2019 Crystal Ball Thread

[Shivashish Sarkar]

Alright. One thing I won't do is write the Big 3 off. I am not doing that. Federer hasn't gone anywhere. He goes deep into tournaments. And come 2019 it will be fast and the furious action from the Big 3. What we need to understand is the Big 3 still have enough game to beat most of the journeymen regularly. Yeah even Federer does. And he's going to be in a slam final again. Same with Djokovic and Nadal. Djokovic is playing some of the most scary stuff I have seen from him. For the current competition, this is all that is required.

It would be great absolutely great though to see younger players come of age. That would be great to watch. With new players and new rivalries. I can't wait.

 

[Chris Koziarz]

First of all I predict (well I wish to be more precise) the shot clock be enforced better than it's been so far.
That will lower the odds for Nad & Joker who require too much of butt scratching and ball bouncing to play with the clock. If they are thrown into second serve or even lose a point due to clock and their overtime concentration turns into frustration, they can even lose the match solely on that ground. Fed is immune to such danger. Kyrgios is the champion. Most other players are OK with the clock. So a fair clock would equalise the current field a little bit and make the tour fairer. That's why I'm looking forward to clock enforcement with impatience and big expectation.
I can say the same about unlimited challenge of judgement calls. A player can request a video review of any judgement: such as double bounce, let, linesman interference on hawk-eye overturns (that last example is particularly interesting), as trailed in this year's Milan. Such challenges happen not so often (did anyone see a judgement challenge actually happening in Milan?) but can be very important when on key point. I'm also looking forward to judgement challenges being introduced into ATP tour. It gives advantage to Fed, who knows how to use it smartly. With judgement challenge, he would be able to e.g. argue double bounce from Berdych pickup by pointing at the direction of ball spin.

With that longuish intro about rules, if my wishes above come true, I predict the actual results will be: Nad & Joker win no more than 1 GS each (RG & AO respectively) while Fed has a chance to will 1 or 2 (Wimby and AO/USO). With this prediction, there will likely be 1 GS winner outside big 3. I boldly give that win to Tsitsipas (any slam). Less likely but nicely, a second new GS winner could surface in 2019, if big 3 decline a bit more. I hope it be Thiem in RG.

 

[herios]

I picked them to sink. Make your own predictions then, dog. I thought I was genially opening up the conversation. Oh, right, but I forgot that you don't even join draw challenges because you're afraid you'll be found to be wrong. Innit?

Tsonga sunk already. He is ranked 259.
Funny enough, Andy Murray is ranked right behind him.

 

[Moxie]

Tsonga sunk already. He is ranked 259.
Funny enough, Andy Murray is ranked right behind him.

Del Potro crawled back from 700+, so I don't expect them to stay there, but Tsonga has been having lots of injury issues. I hope he comes back into the mix for a while, though. But surely he's finished winning decent titles.

 

[herios]

Del Potro crawled back from 700+, so I don't expect them to stay there, but Tsonga has been having lots of injury issues. I hope he comes back into the mix for a while, though. But surely he's finished winning decent titles.

I also think they will come back, but age will be still a factor.
Delpo was several years younger than these two are now.

 

[Moxie]

I also think they will come back, but age will be still a factor.
Delpo was several years younger than these two are now.

I get it. Look, Tsonga being done may not be the boldest prediction, but I was trying to start things off. Throw a couple of things out there. TBH, I think the biggest question is how (much) Murray comes back. As everyone has said, hip surgery has shortened more than a few careers. (Hewitt, Kuertan come to mind.) It'll be interesting to see how hard Murray fights for it and how his body holds up the next couple of years. He'll get the WCs. If he can feature, I think he'll stay in. If 2019 doesn't go any better for him, I'm tempted to think he'll take the money, his OBE and retire with the wife and kids to a life of British DC, or whatever.

 

[Shivashish Sarkar]

I hope Murray comes back. He used to make Roger look really good at majors.

 

[Horsa]

I hope Murray comes back. He used to make Roger look really good at majors.

I hope Murray comes back too as he gives us Brits hope sometimes.

 

[britbox]

Actually, the old prediction thread is findable, and yours were pretty good, GSM (p.4, though some were pretty safe.)

https://www.tennisfrontier.com/tennisforum/threads/its-dec-1-2018-what-happened.5808/

Thanks for bringing that up Moxie. My crystal ball was definitely Walmart.

 

[El Dude]

I don't think Murray will ever win another big title, let alone a major. There's one predicton.

I see the Bigger Three winning 2 Slams in 2019, their last hurrah. NextGen will finally break through and win a Slam: Zverev is the most likely choice, but Tsitsipas is also possible, with Kyrgios a darkhorse - at least for big titles/Masters.

Speaking of Kyrgios, I think he has his best year. He'll mature a bit, settle down, and win at least a Masters. I could see a Kyrgios-Zverev Slam final at some point.

The NextGen will continue their takeover. They've already surpassed LostGen and will start crowding out Rafa-Novak's generation. By year's end you'll have 4-5 of the top 10 as NextGenners (born 1994 or later). Zverev, Tsitsipas, and two others - maybe Khachanov, Coric, Kyrgios, Rublev, Tiafoe, Medvedev, Shapovalov, etc.

The rankings will be tight, with a handful of players in the hunt for #1 after the USO. I think Sascha will win a Slam and finish YE1.

 

[isabelle]

can't wait to see what Sasha, Karen, Dominator do in 2019

 

[Fiero425]

I don't think Murray will ever win another big title, let alone a major. There's one predicton.

I see the Bigger Three winning 2 Slams in 2019, their last hurrah. NextGen will finally break through and win a Slam: Zverev is the most likely choice, but Tsitsipas is also possible, with Kyrgios a darkhorse - at least for big titles/Masters.

Speaking of Kyrgios, I think he has his best year. He'll mature a bit, settle down, and win at least a Masters. I could see a Kyrgios-Zverev Slam final at some point.

The NextGen will continue their takeover. They've already surpassed LostGen and will start crowding out Rafa-Novak's generation. By year's end you'll have 4-5 of the top 10 as NextGenners (born 1994 or later). Zverev, Tsitsipas, and two others - maybe Khachanov, Coric, Kyrgios, Rublev, Tiafoe, Medvedev, Shapovalov, etc.

The rankings will be tight, with a handful of players in the hunt for #1 after the USO. I think Sascha will win a Slam and finish YE1.

We can only hope! It didn't even bother me that much that Sascha took the YEC! Nole was burned out and needs this layoff before possibly taking a 6th AO "down under!" I'm praying for ANYONE over Rafa to win the FO! The rest should be up for grabs seeing the NG finally coming into their own! :whistle:

 

[herios]

We can only hope! It didn't even bother me that much that Sascha took the YEC! Nole was burned out and needs this layoff before possibly taking a 6th AO "down under!" I'm praying for ANYONE over Rafa to win the FO! The rest should be up for grabs seeing the NG finally coming into their own! :whistle:

Novak has 6 AO titles, would be his 7 if he wins another one.

 

[herios]

I don't think Murray will ever win another big title, let alone a major. There's one predicton.

I see the Bigger Three winning 2 Slams in 2019, their last hurrah. NextGen will finally break through and win a Slam: Zverev is the most likely choice, but Tsitsipas is also possible, with Kyrgios a darkhorse - at least for big titles/Masters.

Speaking of Kyrgios, I think he has his best year. He'll mature a bit, settle down, and win at least a Masters. I could see a Kyrgios-Zverev Slam final at some point.

The NextGen will continue their takeover. They've already surpassed LostGen and will start crowding out Rafa-Novak's generation. By year's end you'll have 4-5 of the top 10 as NextGenners (born 1994 or later). Zverev, Tsitsipas, and two others - maybe Khachanov, Coric, Kyrgios, Rublev, Tiafoe, Medvedev, Shapovalov, etc.

The rankings will be tight, with a handful of players in the hunt for #1 after the USO. I think Sascha will win a Slam and finish YE1.

Still believe in Rublev?

 

[Moxie]

Novak has 6 AO titles, would be his 7 if he wins another one.

I'm cool if he stays with the 6.

 

[Fiero425]

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Novak has 6 AO titles, would be his 7 if he wins another one.

I keep forgetting the one in '08; was so out of left field being the perennial 3rd wheel in the rankings for so long! :whistle: :cuckoo:

 

[El Dude]

Still believe in Rublev?

My take on him hasn't changed too much, just a bit more conservative. It used to be "definite 2nd tier, maybe win a Slam or two," and is now "definite dangerous journeyman, possible 2nd tier, slim chance of sneaking in a Slam or two."

In other words, there's still a large range of possibility, but I don't see him among the cream of the crop of NextGen. A year ago I thought he had a chance; now I see him more in the second tier, with players like Tiafoe, Coric, Khachanov, etc.

 

[herios]

My take on him hasn't changed too much, just a bit more conservative. It used to be "definite 2nd tier, maybe win a Slam or two," and is now "definite dangerous journeyman, possible 2nd tier, slim chance of sneaking in a Slam or two."

In other words, there's still a large range of possibility, but I don't see him among the cream of the crop of NextGen. A year ago I thought he had a chance; now I see him more in the second tier, with players like Tiafoe, Coric, Khachanov, etc.

He has to improve his BH. Ball bashing with his FH is not enough. The smart players will exploit his weakness.

 

[GameSetAndMath]

He has to improve his BH. Ball bashing with his FH is not enough. The smart players will exploit his weakness.

KK was also viewed as a ball basher, but now his game has improved. Who knows, same thing might happen with Rublev.

 

[herios]

KK was also viewed as a ball basher, but now his game has improved. Who knows, same thing might happen with Rublev.

There was a difference already in KK favour even before his improvement this year. KK was ball bashing with his BH too, Rublev cannot. His BH is quite weak.
I don't say he cannot improve it, but it will take a lot more effort for Rublev.