Who will be the new challenger to Djokovic?

Nadal and Federer seemed to have already peaked. The only player who is young and talented enough if he gets to his best again is Del Potro. Are there any talented youngsters that are coming through? What happened to the likes of Dimitrov, Raonic, Gulbis and the likes who have been tipped for the top a few years back?

I still think in the next year or two it will be Andy murray and JMDP as the two guys that can come up and challenge Novak. Dimitrov has a more mediocre version of fed's one handed backhand a liability on the modern tour. Raonic and harrison are still about a couple of years away. Gulbis doesn't have the will, but has the talent and the ability. The next new world #1 will be either Muray or Del Po. Although Del po has yet to beat Novak in six matches, and murray needs a better second serve to deal with Novak consistently.

They're all saving up for their first egg chambers.

Murray's got no chance. Dimitrov is too skinny. The young guys are interesting as they seem to all have some big shots.

droogle wrote:They're all saving up for their first egg chambers.

Droogle lol it costs about 75000 US dollars I am sure they can afford it. How is it working out for your hangovers?

It's saved me a fortune in aspirin costs.

I am having some of scotland's finest myself but I don't think I will be able to find an egg chamber.

That's negative self-talk. You'll never win with that attitude, ask Andy Murray.

Cheers Droogle, but at least he has kim sears to snuggle up with and make him feel better about his bad teeth and awful chin hair.

Yeah but Kim Sears is no Jelena Ristic. If Murray was no.1 he'd steal her from Djokovic.

The winner takes it all.

If Murray can come to terms with the mental aspect of the game and incorporate his vast array of shots into some tangible game plan then he could be the main challenger.

I think Nadal still has a chance of the French Open, but all the other slams, forget it, they belong to Djokovic in the next few years.

That is a tough one, Jelena has the face of an angel but in terms of pure sex appeal I will take mrs. Mardy fish. Every time I see her on tv I get irreligious thoughts that should not be repeated in a family environment like our website.

As if there wasn't enough fist pumping already.

socal for a minute I thought you were talking about Jelena Jankovic!

Sadly I can't really comment on players wives/girlfriends because I'm usually more interested in watching their tennis.

Murray stealing another's man's girlfriend? Her'd have to check it was OK with his mum to do so first. Mind you she's probably so preoccupied with oggling "Deliciano" that she wouldn't even notice!

Newballs, I admit that oggling fish's wife isn't exactly the nicest thing to do, but have you seen the lovely stacey, she has even gotten mardy to lose weight and wear socks. Now when a woman can do that to a man you know she packs a powerful punch. And please don't make me visualize judy doing the nasty with feliciano it makes me quiver in all the wrong ways.

Fernando Gonzaléz!!











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..Wife is as hot, infact hotter than Mardy Fish's ray of sunshine, imo..

Haven't seen her JM, but after your description I'd like to. Obviously, has to be super hot if it made him dump Gisela Dulko.

socal1976 wrote:Haven't seen her JM, but after your description I'd like to. Obviously, has to be super hot if it made him dump Gisela Dulko.

Agree

socal1976 wrote:I still think in the next year or two it will be Andy murray and JMDP as the two guys that can come up and challenge Novak. Dimitrov has a more mediocre version of fed's one handed backhand a liability on the modern tour. Raonic and harrison are still about a couple of years away. Gulbis doesn't have the will, but has the talent and the ability. The next new world #1 will be either Muray or Del Po. Although Del po has yet to beat Novak in six matches, and murray needs a better second serve to deal with Novak consistently.

Murray is the same age as Djokovic so unless Djokovic retires early or he gets injuries Murray has no chance of eclipsing him as number 1.

I think Djokovic has it for the next few years, i still think Rafa and Murray have the ability to defeat him. On the younger talent im really not sure, maybe Del Potro. Liam Brody?

A-Darts wrote:I think Djokovic has it for the next few years, i still think Rafa and Murray have the ability to defeat him. On the younger talent im really not sure, maybe Del Potro. Liam Brody?

Liam Brady (ex footballer) would have a better chance

GillesSimon wrote:

A-Darts wrote:I think Djokovic has it for the next few years, i still think Rafa and Murray have the ability to defeat him. On the younger talent im really not sure, maybe Del Potro. Liam Brody?

Liam Brady (ex footballer) would have a better chance

Probably right.

What do Liam Broady (the tennis player that is) and Fred Perry have in common?

The first correct answer will win the following:

Did they both have an affair with Marlene Dietrich?

No sadly Marlene wasn't still around to add Liam to her remarkable list of "partners".

They both had an affair with Greta Garbo?

Grew up in the same place?

A-Darts wrote:Grew up in the same place?

Stockholm?

Both born in Stockport? I cheated and googled it. Whats the prize?

GillesSimon wrote:Both born in Stockport? I cheated and googled it. Whats the prize?

Same.

You'll have to share it



50/50 only fair

"I think Nadal still has a chance of the French Open, but all the other slams, forget it, they belong to Djokovic in the next few years."

Seriously, I realise this is probably the comment of someone, not particularly keen on Nadal and/or very keen on DJokovic but neverthess, I find it amazing that someone, anyone, is that quick to write Nadal off.

Despite the wave of people that insist Nadal is simply a one dimensional player, it's interesting to see what so many people "in the game" speak of - the total opposite.

I also think that now that Djokovic has cemented his place as World No 1 for 2011, and Nadal has lost to him these 6 finals, that it will actually take alot of pressure off Nadal; additionally, we have to see what pressure this year's success will bring to bear on Djokovic. I don't have a strong feeling on this latter point, but it fascinates me to think what we may be subject to, in the 2012 edition of the ATP Tour.

Nadal, for sure, HAS the ABILITY to beat Djokovic, I don't think there's anyone of "importance" in the game, who doesn't believe that. I mean commentators with tour experience and the like.

In the first game of this past Wimbledon final, there were two points where Nadal, very early on in those points, took his forehand with depth up the line to Djokovic's forehand. He won both points, and I thought, right on! he's realised that he cannot just hit cross court forehands all day to Djokovic's backhand. That didn't continue, and I think it was because Nadal was preoccupied wtih the "defense" of his Wimbledon title, as an entity; rather than doing what he needed to do to win the match, and thereby defend his Wimbledon title. Djokovic didn't "gift" him the 3rd set, Nadal won it.

He's GOT to hit good length on his groundies, mix up that down the line forehand so that Djokovic is having to guess which way it is going, rather than know that on 90% of points, Nadal will go cross court.

His serve has got to be the one from the US Open in 2010, that is clear. Just why that serve disappeared this year, I don't know - would love to be privy to that topic in Nadal's coterie.

Djokovic may or may not be able to sustain his form of 2011, through and throughout 2012, but I think he will not be quite at dominant in 2012 as he has been this year. As we have seen on so many occasions with so many players through the years, when a player raises the standard of the sport, there are players who WILL raise their's accordingly. That's not to say Djokovic will start losing to journeymen players, but the "elite" will be able to gain more of a foothold in their attempts to beat him.

Challengers - there's no one in the immediate "group" outside of Federer, Nadal and Murray, I believe, who I can see beating him on multiple occasions, but I do believe that those three players will all have wins against him in 2012. However in a given match, Tsonga, Raonic, Berdych, among others, do have the weapons to beat him, it's more a matter of them believing they can do so, when they walk out on that court.

Gues we'll find out soon enough....

Good post yloponom. Djokovic has certainly been devastating this year, and may be again next year. Not a foregone conclusion though so looking forward to see how it pans out.

On the original question posed by the OP, it could be that Djokovic's biggest challenge is his own health given his Davis Cup retirement with a back problem.

ylopnom, have to agree I am not writing off Nadal. But I don't think he will ever be able to gain the upper hand in his rivalry with Djoko, Djoko 2.0 is not a good matchup for Nadal. Maybe he will be able to win more matches against him but I would be surprised if he was ever able to get the upper hand or get back to an even match up with Novak.

I don't view Nadal as one dimensional, I think he does have variety and does have the ability to play more aggressively, he needs to attack first against Novak and not try to just hit 20 straight cross court forehands to his backhand. The up the line shots, the slice, a few more forays to the net. The problem for Nadal is that he hits a lot of high balls and that Novak is a high ball hitter that is precisely where he likes the ball with his big western forehand and with his two-hander. He needs to use the slice and the flatter forehand more often, he has to learn how to play out of his comfort zone and do something that he doesn't need to do against anyone else on tour.

Answer to OP - the most likely 'new' challenger is probably the same old gang in the top 4, and specifically Nadal. After all, Nadal's main 'new' challenger to his No. 1 position after his breakthrough year of 2008 was a 27-year-old Roger Federer.

* new in the sense that Djoko is newly cemented as No. 1 so the status of challenger to him is a new one.

Yeah, barry I can't see anyone out of the top 4 coming up to challenge him for the forseeable future either. The young guys seem to be too far off and del po has never bothered Novak when he has been healthy.

Juan Martin Del Potro

Jeremy_Kyle wrote:Juan Martin Del Potro

I know he's had rotten luck with injuries when he was young, but he's not yet ever established consistency at the biggest tournaments. I'd like to see him do well, but I don't think you can say that about him.

I think JMDP will always struggle against the best movers because his own movement is limited.

Despite being able to hit big off both wings he doesn't have the ability to take the ball early in order to rush his opponents.

The best defenders will be able to absorb his big strokes and monoevre him around the court.

Besides, for all we know, his performance around late 2009 may just have been a one off. He showed great mental fortitude to win the USO but let's not forget that he beat an injured Nadal in the semis and should really have lost to Fed in straight sets.

We can't assume that level to be a consistent level. Until he recaptures that level of performance with some consistency, he will always remain a question mark for me, and most certainly not the all-conquering next big thing that some are proposing.



emancipator - intergalactic tennis correspondent

barrystar wrote:

Jeremy_Kyle wrote:Juan Martin Del Potro

I know he's had rotten luck with injuries when he was young, but he's not yet ever established consistency at the biggest tournaments. I'd like to see him do well, but I don't think you can say that about him.

They say it takes as much time as you have been away for injury to come back at your best. I think Delpo has been out for 12 months and it's not really fair to expect him to do wonders immediately. The guy deserve more credit imo.

JMDP has the forehand Murray craves most!

Oh for God's sake get a life JM

The ABM saga is old hat and annoying now JM



Try the Football Forum - that's where you came from originally

isn't it ,

BTW Wayne Rooney likes Grannies !

Hello



is it safe..

It is indeed emancipator

socal1976 wrote:Yeah, barry I can't see anyone out of the top 4 coming up to challenge him for the forseeable future either. The young guys seem to be too far off and del po has never bothered Novak when he has been healthy.

There is no young generation. Like no period ever before there is nobody at all coming through.

Still, it's the Golden Era isn't it?

Yes, the current crop of 22-26 years olds is very strong, The guys 22 and under not so strong, I will agree that we are in for a drop off after the nadal, murray, djoko unless the youngsters start to develop, but the jury is still out on the younger guys. The 26 and unders are very strong and the age group of 23-26 again is always the meat of the talent on tour and not much is different now. If the guys 18-22 don't develop then we this period will not so much be a golden era as a brief springtime one talented crop of players. But I actually hold out some hope for the younger players because I think the more physically demanding tour will force them to develop a little more physically first before they can chanllenge. Jury is still out on 18-22 year olds if they don't develop in the next couple of years then we can judge. The 23-26 year olds are very strong.