As I watch the US Open and Wimbledon, I often get nostalgic. I wish I could see my favorite tennis player of all time, Pete Sampras, walk onto that court and perform the way only Pete could.
Agassi was the one that I clinched to after Sampras. He was the last of the Americans left from the 1990s. He had the greatest return of serve I have ever seen.
However, when Agassi retired, there was a large void in US men's tennis. Andy Roddick was seen as the next great American and showed his potential in winning the 2003 US Open. However, his inconsistency is maddening to the point that it can be painful to watch. It has led me to believe that tennis will no longer have a competitive American.
Sam Querrey changed those thoughts. His performance at the US Open has given me faith in the future of United States tennis. He is 20 years old, only two years younger than Nadal, but is developing at a fast rate.
Querrey stormed through the competition at the U.S. Open. He even took a set from Rafael Nadal and pushed him to a tiebreaker in the third set.
This kid has all the tools to compete at a high level. He has a huge serve (thanks to a 6-foot-6 frame) and a huge forehand. He needs to further develop his backhand in order to avoid opponents preying on that weakness. He has shown great progress in when comparing his strokes from the beginning of the year.
The attribute that is most important for him is movement. As a big tennis player, he needs to improve his movement in order to keep up with smaller and faster players. I would say that he should develop his net game, but the way the game is played today people win at Wimbledon without serve and volley anymore.
He is still inconsistent in his quality of play, but unlike Roddick, he has been able to lower his inconsistency as the year has progressed. His attitude is one of the best features of his game.
He doesn't get down on himself easily and has a Jimmy Stewart "aw-shucks" mentality that allows him to stay composed when he is struggling and in high pressure situations. Thankfully, he is not like Donald Young. He doesn't lose to absolute nobodies and didn't have the hype Young did.
He has also had the luck of running into Djokovic this year in the third round of the Aussie Open. At Wimbledon, he drew Juan Carlos Ferraro in the first round. This has limited his exposure to the American public.
However, the fourth-round match against Nadal may serve as a turning point in his career and could help to get him some exposure. This will hopefully create increased enthusiasm in one of the world's great sports in its greatest country.
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