Roger Federer: Biggest Threats to Fed-Ex's 2012 Dominance
The game of tennis has never seen a player quite like Roger Federer. For years, it was almost a dead giveaway that he would be the winner of whatever tournament was happening at the time.
So many years later, he's still playing well, but his dominance is beginning to diminish. That has a little bit to do with the age Federer is reaching, but the main thing is the emergence of talent that the ATP has seen over the last couple years. He was the top player in the world for an astounding 237 weeks, but is No. 3 these days.
That all being said, expect these guys to threaten Federer's domination this year.
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OK, this one is pretty obvious. The no-doubt-about-it No. 1 player in the world is clearly the best right now, and has won four of the last five Grand Slam championships—last year's French Open is the one that eluded him.
No one has really been able to figure out how to play Djoker as of late. From 2005-2010, he had a single Grand Slam title, but as I just said, he's won four of five.
Something clicked in Djokovic, and now he's the world's No.1. Certainly he's already been a huge threat for Federer's domination.
The history between Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal is well-documented—moving on.
Interesting note—Andy Murray has beaten Roger Federer four times, but never in a Grand Slam. Still, there can't be a more frustrated player in the tennis world than Murray.
Since 2008, Murray has made it to the quarterfinal round of a Grand Slam 10 times out of 17 tournaments. He's finished in the quarterfinal round once, eliminated in the semis six times, and been the runner-up thrice.
Despite his struggles to get a championship, Murray is no doubt one of the best players on tour and he has to get in the way of Fed-Ex's dominance eventually...right?
Tomas Berdych
Like Federer, Berdych is a seasoned veteran in the tennis world. He debuted as a pro way back in 2003, and has never won a Grand Slam.
However, he seems to have been playing much better as of late, and as Federer begins his descent due to age, Berdych is getting better. The world's seventh-ranked player just went through a tough and hard-fought battle with Kevin Anderson.
He will be battling Juan Martin del Potro in the fourth round, and it's likely that the winner of the match will have a date with Federer. I expect Berdych to advance, and we will see a battle between two veterans who have had very different careers.
Tsonga has had quite the up-and-down career, having never won a Grand Slam, but coming close on several occasions since debuting in 2005. He's been playing great tennis recently, including in this French Open. After all, it's in his home country, so you know he's the favorite.
If I were discussing who was going to be threatening Federer's dominance at the Roland Garros, Tsonga would undoubtedly be my top pick. However, this comes in an overall sense—Tsonga hasn't had much luck against Federer, but with the way he's begun in France, I can definitely see his fast-paced style of play rattle Fed-Ex.
There's a reason Tsonga is No.5. Look for him to get his first Grand Slam victory in 2012.
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