This was an article about predictions for the 2006 tennis season. The one about Marat is number 6.
I thought it was interesting.
Sixteen not-so-sweet predictions for 2006
Matthew Cronin / tennisreporters.net
1. Will Roger Federer win the calendar year Grand Slam?
No, but the dominant Swiss No. 1 will win the only Grand Slam title that still eludes him, the French Open. Federer — who's won five Grand Slam titles during the last two years — is finally showing some physical wear and tear, but mentally, he still has a tremendous amount of hunger and wants to prove that he's the best of all time.
The 24-year-old can't do that convincingly unless he wins the only major played on clay. With the right amount of patience and varied attack, he has the goods to reign in Paris. He'll also win the Australian Open again, but will have his winning streaks stopped at Wimbledon and the U.S. Open.
2. Will Rafael Nadal win a Grand Slam on a surface that isn't clay, and can he really challenge Federer week in and week out?
The 19-year-old Spaniard can but won't be a significant challenger in 2006 until he gets healthy again. The brawny lefty played a ton last year and needs to seriously reduce his schedule, but he's improving his serve — the weakest part of his game — and is adding stick to his backhand. This lightning-quick defender's time in the sunshine won't come until the U.S. Open, but he'll make waves all year long and get into Fed's head.
3. Will Andy Roddick regain his confidence and win another Slam title?
America's top player had a rough year in 2005, winning five mid-sized titles but no Master Series crowns or Grand Slams. Federer is dominating him; Lleyton Hewitt is still a better player, and Nadal has already passed him in the rankings. The good news is that Roddick has improved his backhand, his transition game and his volley. The bad news is that he's lost a fair amount of confidence. But the fast-talking Roddick is super-determined and will find a way to serve through the field at Wimbledon and win his second Slam crown.
4. Will Andre Agassi finally retire?
Unless he finds a miracle cure for the nerve injury that affects his back and hip, Agassi will wave goodbye at age 36 after the U.S. Open. He's still a legitimate top-five player when he's healthy (remember his sterling run to the 2005 U.S. Open final), but that's been very rare over the past two years. He'll only play a part-time schedule in 2006, and if he can't continually bag wins over the elite, he'll join his wife, Steffi Graf, at home with their two kids. His body is telling him to quit , and he'll finally answer its prayers.
5. Will the Argentines take over the Tour?
Unless you are talking about the Tour de France, where using stimulants is apparently par for the course, this South American nation will fall back in tennis in 2006. Collectively, this standout country has had five players test positive for doping in the past few years, and two of its stars, French Open finalist Mariano Puerta and semifinalist Guillermo Canas, were suspended in 2005.
One of its top players, Guillermo Coria, who was once suspended, said, "We Argentines are all suspected. Our effort isn't taken into account. We have to do even more to prove we are great players.?"
Among their better players, only Shanghai titlist David Nalbandian and 2004 French Open winner Gaston Gaudio have managed to stay clean. When much of the world believes your nation is cheating, it isn't easy to stay mentally sound, which is why, as a group, Argentina will cry for itself during '06.
6. What are the futures of Marat Safin and Lleyton Hewitt?
Hazy in both cases. Nearly a year ago, the Russian and the Aussie faced off in a well-played Australian Open final, and the future appeared rosy for both of them. But Safin went down with a knee injury that just won't heal, and Hewitt has mellowed due to his marriage to actress Bec Cartwright and the birth of their daughter, Mia.
A rickety Safin means poor movement, but if he does manage to find a way to get healthy for a small stretch, Safin will charge hard for his third Slam title at the U.S. Open. Hewitt may have lost a bit of his snarl but not his competitive fire, and with the right draw, he could win his third Slam crown. But neither veteran will finish the year in style, and they are both on downward curves.
7. Who will be the breakthrough players on the men's side?
It would be nice to find an American or Aussie teen who is ready to make a splash, but there are none on the horizon who will shake the foundations of the tour. Czech teen Tomas Berdych, French teens Gael Monfils and Richard Gasquet and Scottish teen Andy Murray should all end the year in the top 20, but U.S. kids like Donald Young and Sam Querry and Aussie youngster Carston Ball are not yet ready for prime time. Is it too early to hope for Agassi and Hewitt's kids to enter the tours as toddlers?
8. Will any other American man become a significant player?
James Blake will. The 25-year-old showed at the U.S. Open and in winning Stockholm that he has improved immeasurably all over the court, and he has the confidence to back it up. Expect Blake to make a major impact in Australia, crack the top 10 for the first time and stay there. Robby Ginepri and Taylor Dent will end their years in the top 30, but they won't reach any major finals.
9. Will 2006 be the year that Maria Sharapova takes over the tour?
It should be, but she hasn't found a cure for her year-long shoulder injury, and without consistent pop on her serve and forehand, she cannot hit through the likes of Kim Clijsters, Venus Williams and Justine Henin-Hardenne. The 18-year-old sex symbol did improve in 2005, adding a drop shot and gaining confidence in her swing volley, but her game is really based on non-stop firepower, and she isn't going to step on the tour's neck at 80 percent. But she will win one major, and given her steel determination and utter hate of losing, will challenge for the year-end No. 1 ranking.
10. Will the Williams sisters ever get back to their once dominant levels?
Not on a consistent basis, because Venus hasn't been truly healthy since mid-2003, and Serena not only has been injured much of the past two years, but she is spending way too much time pursuing her acting interests and not enough time training. Without question, both sisters are still capable of winning Grand Slams and a number of other titles in '06, but by no means will they be facing off in fourth straight Grand Slam final like they did in '03 and '04. The field is way too deep now, and they have lost the consistency and the inner fire that's necessary to be No.1 players.
11. Will Martina Hingis re-enter the top five?
Not this year, as she's way too rusty and unsure of herself to immediately intimidate her younger foes, many of whom she never played during her heyday. Hingis is way too good and prideful to allow herself to be routinely kicked in the teeth, but her serve and forehand are still works in progress, and she has lost a little of her legendary quickness. But the 25-year-old is still one of the smartest players out there and has regained her will to win, which is why the Swiss star will end the year in the top 10 and make major impacts at Wimbledon and the U.S. Open.
12. Will Kim Clijsters end the year ranked higher than her nemesis, Justine Henin-Hardenne?
Yes she will, and not only that, the Belgian will end the year ranked No. 1 for the first time, too. Clijsters did a great job of keeping herself healthy last year and won a tour-high nine titles and her first Grand Slam at the U.S. Open. She's serving well, is the game's most feared defender and can lace groundstrokes with anyone.
The 22-year-old will begin the year by winning the Australian Open, dominate the hardcourt season once again and will go hard to repeat at the U.S. Open. She loves to play; moreover, she loves to beat her unfriendly countrywoman, Henin-Hardenne. However, the creative Henin-Hardenne will best Clijsters and the rest of the field for her third French Open title.
13. Will France's Mary Pierce and Amelie Mauresmo again end the year in the top five?
No. As great a year as 30-year-old Pierce had in 2005, reaching the French, U.S. and WTA Championship finals, she's bound to take a downward turn physically. Mauresmo won her first "major" crown at the WTA Championships and finally showed that she's capable of overcoming her nerves and winning a Slam. She's most likely to do so at Wimbledon, but the 26-year-old is way too injury-prone to challenge for the top five once again
14. Will the Russians rise as a group again?
No, because outside of Sharapova and 2004 U.S. Open champion Svetlana Kuznetsova, they don't have another dominant player amongst their dozen or so good ones. Anastasia Myskina and Elena Dementieva are both fine competitors and will challenge for top 10 spots, but they are known quantities, as are Nadia Petrova, Dinara Safina and Vera Zvonareva — all good, but not great players.
15. Who will be the women's breakthrough players?
When she was named the Sexiest Player of 2005 in a tennsireporters.net fan poll, Serbian 18-year-old Ana Ivanovic was pleased, but she kept her mind on court. "I'm very honored that fans voted for me for this award," said Ivanovic, who finished 2005 ranked a career-high No. 16. "Although very flattering, I know that all these awards are ultimately based upon my tennis results, and therefore I am very pleased to be receiving them."
The tall and strong brunette is powerful and fearless and should she get into top shape, crack the top 10 and stay there. She'll be joined by Czech 16-year-old sensation Nicole Vaidisova, who won three titles in 2005 and can knock the cover off the ball.
16. Will Anna Kournikova launch a comeback?
Not in singles (too much work), but don't count her out in doubles. Martina Hingis has always enjoyed competing with high-profile partners, and Kournikova has to be tired of playing in hit and giggle exhibitions.
Thanks mackiemad.
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