season and Federer’s age will eventually catch up, despite his surge at the end of 2011.
Andy Murray is the only man not to win a major in the top 4. He had gathered 7,380 points last season but the pressure of an entire nation is dragging him down.
Constant good performances from No.5 David Ferrer, No.6 Jo-Wilfried Tsonga and the arising Juan Martin del Potro will push the Top 4 to the core and surely one of them will find a spot in the there.
Caroline Wozniacki will lose her ground
Not only did Wozniacki not win a major title in 2011, but she didn’t even make it to the finals of a major. Still, she managed to keep her No.1 title and that says something about her consistency.
Wozniacki made it to the semifinals of the Australian Open and the US Open, but she fell out at the fourth round at Wimbledon and third round in the French Open.
What Wozniacki is missing is a strong weapon in her offense and with only 115 points between her and Petra Kvitova, she will lose her ground.
The fall of the sisters will be eventual
At the 2011 US Open, Serena Williams failed to convert the US Open finals into a title after falling out with the referee. Samantha Stosur had the patience to see off the game. Only in mid 2011 did the sisters retain fitness, but they both lost in the fourth round of the Wimbledon. Venus Williams had to withdraw from the 2011 US Open but Serena made it to the finals yet, she was less than convincing.
With Venus and Serena turning 32 and 31 respectively, their age will play a major role in their descent.
Roger Federer will win slam No.17
Last year, most of us thought Federer will win the Australian Open after Nadal went out. But, he fell to Novak Djokovic.
Given his form and injury problems to Nadal and Djokovic, this might be Federer’s year to win Australian Open No.5. Also, after seeing Federer’s form at Roland Garros last year, you cannot count him out of the clay courts. He was also on his way to the Wimbledon title but collapsed against Tsonga after winning the first two sets. In the US Open, he was once again outplayed by Novak Djokovic.
We cannot predict anything that happens after two or three months but Federer surely has a shot at the Australian Open that begins in January.
Petra Kvitova, the new queen of Women’s Tennis
With six titles in seven finals, including a Wimbledon title in 2011, Petra Kvitova is only a win or two away from the World. No. 1 title. Nobody predicted her to win against Maria Sharapova for the Wimbledon title, but she defied the odds defeating the Russian in straight sets.
She has titles on hard courts, grass as well as clay making her prolific on all courts, unlike the previous World no.1′s, Ana Ivanovic and Dinara Safina.
Even after facing a slump after the Wimbledon title, Kvitova came back strongly to win the year end championships at Turkey.
Kvitova looks like a thorough professional and a champion and it will take much more effort from others to stop her from becoming the new queen of Women’s tennis.
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