As the tennis season moves to Asia and then indoors, here are six predictions for the months that remain.
Strike the strike
The next time Andy Murray talks about the grueling season and the need for change, he’ll retreat, ever so slightly, from his recent comments about the possibility of a strike. Would tennis players really do it? Doubtful. The gripes of Murray, Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic are valid, but hardly shared by everyone on the tour. More than 90 percent of the players would like more tournaments—and more chances to make a living. On second thought, maybe the rank and file would support a strike—one limited to the Top 10 players, which would give them a better shot at the later rounds of tournaments. Call it Top 10 Bailout of 2012. And one last point: They don’t need to strike. If the players form a real union, they’ll have incredible bargaining power and won’t need to go that far.
Vacation time?
Novak Djokovic should take the rest of the year off. My guess is he’ll play the World Tour Finals, and maybe one more tournament, if he’s healthy. But why not just call it a year, and a fantastic one at that? He hasn’t had much time off in nearly two years now (that’s what winning the Davis Cup will do to you). He could heal. And then train. And then try to improve a few elements of his game and prepare for 2012. Djokovic doesn’t strike me as the type who needs a lot of matches to play well. His strokes are compact and efficient, and he doesn’t take huge risks. Assuming his confidence remains high—and there’s no reason it shouldn’t—a break might be best thing for him going into next year.
Indoor king
Here’s saying Roger Federer will dominate the indoor season this year and win the World Tour Finals. I don’t think that brutal U.S. Open loss is going to affect him that much, at least, not until he’s at that point in a Grand Slam.
Watch out for…
Maria Sharapova this fall. After a terrible performance at the Open, she should have a strong fall and contend for the season-ending title in Turkey. Sharapova’s best chance to win another Slam? Australia, where she won her last one. The courts suit her, especially when the roof is closed. And why was she so bad in Flushing? A theory: Arthur Ashe Stadium is windy on the calmest of days. That’s not good for a player with a 15-foot-high (and often erratic) ball toss.
Davis Cup cure
Will the Davis Cup inspire the best player of 2012, as it did in 2011? Rafael Nadal should hope so, because he’s going to lead Spain to the title over Argentina. Juan Martin del Potro could use Davis Cup the boost, too, but I don’t see Argentina winning on the road on clay.
Another post-Slam malaise?
Will Samantha Stosur follow in the footsteps of Li Na and Petra Kvitova and play horrendous tennis the next few months? I’ll say three’s a charm for our latest first-time Slam winner. Stosur has been close to the top for too long to plummet.