2013 has been a great year for tennis. It was highlighted by Nadal's magnificent comeback to the top of the rankings, Djokovic's flawless end to the season, the rejuvenation of tennis hopefuls Stanislas Wawrinka and Richard Gasquet, as well as the coming of age of young guns Bernard Tomic and Grigor Dimitrov. For me though, the biggest story of them all was Andy Murray winning Wimbledon to end the 77-year wait for the hungry home nation. In one of the most bizarre tournaments ever, the crowd carried Andy to the title, helping him fulfill his prophecy.
2013 also marked a big disappointed as we've witnessed Roger Federer drift further away from the top. His series of surprising losses made headlines throughout the year, raising questions about his future. However, the Swiss has been adamant in declaring he will continue playing for many more years, proving determined to change fortunes in 2014. The world needs the almighty Federer back!
Exhilarating Jo-Wilfried Tsonga produced another disappointment as he let an enormous chance slip by. Facing hard-working David Ferrer for a place in the Roland Garros final, Jo played a terrible match to gift away the victory. The loss also marked the end of his season as he injured his knee at Wimbledon and was sidelined till October. Hope he comes back stronger next season!
On the bright side, Tommy Haas confirmed his good form, making an emphatic return to the top 10. At 35, the German is as dangerous as ever as he continues to break new grounds and push his opponents to their limits. Spaniard Tommy Robredo also put together a sensational comeback season, reaching the quarterfinals at both the French and the US Open. Although he is not fully recovered, Gael Monfils is showing steady progress in making his way back to where he was a few seasons ago.
The young guns have also showed their great potential. Milos Raonic cracked the top 10, while outspoken Pole Jerzy Janowicz reached his first Grand Slam semifinal at Wimbledon.
Bob and Mike Bryan clearly dominated the doubles tour, winning most of the big tournaments. A near miss at Flushing Meadows prevented them from completing a calendar Grand Slam, but they did hold all four majors plus the Olympic gold at the same time (a.k.a. the Golden Bryan Slam) strengthening their credentials as the best doubles team in history.
Tennis Moods looks back at a rich 2013, recognizing the stand-out players of the year. Congrats to all the 2013 ATP Moods Awards winners!
The 'World's Greatest' Award (for the best player of the year)
Winner: Rafael Nadal
Runner-up: Andy Murray
The 'He Found Love' Award (for the most improved player of the year)
Winner: Stanislas Wawrinka
Runner-up: Richard Gasquet
The 'Homecoming' Award (for the most spectacular comeback)
Winner: Tommy Robredo
Runner-up: Gael Monfils
The 'He Works Hard for the Money' Award (for the most hard-working player)
Winner: David Ferrer
Runner-up: Rafael Nadal
The 'Here I Am' Award (for the newcomer of the year)
Winner: Jerzy Janowicz
Runner-up: Vasek Pospisil
The 'We Are Young' Award (for the most promising youngster on the tour)
Winner: Grigor Dimitrov
Runner-up: Bernard Tomic
The 'Talk That Talk' Award (for the wittiest player on the tour)
Winner: Novak Djokovic
Runner-up: Mike & Bob Bryan
The 'Broken Hearted Boy' Award (for the most disappointing player of the year)
Winner: Roger Federer
Runner-up: Brian Baker
Winner: Roger Federer
Runner-up: Tommy Haas
The 'I Will Always Love You' Award (for the player who retired this year and will be missed the most)
Winner: David Nalbandian
Runner-up: James Blake
The 'When We Collide' Award (for the most spectacular doubles team)
Winner: Bob Bryan & Mike Bryan
Runner-up: Michael Llodra & Nicholas Mahut
The 'Fashion of His Love' Award (for the best dressed player throughout the year)
Winner: Roger Federer
Runner-up: Jo-Wilfried Tsonga
Winner: Andy Murray winning Wimbledon
Runner-up: Rafael Nadal winning US Open
The 'Clash of Titans' Award (for the most exhilarating duel of the year)
The 'I Dreamed a Dream' Award (for the accomplishment of a dream)
Winner: Andy Murray winning Wimbledon
Runner-up: David Ferrer reaching the French Open final
The 'Hero' Award (for the braveheart performance of the year)
Winner: Juan Martin del Potro at Wimbledon
Runner-up: Stanislas Wawrinka at the Australian Open
Winner: Novak Djokovic & Rafael Nadal
Runner-up: Roger Federer & Juan Martin del Potro
No comments:
Post a Comment