Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, Fernando Gonzalez and Marcos Baghdatis. These guys weren't exactly in the bookmakers' cards to reach the final of this Grand Slam, in the year that they did! This is the reason why I find this particular Grand Slam pretty exciting, because once in a while, there is this tenacious player, within striking distance of the top spot (maybe #20 and up thereabouts) who gets that lucky break in his draw and takes the chance to bring his A-game all the way to the finals! Baghdatis did it in '06, then Gonzalez in '07 (both losing to Federer) and then Tsonga in '08, losing to Djokovic. This year, Tsonga again is in the mix and I think David Ferrer, but the guy I think and I feel that should finally reach a Grand Slam final is Nikolay Davydenko.
He has been playing very well these past two months, losing only to the really top players, but he may have to defeat the Top 3, just to achieve what he wants - an elusive Grand Slam title. Djokovic may await him in the QFs, then Federer in the SFs, then Nadal in the finals. Tsonga may have to beat Murray in the QFs, Nadal in the SFs and Federer in the finals. Finally, Ferrer may have to beat Nadal in the QFs, Murray in the SFs, and Federer in the finals.
See, the names to beat rarely change! But still, the moods of the tennis gods can change every day and if a lucky break really does occur in any part of the draw, may the bravest man not in the Top five, take big advantage of it - and as I showed earlier, it's not an unrealistic dream!
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