It's hard to recall the last time a player ranked as high as del Potro (a top 5 player) that was sideline for most of a year. del Potro played 3 tournaments in all of 2010. He reached the quarterfinals at the Australian Open, then lost in two first round tournaments in the Asian swing
Everyone loves to do it, but it really doesn't make sense. Back in December, people were asked "make predictions who will win the Slams in 2011". You never know which player will come out of nowhere to make an impression. If you were to ask, at the end of 2008, who would win the Slams
Andy Murray had only played Alexandr Dolgopolov once, nearly 4 years ago, in a clay court in a Davis Cup match. Murray won this against a very young Dolgopolov. He expected a far different match from the one he had played so many years ago. Dolgopolov has a reputation for being a tricky player to
Up until now, Murray hadn't faced a really tough opponent. He played 32nd seed, Guillermo Garcia-Lopez and pummeled him. Garcia-Lopez seemed confused and unable to pressure Murray. However, Melzer was seen as a crafty lefty with more power than Garcia-Lopez. Melzer had had an indifferent career for nearly a decade, his rankings mired in the
The quickest way to rise through the rankings? Big serve. Just ask Ivo Karlovic, John Isner, Sam Querrey, and Andy Roddick. If you can hold the vast majority of the time, that's just one thing less to worry about. Few people are like David Ferrer or Rafa, who rely on speed and the power of
