|
January 6, 2005
ATP 2005 YEAR-END RANKING PREDICTIONS
|
| RANK |
PLAYER |
THE SKINNY |
|
1.
|
Roger Federer |
Only questions will be by how much and if
he will win all four. |
|
2.
|
Lleyton Hewitt |
Former two-time World No. 1 got his game back in 2004,
and arguably only Federer kept him from another top
finish.
|
|
3.
|
Marat Safin |
Is there anyone more mercurial among the
Top 10 than this Russian? A solid Masters Cup effort should
carryover into a more complete season in the new year. |
|
4.
|
Andy Roddick |
New coach Dean Goldfine has never coached
a Slam champion, and he'll likely end 2005 with that same
mark. |
|
5.
|
Guillermo Coria |
All eyes will be on "El Fragile"
to see if he has fully recovered from his French Open
flop. Time will tell... |
|
6.
|
Carlos Moya |
With Ferrero playing mental catch-up, King
Carlos is the new leader of the Armada. |
|
7.
|
David Nalbandian |
A tough off season and a poor 2004 campaign
should provide enough motivation for the guy with the
best shot at beating Federer. |
|
8.
|
Juan Carlos Ferrero |
Should rebound from an awful 2004 season
and an embarrassing Davis Cup finale in which he was asked
to sit on the sidelines. If that doesn't provide him with
a motivational fire nothing will. |
|
9.
|
Tim Henman |
Guess what? The serve-volley routine still
works, but it isn't going to surprise anyone on the clay
anymore. |
|
10.
|
Rafael Nadal |
His heroic Davis Cup effort should spark
"The Prodigy" to his first of many Top 10 finishes. |
| |
|
|
WTA TOUR 2004
YEAR-END RANKING PREDICTIONS
|
| RANK |
PLAYER |
THE SKINNY |
|
1.
|
Serena Williams |
A full, healthy season
should put this actress back on top. |
|
2.
|
Justine Henin |
Health is again the key
for the former No. 1, and a good second half of the year
will lift the Belgian into contention for the top spot. |
|
3.
|
Anastasia Myskina |
With the fab four of Serena,
Venus, Kim and Justine still uncertain after 2004 injuries,
this screaming Russian is probably the best of the remaining
bunch. |
|
4.
|
Amelie Mauresmo |
Will it ever happen for
the talented Frenchwoman? After 2004, it doesn't look
good. |
|
5.
|
Maria Sharapova |
Probably won't repeat her
Wimbledon and year-end Championships efforts, but the
Russian starlet figures only improve overall. |
|
6.
|
Lindsay Davenport |
With the top players absent,
the veteran American stepped up and took charge in 2004.
Unfortunately, they should be back in 2005. |
|
7.
|
Elena Dementieva |
Her horrible second serve
should continue to drive opponents batty. Just don't change
it! |
|
8.
|
Svetlana Kuznetsova |
Navratilova teachings paid
off big time in 2004 with a shocking US Open crown. The
improvements should continue. |
|
9.
|
Kim Clijsters |
Jury is out until she actually
plays with a fully healed wrist, which will be...??? |
|
10.
|
Jennifer Capriati |
A couple solid wins over
Serena in 2004 shows Jen-Jen still has the ability to
make some noise. Let's hope it sounds good. |
2005 GRAND SLAM PREDICTIONS
|
|
Australian Open
|
Roger Federer defeats Lleyton Hewitt |
| Anastasia Myskina defeats
Serena Williams |
|
French Open
|
Guillermo Coria defeats Carlos Moya |
| Justine Henin defeats Anastasia Myskina |
|
Wimbledon
|
Roger Federer defeats Andy Roddick |
| Serena Williams defeats
Justine Henin |
|
US Open
|
Marat Safin defeats Roger Federer |
| Serena Williams defeats Justine Henin |
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