Del Potro in 2009?

He's had a cracking 2008, most notably of late in the second half of the season, so what can we expect of the next rising star of men's tennis?

Well I think we can expect a top 10 finish at the very least and maybe ending at number 5 isn't an unrealistic goal for the gangly 19 year old from Tandil, Argentina. With only 4 players arguably playing at a higher level than him and sitting at 13 in the rankings at the moment, it's very possible he could even reach the top 10 by the end of the year, as he has very few points to defend from now till the last tournament in Paris. It's also very possible that he could qualify for the masters cup in Shanghai ( he sits at 10 in the race), which many tennis lovers are hoping he can do as it would make for a superb and most competitive season ending championships for years. It's an extraordinary achievement for someone who has missed roughly three months of tennis this year. While watching him play Andy Murray in Rome when retiring in the third set at 1-0 down, I was very concerned for his future in the game. He burst into tears that day and as Del Potro has had numerous bad injuries at such a young age I assumed that this back injury was going to keep him out for quite a while due to the nature of his previous problems and the reaction when being forced to retire. However the reaction he gave just showed everyone the passion this young man has for playing the game, reinforced by the fact he managed to return just two weeks later to play at the French open. In the match against Murray in Rome I was in awe at the level of play. I honestly thought some of the rallies were superb and I personally think it was that match which made him believe so much in himself. His results afterwards just got better and better as he compiled an astounding 30-4 win loss ratio!
 
It's quite rare to see a player who is equally strong on every single surface and it could be argued for hours into which was his actual best surface. He grew up on clay so naturally has the correct movement patterns and has the ability to slide into his shots, probably the most vital thing. However with his monstrous serve and flattish heavy ground strokes, there is room for debate to say hard courts suit his game the most. Personally, I do think the American hard courts will prove to be his most successful, although there is no reason why he can't be a force on the grass courts at Wimbledon. It's quite difficult to say which areas of his game can be improved upon as he really does have no obvious weaknesses. His movement for such a big guy is very impressive, he is incredibly solid from the baseline, with his forehand and backhand being equally spectacular. His serve is a real weapon too and he is also comfortable at the net. However all those strengths are almost worthless without one necessary ingredient, the mind. He also has this. His passion for the game is unquestionable as I've never seen him give anything other than 100%.  Not an easy thing to do in one of those hard court tournaments in America after winning the week before, for 4 weeks in a row! In Davis cup this weekend, he absolutely demolished Nikolay Davydenko and Igor Andreev, two of the worlds' better clay court players. It was 2-2 heading into the last rubber against Russia and he was remarkably composed throughout and never let his mind wander .Which for a young man was mightily impressive in such a pressured environment. He certainly has it all. At the start of the year people were saying 'the big three' will be contending the grand slams. However during the American hard court season Andy Murray made himself a realistic contender to make it the 'big four' and now I think it's the 'big five', so it's a superb 2009 in prospect.
 
Technically there are few better players out there in my opinion. With his stability in the mind, there are no reasons at all into why he can't reach the top five next year (barring injuries which unfortunately he can be prone to). Similar to Nalbandian, he is adaptable on every surface so where can he improve his game?
I think the main thing he needs to do if he wants to win the majors, is bring more variety into his game. His superb hitting is good enough to beat anyone outside the top 4 on a regular basis on any surface, however to beat those guys he needs to add just something else. His record against Murray is 0-2, against Federer it's 0-2, against Nadal it's 0-3 and against Djokovic it's 0-1, which says something although they were in the past and he's clearly improving match on match. However he can be a little predictable at times, pounding away at the baseline. There is no reason why he can't come forward more, throwing in serve volleying from time to time or attacking second serves and following into the net as he volleys very well. Also mixing up his ground strokes would be beneficial. During the match with Murray in the US open, often when Andy threw in a slice or a 'nothing' ball it threw Del Potro and he often committed an unforced error. Everything else in his game is spot on including his mentality against players he 'should' beat and players he isn't expected to beat. Something which cannot be said for Andy Murray quite yet!
 
Djokovic could well end up next year at number five if he doesn't do what Del Potro needs to do and bring in more variety to his game. He is getting awfully predictable and often in the grand slams, grinds it out in five sets against baseliners like Robredo for example, which ultimately cost him towards the end of the tournament. He does play drop shots, but these rarely work and generally it's hit hit hit. Federer and Murray both have the ability to mix it up at any time and play whatever shot they like! The others are more limited but Nadal plays a unique style and when he manages to take control of a point, you can say goodbye to that point. Federer used to be the best at that, Nadal with his meaty forehand has taken over that mantra now.
 
In conclusion the climax to this year should be spectacular. Hopefully Del Potro will qualify for the masters cup in Shaghai, which will be without a shadow of a doubt the most competitive for years. Nadal, Federer, Djokovic and Murray have qualified and could be joined by Davydenko, Roddick, Ferrer and Del Potro which would great for men's tennis.

The Davis cup final has the possibility of being the best final ever! Argentina host Spain, so for Nadal, against Nalbandian who is an absolutely superb Davis cup player and Del Potro the rising star, it's the ultimate test in perhaps the most intimidating atmosphere in the world! It should be close and thrilling and maybe could go down to the last rubber. If Nadal and Spain end up victorious it would be one of the greatest years ever for an individual player. Wimbledon, the French open, the Olympics and the Davis cup in one year would be astounding!
 
Men's tennis has never looked stronger, so 2009 should prove to be a cracker!