Mikhail Youzhny

Russia’s Mikhail Youzhny began 2010 slowly but gradually picked up steam and kept it in gear until he had completed his finest year on tour.  At 28 years of age, the lanky right-hander won his sixth (Kuala Lampur) and seventh (Munich) ATP championships and finished runner-up in three others (St. Petersburg, Dubai, Rotterdam).  His strong showing left many players wondering where all that game came from after a mediocre 11 years on tour.

What Youzhny found was his serve.  Finding more velocity than previously and improving his location enabled the Russian to surprise many players who had success with him in the past.

Mikhail Youzhny with his wife Yulia

Mikhail began his tennis career at the ripe age of six.  He learned to play Tennis with his older brother, Andrei, a pro futures player in 1998-2000.  Youzhny has always tried to emulate Stefan Edberg, whose mental toughness he admired.  At age thirteen, he was a ballboy for the Russia – U.S. Davis Cup matches.  His wife, Yulia, gave birth to their son, Maxim, in December 2009.

During 2010, Youzhny jumped 10 spots in the ranking from number 20 to number ten at year’s end.  Knocked off 3^rd ranked Djokovic in Rotterdam and served notice to the tour that this was going to be a good year.  A month later lost to Novak Djokovic in final at Dubai.

He went on to win the ATP World Tour Masters 1000 in Miami defeating a motivated Mardy Fish.  Mikhail had difficulty on the grass and did not return to form until his triumph at Kuala Lampur.  He rose to number 8 in rankings but finished poorly to drop back to tenth place.

His career won-lost record stands at a respectable 339-244.  Youzhny is balanced player with a balanced disposition.  He will be hard pressed to hold his ranking unless he gets off the blocks quickly in 2011.

Related Posts

• Youzhny Joins Nadal, Federer and Djokovic
• Wawrinka downs Murray – Youzhny Guns Down Isner
• Soderling Defeats Youzhny

Francesca Schiavone

As was clearly evident at last year’s French Open, Francesca Schiavone loves to play tennis.  She loves to compete and has been performing on the WTA stage for twelve years.  But, it was at last year’s French Open when she out-strategized and out-executed a very much in form Samantha Stosur en route to her first Grand Slam Championship.

The sight of Francesca embracing the red clay at Roland Garros will be forever etched in the minds of women’s tennis fans.  In that moment, we witnessed the culmination of a dream come true.  For years, Francesca has been too short, too weak on the serve and unable to play the net.  Well, if that is the scouting report, Francesca certainly crossed up the analysts.

In the finals, Francesca humbled the game’s best server and with a combination of risky forward charges and quick feet that put too much pressure on the surprised Aussie.  Francesca kept up the pressure and won her Grand Slam Title, showing us that underdogs can still have their day on the big stage.

That victory was the culmination of years of effort, years of training and years of being told she was too short to compete.  Francesca parlayed her French Open success to move into the top ten for the first time in her career.  She also became the first Italian to win a Grand Slam tournament.  Not bad for the consummate underdog.

In her twelve years on tour, Francesca has won 4 singles titles and 7 doubles titles.  Her career singles record is 450-308 to go along with her more than $7 million in earnings.

Francesca has her quirks.  Right now she does not have a coach.  She also will play anywhere, anytime.  She feels equally comfortable on clay as on the hard surfaces.  Francesca is one of the tour’s most popular players.

2010 was Francesca’s breakthrough year.  She won in Barcelona and followed that win with the surprising win at Roland Garros.  Francesca did well to seal the number seven ranking in 2010, but the young wolves will be gunning for her this season.

Francesca also reached the quarterfinals at the U.S. Open and the fourth round at Melbourne.  However, she was defeated six times in the first round. To keep her lofty ranking Francesca must start all over again.  It is her will to win that is her biggest asset.  When the will is there, so is Francesca.

Related Posts

• Francesca Schiavone Upsets Samantha Stosur to Win French Open 2010 Women’s Title
• Francesca and Elena to Meet in Semis
• Williams Advances, Schiavone Falters

Shuai Peng

Shuai Peng has never won a WTA singles title but has managed to win 6 WTA doubles titles. Her career record in Grand Slams is undistinguished although she reached the third round at the U.S. Open in 2010.

Her career singles record is a respectable 258-157 and in doubles is 147-102. Many singles players play doubles to sharpen their skills but it seems Peng plays singles to sharpen her doubles skills.

Shuai is coached by Guillaume Peyre. Her father is a police officer and introduced Shuai to the game at age 8, a late start by most of today’s standards. She has always admired Steffi Graff and tries to emulate her all court game.

Despite winding up in the 62nd ranking position, 2010 was a disappointment for Peng. She always seemed to be battling injury or illness. She withdrew from Pattaya City with illness and from the French Open and Wimbledon with appendicitis. A late season wrist injury kept her on the shelf even longer.

To her credit, Peng has trained hard and looked like a serious threat at Auckland to open the season. The fleet Peng stretched last year’s defending champion, Yanina Wickmayer to three sets in their semifinal match. Along the way, she looked healthy in displaying her two-handed backhand that she hits from either side. Wickmayer was left flat footed on several occasions but rallied from one set down and 2-4 to come all the way back.

If Peng stays healthy, the tour players understand she is one of those fringe players that on a good day can give anyone fits. Let’s hope Shuai’s health issues are settled and she continues the aggressive play we saw at Auckland.

Related Posts

• Rafael Nadal – Mastering the Surfaces
• Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova
• Vera Zvonareva – Chasing The Dream

Vera Zvonareva

With a career record of 397 tour wins compared to just 188 losses, Vera’s career is both a testimony to her will to win and her ability to keep her volatile emotions in check.

With two final round appearances at Wimbledon and the U.S. Open, Vera Zvonareva showed she had come full cycle on checking her emotions and rode this new focus to her lofty position as the second ranked female player in the world. Vera Zvonareva transformed her game from struggling train wreck to Grand Slam title waiting to happen.

Vera Zvonareva has won ten WTA titles in her career and has become a dangerous opponent on all surfaces. With a consistent and deep serve, Vera keeps opponents pinned to the baseline while she waits for an aggressive opening from net to backcourt.

Vera Zvonareva’s ten years of professional experience gives her the confidence that she has seen whatever her opponents throw at her. An insightful player, Vera Zvonareva is coached by Sergey Demekhim. Her mother, Natalia, an Olympic bronze medallist in field hockey, introduced Vera to tennis at age 6. Determination was borne to the husky right-hander, who is pursuing her second degree in international economic relations.

Vera Zvonareva in Hot Photo Shoot

With more than $10 million in career winnings, it seems an appropriate field of study. 2010 was Vera’s first season in the top five following two seasons in the top 10. As talented as Zvonareva has been, she seemed to always falter in the Grand Slam tournaments where either the draw, the crowd or her own conditioning let her down.

After nine years on the tour, 2010 proved to be her breakthrough season. With her two finalist finishes, she is prepared to claim her first Grand Slam.

Vera has seen younger players move ahead of her and has also seen them slide back on down the ladder below her.

Her arrival at the very top of the WTA has been long awaited and as the top ranked Russian in a talented field, a Grand Slam title now seems inevitable.

Related Posts

• Vera Zvonareva Coming Back – All The Way
• A Vera Big Moment: Zvonareva captures first Indian Wells title
• Coco KO’s Vera Zvonareva

Caroline Wozniacki

In the past two years, young Caroline Wozniacki has lead the tour in wins. With a dazzling 67 wins in 2009 and another 62 triumphs in 2010, Caroline Wozniacki has staked her claim and stamped her name on the top spot. To pry it away from her, will not be easy.

One of her great attributes is her ability to put defeat aside and look ahead rather that behind. A consummate competitor, Caroline Wozniacki accepts her rare losses with balance and dignity and takes the same posture in every match. She is passionate about playing tennis, passionate about winning and passionate about style, on and off the court.

She is just as dedicated about her image as she is about her game. Long and lean, Caroline makes a new softer, sexier look on and off the court. Without flaunting her stunning looks, she carries her tennis success and her beauty with the same grace.

Carolyn is coached by her father, Piotr and by Morten Christensen of the National Tennis Center in Denmark. She began playing tennis at aged 7. Growing up, her tennis idols were Martina Hingis and Steffi Graf.

Carolyn led the tour in wins in 2009 and 2010 and also in titles won in 2010 with six. Carolyn won three WTA titles in 2009. She has won 12 tournaments on the WTA tour. Since breaking into the top five in 2009, it was apparent that Carolyn was only moving up.

To some skeptics, her rise to the top parallels the rise of Dinara Safina, who climbed past Serena Williams not so much through her Grand Slam success but through wins at other WTA venues. Safina has since faded away from the top of the tennis world while Carolyn has continued to rise and improve.

However, until the Great Dane wins a Major title, her top billing will always be suspect to some. There is no disputing that Carolyn’s day will come. She is blessed with determination, fleet feet and youth.

If any aspect of her game is suspect, it is her serve, which many pros regard as a work in progress. As the most pure baseliner in the women’s game, when Carolyn perfects the serve, there will be no stopping her.

Look for the young Carolyn to advance deep into the Grand Slams this year. Her strongest showings have come at the Australian Open and at the U.S. Open. If Carolyn claims the title in Melbourne, watch out world! A beautiful Dane will soon be the new face of women’s tennis.

Related Posts

• Caroline Tops Vera For Rogers Cup
• Victoria Azarenka – Queen To Be
• Jankovic Upsets Stosur To Meet Wozniacki

David Ferrer

In 2008, David Ferrer finished the year as the fourth ranked player on the tour. The future looked bright, but 2009 turned out to be an undistinguished year for the 10 year tour veteran.

Ferrer bounced back nicely in 2010 winning two ATP tournaments and re-tooling his game to meet the modern day pace and power. Ferrer claimed titles at Valencia and Acapulco and reached three other finals including Bejing, the ATP World Tour Maters in Rome and in Buenos Aires. Players came to respect his staying power and his ferociously intense will to win.

Ferrer was born in Javia and moved to Gandia at age 13. At 15, he attended the Catalian Tennis Federation. Later, he spent 10 months at the prestigious Equeilte, the tennis Academy run by Juan Carlos Ferrero. His father, Jamie, is an accountant and his mother, Pilar, is an elementary school teacher.

David learned to play with his older brother, Javier, who was once a Spanish junior tennis champion and who now coaches tennis. Ferrer is coached by Spaniard Javier Piles.

Besides his 10 ATP tournament wins, David has 10 runner-up finishes and holds a 10-4 Davis Cup record. His 2010 resurgence was earned through hard work and determination.

In a nation that prides itself on its tennis prowess, Ferrer moved ahead of countrymate Fernando Verdasco last year and is generally regarded as Spain’s second best player. Unfortunately, Ferrer had not succeeded under the bright lights of the Grand Slam events.

In his ten years on tour, Ferrer has amassed 353 wins against 212 losses. To hold his current ranking, Ferrer needs some big name wins. Unfortunately the pace of his game does not match up to the big five.

Unlike Nadal and Verdasco, Ferrer does not have a dominating serve or shot. His skills are ball hawking and courageous baseline shots. To be successful, Ferrer has come to understand he must make fewer mistakes than the opponents. As such, he is regarded as a somewhat passive player. The longer the point, the better Ferrer’s chance of winning.

The 28-year old prefers clay over hard courts. Ferrer will be hard pressed to hold his position at the Australian Open. One thing opponents have come to know about David, is that you can never count him out.

Related Posts

• Can David Nalbandian lead Argentine to the Davis Cup?
• Pairings announced for Davis Cup final
• David is no Goliath

Tomas Berdych

Big and strong, Tomas Berdych moved up 19 spots in the 2010 rankings.  Beginning the year ranked 25th, Berdych’s fortunes rose under the watchful eye of Tomas Krupa, his coach since 2009.  With a 262-168 career singles record, Berdych rode a string of successes to find himself as the sixth seed and very much in the thick of the run at the year’s first Grand Slam.

The Czech began playing tennis at age 5 and seems to have found a coach who recognizes the potential Berdych possesses.  Tomas now brings an even going, readiness to each match.  Owning a big serve and power game, Berdych has all the tools necessary to survive the grueling two week format of Grand Slams.

Berdych now has five career ATP titles and very quietly reached the semi-finals at Roland Garros and the finals at Wimbledon last year, knocking out defending champion Roger Federer along the way.  His ATP finals record stands at 5 –11.

Although Berdych failed to win a title in 2010, he competed more consistently than at any time in his career.  His finals appearance at Wimbledon and in Miami sparked his huge jump in the rankings.

More than that, Berdych has become a player the upper echelon would rather not see in their quarter brackets.  He is a comfortable competitor as an underdog.  It is that fight that marked his rise in fame and fortune in 2010, by far his most successful year on tour.

With five solid players in his path, Berdych will be hard pressed to move up this year.  In order to rise above Murray, Soderling and Djokovic, he will need to win against them.  To win a major, he will need to beat three of them in the same draw, no easy feat.  In addition to looking ahead, he will need to watch out behind because Juan Martin Del Potro is returning to the tour and the big Argentine has all the skills.

Hopefully Coach Krupa can impress upon his protégé that forward is the direction to go.  This is no time to rest on his 2010 accomplishments.  At 25, Tomas’ time has come.

Related Posts

• Rafa Nadal Overcomes Tomas Berdych to Win Wimbledon 2010 Mens Title
• Berdych Out, Murray Ahead
• Soderling Masterful, Berdych Edges Verdasco

Andy Roddick

Andy Roddick is an American media magnet who is a very professional tennis player.  The engaging, hard-serving Texan shoots straight from the hip, has great camera presence and fully understands the value of being at the top of your game under the bright lights.  Once known as a hot tempered, one dimensional player, Roddick has not only changed his game to that of a more well rounded player, but has also taken on a more personable persona that has earned him greater global support.

Roddick is the second tennis personality to host Saturday Night Live, which he did in 2003. He also has created the Andy Roddick Foundation that is overseen by his mother, Blanche, and has raised over $9 million for charities since 2001.  Roddick also has started the new Andy Roddick Youth Tennis Program in San Antonio and assists 150 disadvantaged children play tennis and provides four scholarships per year.  Quick witted with a wry sense of humor, Andy is an interviewer’s dream.

With more than $19 million in career earnings, Andy can afford to be relaxed.  His second place at Brisbane (lst was  Soderling), a tournament he won last year, earned him a cool, $38,000 but he donated $12,000 to charity.  Andy has seen the world and knows how fortunate he is to be blessed with a great tennis game.

In Davis Cup play, Roddick holds a 31-11 singles record and only trials John McEnroe (41) for most Davis Cup wins.  Roddick’s game was re-born under the experienced eye of Coach Larry Stefanki.  In Melbourne last year, Andy was ousted in the quarterfinals when he could not rally against Marin Cilic.

Roddick had his most successful North American tour since 2006 and culminated his hot run by winning the ATP World Tour Masters 1000 tournament in Miami.  Andy now possesses 29 ATP titles and has appeared in 49 tour level finals.

Although the winner in just one Grand Slam, the U.S. Open, he has reached the finals in four other Grand Slams.  The most memorable was his five set nail biter loss to Roger Federer at the 2009 Wimbledon finals.

Andy has appeared in the Barclay Tour Championships eight years in a row.  If Andy has his big serve going, he will be feared in Melbourne.

Related Posts

• Andy Roddick Defeated Sam Querrey
• Andy Roddick – The Best in Miami
• Quarterfinal Quality: Roddick rolls past Djokovic at Indian Wells

Robin Soderling

2011 has already started well for 26-year Robin Soderling.  With his January Brisbane championship win over American Andy Roddick, Sweden’s top player usurped the number four ranking from Andy Murray.  Since turning pro in 2001, nothing has come easily for Soderling.

Although he has never won a Grand Slam, his much improved serve and powerful forehand have had him knocking on the door on several occasions.  The baseliner has finished runner-up in the French Open in 2009 and 2010.  He also reached the quarterfinals at both Wimbledon and the U.S. Open in 2010.

Perhaps, most significant has been Soderling’s ability to compete against upper echelon players.  He has had more success against Roger Federer than Rafa Nadal but as his consistent serve has become more effective, he now dominates lesser players.  And, that is how he jump started 2011, polishing off Andy Roddick in straight sets in the finals at Brisbane.

The report on Soderling is that to beat him, you must keep him moving and stay away from his forehand.  Soderling stays fit and works out rigorously but he is slow afoot and uncomfortable on the move.  New coach Claudio Pistolesi continues to work on Soderling’s foot speed.

The last two years have seen Soderling’s fortune rise.  He has now won 7 ATP titles and has an admirable career won-lost record of 277-161.

The son of an attorney, Soderling began playing tennis at age 5.  His mother, Britt-Inge, is a housewife and has always supported Robin.

2010 did not start well for Soderling.  He suffered a first round loss at the Australian Open, where he sees big improvement this season.  In fact, his Melbourne record is a humbling 2-5.  Whether it is the Australian heat or the hard surface, Melbourne has been Soderling’s most difficult event.

After the disappointment at Melbourne, Soderling stormed back, winning his fifth ATP title in Rotterdam.  Later, he defeated Murray, Tsonga and Lopez at Indian Wells before losing to Roddick in the finals.  He added his sixth ATP title in Paris, defeating Gael Monfils in the finals and raised his ATP finals record to 6–11.

At 26, the time has come for Soderling.  Like many of today’s players, he is trapped between two of the greatest tennis players of all time in Federer and Nadal.  To win a Grand Slam, he can no longer be satisfied to reach the quarters or the semis or even the finals.  The key for Robin is to start believing he can win Grand Slam titles, regardless of who is in his path.  2011 could well be the year that he not only breaks into the top three but also picks up his first major championship.

One thing is for sure, Federer and Nadal are very aware of this dangerous foe.  That is quite an accomplishment in itself.

Related Posts

• Robin Gets Robbed: Soderling shines, still loses to Federer
• Soderling vs. Youzhny in Rotterdam
• Soderling Defeats Youzhny

Kaia Kanepi

Kaia Kanepi mounted a stirring resurrection of her career in 2010.  The 25-year old Estonian settled into the no. 22 ranking after surprising performances at Wimbledon and the U.S. Open, reaching the quarters in both.

Kaia relied heavily on conditioning coach Kristijian Pruus and tennis coach Silver Karjus to resurrect her career.  She began tennis at aged 8 playing with her parents and two older sisters.  Kaia did well on the fast surfaces lat year but prefers clay.

Kaia biggest weapon is her devastating two-handed backhand.  Kaia prefers the backcourt but surprised players with her aggression last season.  After four years as a top 100 player, Kaia found her form and confidence and looks poised for bigger and better things.

After April, Kaia closed the season with a strong 41-10 record.  She won her first WTA title at Palermo defeating Flavia Pennetta in the final.  Kanepi is the first Estonian to win a WTA title.

In addition to her two Grand Slam quarterfinals (Wimbledon and U.S Open), Kaia reached two other quarters.  Her most disappointing loss had to be the quarterfinal loss to Kvitova (4-6, 7-6 (8), 8-6) in a match she appeared to have under control.  Yet, she could not convert on 5 match points and succumbed, including 2 while serving in the third at 6-5.

Usually a slow starter, Kaia ended the season with a pulled hamstring.  The word is that she has worked hard over the winter and is fit to play.  Kaia looks a solid play to reach the quarters at Australia.

Related Posts

• Jankovic Falls to Kanepi and Wind
• Kanepi and Szavay Triumphant
• Nalbandian, Cilic, Fish and Marcos Baghdatis Look Ready