The Maanga

Now that the Australian Open is due in 7 days, I shall exploit my privilege here to list the top 8 contenders for this years championships.

Gasquet - Never in doubt.

Perhaps the only player who can match Federer’s egotism when it comes to admiring his own shots. This guy is in the list because I am a fan. Otherwise his pathetic display against Tommy Robredo last year in the 4th round indicates that he shares my disgust for Melbourne.

He is mentally strong enough to win a Grand Slam (perhaps more), although Gasquet apologists will disagree, but isn’t technically equipped and motivated enough to do so yet. Despite having an explosive baseline game, great touch at the net, incredible foot speed and a reliable serve, his forehand in transition play is perhaps the ugliest&worst among top 50 players, barring Ivo Karlovic. With a semi-western grip he tries to give the ball as much a loop as Nadal does when its clearly easier to hit it flatter and harder. Considering he hits it so well when he is pushed into a corner, it shouldn’t take long for him to make that elusive switch with small adjustments to his swing.

The backhand though is from another planet. He gets incredible spin with great penetration on his cross court shot and I’ve seen only Nalbandian and, to an extent, David Ferrer handle it comfortably. Everybody else on tour avoids attacking his backhand wing.

Another thing that can hold him back is his pathetic fitness record that is second only to Djokovic (if we believe Djoke is not really faking those injuries). How far he goes into the tournament depends on his draw and his ability to adjust to the new surface. And unlike the rest of the 7 players on this list, starts as an underdog against most of the top 30 players in the world.

If the initial reactions to the new court surface in Australian Open are to be believed, it should favour Gasquet’s game. A Quarterfinal showing will justify his seeding, but it is highly unlikely to happen. I’d be happy if he makes the 4th round, although I will place a bet on him to win the open.

p.s. Since I am going to watch him play in Sydney tomorrow, I will have a better idea of how to rate his slim chances at this year’s open.

Tags: Australian Open

This entry was posted on Saturday, January 5th, 2008 at 6:47 pm and is filed under Uncategorized. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.