Once upon a time, David Nalbandian was a big deal.  Now that Murray has finally won his first Slam, maybe they’ll point to David Nalbandian to be the best player never to have won a Slam.

Nalbandian is a player of the Federer generation.  These include such luminaries as Andy Roddick, Lleyton Hewitt, Marat Safin, Juan Carlos Ferrero, and even lesser known players like Julien Benneteau, Olivier Rochus, and Xavier Malisse.  Many of Federer’s contemporaries shone brightly in a small gap of time between the decline of Sampras and the ascendancy of Federer, or basically between about 2000-2004.  Hewitt won two Slams in this period.  Safin won two Slams.

When Federer started his Slam streak, in 2004, he was soon joined by the next generation which started with Rafa Nadal in 2005, who was joined by Djokovic in 2007 and Murray in 2008, despite being similar in ages.

Nalbandian, much like Hewitt and Haas, has dealt with injuries which has prevented him from playing consistent tennis.  His style of play is good enough to beat some of the top players, but he has to be feeling pretty good.

Nalbandian faced Simone Bolleli, perhaps not nearly as famous as fellow Italians, Seppi or Fognini.  Nalbandian had to feel that if he could only reach the final, it would be his best chance to beat Nadal.  Nadal hasn’t played in 7 months.  He recently lost to Zeballos ranked about 80 in the world.  He was pushed to 3 sets by Berlocq, and again pushed by lucky loser, Martin Alund.

At any other time, Nalbandian would be an underdog to Nadal, though the two of them have actually played pretty close most times they’ve met in recent years, mostly playing three sets at either Miami or Indian Wells.  Nalbandian easily won their early encounters in 2077, but that was so long ago.

For whatever reason, Nadal is struggling some, though he continues to win, so if Nalbandian is going to break through, this is his best chance to do so.

Rotterdam

Julien Benneteau can go into the finals and perhaps relax.  Even if he loses an 8th final to Juan Martin del Potro, which is, alas, the likely outcome, he’ll not have equaled the streak of fellow countryman, Cedric Pioline, who apparently lost his first 9 finals.  Pioline did go on to win titles after that, but Benneteau is getting on in age.  Benneteau is in his 14th year on tour having started in 2000.  He didn’t reach his first final until 2008.

Since then, he’s reached a final every year, including, now, Rotterdam.  In 7 attempts, he’s won zero finals.  He’s good enough to reach a final, but not good enough to win one.  And it’s not like he’s facing Federer or Nadal.  He’s lost to Simon, Garcia-Lopez, Soderling, Llodra, Isner, Nieminen, and Monaco with Soderling perhaps the strongest of the group.  He has to beat Juan Martin del Potro if he expects to win his first title, but he’s an underdog.