Who's in Federer's rear-view mirror?
By Chris Windle 4/4/2008
Roger Federer has gone and lost again, this time dumped out of the Sony Ericsson Open. Is the tennis world about to shift on its strings and witness the emergence of a new world number one? If so who will it be? Here are some of the contenders:
Rafael Nadal
The Spaniard has been around for so long, surely he’s about 43 by now? But no, he’s still just 21. Having turned pro in 2001 aged 15, he’s been number two in the world for the last three years. Not bad considering many 21-year-olds were just happy to have graduated after three years in a pub.
Jo-Wilfried Tsonga
France seem to be able to produce top class tennis players at the bounce of a ball. The latest to tumble off the production line is Tsonga. He shocked everyone, not least Andy Murray in the first round, by getting to the Australian Open final. He’s got the flare and looks to win over the crowds, but can the 22-year-old win some majors?
Novak Djokovic
The 20-year-old Serbian’s form is so hot at the moment Belgrade council are thinking of rigging him up as a power station. If anyone is going to oust Federer this year, it’s Djokovic. He beat the Swiss on his way to the Australian Open title. If he carries on like that, he’ll be number one soon.
Andy Murray
We wait and we hope, dreaming that, one day, a Brit will rise to the top of the tennis rankings and dominate the sport just like Fred Perry did back in the days of flannels, jumpers and wooden rackets. He’s infuriatingly inconsistent but obviously has enough talent to challenge for top spot, and he’s only 20 so has a few years left to get there.
Richard Gasquet
Long tipped as the next big thing to come out of France, after the Eurostar, Gasquet, 21, has been over overshadowed by Tsonga this year. He’s still number eight in the world, but could do with finding a higher gear if he wants to keep up with tennis’s new breed.
Watch highlights from the Sony Ericsson Open on ATP Tennis On Demand in Tennis