Astonishing prediction as tennis' sleeping giant wakes

1 year ago 55

Has tennis' sleeping elephantine yet awoken?

That's the question being asked astatine the Australian Open aft the archetypal week of the men's gully was dominated by young Americans, perchance heralding a aureate procreation the similar that has not been produced for decades.

Not since Andy Roddick won the US Open successful 2003 has a antheral from the United States lifted a expansive slam trophy, an astir inconceivable drought for the astir palmy federation successful the sport's history.

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It's a drought that tin beryllium written disconnected by the dominance of the 'big three', with Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic gobbling up astir each large up for grabs since Roddick retired successful 2012, yet it has near the federation that produced Pete Sampras, Andre Agassi, Jim Courier, John McEnroe, Jimmy Connors and galore earlier them profoundly unsatisfied.

It has enactment question marks implicit the USA's erstwhile vaunted improvement strategy and heaped unit connected each young subordinate to look astatine a expansive slam with a show that hinted astatine imaginable greatness.

Those players person travel and gone and inactive the hold remains for the instrumentality of an American antheral oregon men to reconstruct the nation's erstwhile formidable reputation.

According to Australian tennis large Alicia Molik, that hold whitethorn yet beryllium drafting towards its extremity with the Australian Open providing a glimpse of the awesome extent of endowment coming disconnected the accumulation line.

In caller years Taylor Fritz and Frances Tiafoe, some present 25, person taken large strides, cementing themselves successful the world's apical 20, and taking the mantle of leaders of America's procreation next.

But adjacent younger is the ace awesome Sebastian Korda (22) and explosive lefty Ben Shelton (20), who dispatched of section favourite Alexei Popyrin successful the 3rd round.

Also remaining successful the gully successful the 2nd week is flamboyant 24-year-old JJ Wolf - who meets Shelton successful the 4th round, guaranteeing a archetypal expansive slam quarter-final quality for 1 of them - and 25-year-old Tommy Paul, who has a winnable 4th circular match-up against Spanish 24th effect Roberto Bautista Agut.

It's the benignant of line-up that was astir regular successful the 2nd week of slams backmost successful the 90s and astir each different decennary of the unfastened epoch earlier it.

Speaking connected Wide World of Sports' The Morning Serve, Molik said the caller procreation of Americans had benefited from the information that they were each coming done together, pushing each different to greater heights.

Molik's BOLD prediction for lad of a weapon Korda: The Morning Serve Day 7

"I deliberation erstwhile 1 subordinate breaks done for your nation, 1 of your peers, which these guys person each grown up together, the cognition is, you know, 'if helium can, wherefore can't I?' And we're seeing that resurgence now," Molik said

"It's superb for American men's tennis and evidently it had specified a affluent past successful the past, astatine a peculiar clip having Agassi, Sampras, Michael Chang, Todd Martin, the database goes on, Andy Roddick...

"So it's a truly important time, I deliberation it's a important clip for American men's tennis and starting to enactment it backmost successful the spotlight successful the United States."

Arguably the astir awesome show from immoderate subordinate this Australian summertime has travel from son-of-a-gun Sebastian Korda, who has agelong been considered a aboriginal superstar but has been near down by the likes of Italy's Jannik Sinner and Spanish satellite No.1 Carlos Alcaraz.

Korda, the lad of 1996 Australian Open champion Petr Korda, has been successful blistery signifier since touching down successful Australia, pushing Novak Djokovic each the mode successful the Adelaide International last earlier falling successful a thriller aft coughing up lucifer points.

That sent a informing changeable to his rivals and helium followed it up brilliantly successful the archetypal week of the Australian Open providing 1 of the tournament's biggest shocks erstwhile he dispatched Russian prima Daniil Medvedev successful consecutive sets successful a connection triumph connected Rod Laver Arena successful premier clip connected Friday night.

Molik sees Korda arsenic a aboriginal satellite No.1 and expects him to situation for expansive slam glory successful 2023.

"I truly emotion the crippled of Sebastian Korda," Molik said.

"I was fortunate capable to person called his lucifer [versus Medvedev] successful commentary and I deliberation he'll beryllium a caller [world] fig one soon, I deliberation he'll beryllium a expansive slam champion soon, and the crushed I accidental that is his disposition connected tribunal is incredibly calm and collected but he's got the crippled to match. He loves to determination forward, helium took retired Daniil Medvedev, helium was rather comfy successful the surrounds of Rod Laver Arena and conscionable handled the concern truthful well.

"It's conscionable a crippled we haven't rather seen - a beauteous backhand, and tin deed each changeable successful the book, truthful really, truly exciting."

Korda plays Polish No.10 effect Hubert Hurkacz connected Saturday day for a spot successful the quarter-final.

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