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Last year saw a domination of the major tournaments in men’s tennis by four players: Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer, Novak Djokovic and Andy Murray.
Between them they collected 23 titles, including all four grand slams and six Masters 1000 events, separating themselves from the rest of the tour and justifying their tag “the big four.”
Of the remaining 124 players in the Australian Open draw, who has the potential to rise up and take out these four guys to lift the trophy in Melbourne?
One name stands above all the rest as having the necessary experience, ability and fire power.
That name is Robin Soderling.
After winning the Brisbane International, the big serving Swede has jumped to a career high ranking of number four in the world. The importance of this is that he now gets his own quarter in the draw for the Australian Open and has a guarantee not to meet any of Nadal, Federer or Djkokvic until the semi-finals.
Over the last two years, Soderling has made the transition from mentally soft, going missing when things didn’t go his way, to mental powerhouse, pulling off some of the biggest upsets on the men’s tour. They include being the first man to ever beat Nadal at the French Open and then backing that up the next year by ousting Federer in the quarter finals of the same event.
Even more important is the current purple patch of form he finds himself in.
After finishing 2010 in fine style, winning the Paris Masters 1000, his first ever Masters Series win, Soderling has carried that form in to 2011 taking the Brisbane title without dropping a set and only losing his serve once for the tournament.
On his day, the big serve and flat ground strokes can trouble anyone.
The question is, can the Swede have his day in Melbourne, leading the pack of contenders, or will it be another trophy in the cabinet of the Big Four?
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