Australian Bernard Tomic will begin next week’s Australian Open with confidence after recent victories over Novak Djokovic, Tommy Haas and Florian Mayer at the Hopman Cup and Sydney International.
Tomic will play Leonardo Mayer from Argentina in the first round, and faces a potential third round clash with Roger Federer.
With last year’s Wimbledon trophy in his collection, 31-year-old Roger Federer has proven he is still a force to be reckoned with. I wonder how much longer he can keep up, but the Swiss master will be no doubt looking for a grand slam trophy to start the year off.
Defending champion Novak ‘Nole’ Djokovic is still the player to beat. Nole will attempt to prove he still deserves the number 1 title as he plays for his fourth Australian Open title.
Djokovic enters the tournament in good form after playing well at the Hopman Cup, despite losing in the final. Anything less than a trophy will be unsatisfactory for the Serbian, and expect him to be a dangerous opponent for whoever he draws.
It may have taken Scotland’s Andy Murray a while to get there, but last year he won his first grand slam trophy at Flushing Meadows in New York.
Andy will look to improve upon his recent results in Melbourne where he has come close in the past. Murray comes off the back of an impressive win in Brisbane and is my favourite to lift the trophy.
With the news that Rafael Nadal will not return from injury to play in Melbourne, the Spaniard will fall from the top-four ATP rankings. There are a number of players capable of not only replacing his position in the rankings, but perhaps lifting a grand slam trophy in 2013.
First thought must go to Nadal’s compatriot David Ferrer, who plays with a similar style and has frequently had success in the Australian Open. However at 31 this year, and with no grand slam trophies to his name, Ferrer is not my favourite to replace Nadal.
Argentina’s Juan Martin Del Potro has won a US Open trophy, and is beginning to play well again and challenge the top-four after suffering an injury. Del Potro played well at the recent Kooyong Classic in Melbourne and I can see him making the top-four and perhaps winning a second grand slam sometime this year.
Also in contention for the fourth place position and a grand slam trophy are the Czech Republic’s Tomas Berdych and France’s Joe-Wilfried Tsonga.
And be sure to keep an eye out for South Africa’s Kevin Anderson and Canda’s Milos Raonic, who have what it takes to become very good players in the future.
Lleyton Hewitt will be hoping for another great Australian Open after last year’s impressive run into the second week, where he was defeated by Djokovic. After his recent brilliant performances at the Kooyong Classic, the 31-year-old will hope to turn back the clock on home soil.
Be sure to watch the Australian Open when it begins on Monday, and check out The Roar for more reviews and predictions in the coming days.
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