Men: Number One Up for Grabs?
For the past couple years, there seemed no question regarding who would be the Number One ranked player at the end of the year, i.e. Roger Federer. However, the script for 2008 has started a bit differently than Federer would have planned. A stomach illness caused him to miss his first and only match practice at the Kooyong exhibition tournament prior to the 2008 Australian Open. In the end, Novak Djokovic scored his
second victory over Federer in six months by defeating him in the Australian Open semis on his way to the title. As the rest of the year unfolds, there are clearly a couple possible challengers for the year-end Number One ranking in men's tennis. Rafael Nadal has shown he can play on all surfaces by reaching the Wimbledon final for two consecutive years (after winning Roland Garros). Djokovic has thrown his hat into the mix with the Australian Open title as well. For 2008, there are many players capable of winning one of the remaining Grand Slam titles or the Gold Medal at the Beijing Olympics, e.g. Richard Gasquet, Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, David Nalbandian, Andy Roddick, James Blake, Marcos Baghdatis and others. Nonetheless, the Number One ranking for men's tennis this year is a "three horse race", i.e. Federer, Nadal, Djokovic.
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