CAMELOT FANTASIES

Hi all,

Generally speaking, I'm thinking the tour misses Murray, much as it missed Nadal, before his incredible return.  Hopefully he plays at the Australian Open.  I guess some of his preps will tell him for sure if he is ready to go.

Nadal has scheduled so many exhos and such.  I guess his knees must be in great shape after his triumphant 2013 season.  I only hope that we are not in for a repeat of 2008-2009.  It sort of smells like it to me.  But who knows?

The main story lines for me this year are:

1. Can Rafa pick up where he left off and how long will he be able to continue before something gives?  He is only one man.
Will he continue to play in hard court tournaments everywhere, or stick mostly to the clay? I hope after the Australian Open he either goes to South/Central America or takes a rest.  I don't want to see him in Rotterdam and Dubai.

2. How will Murray be after the surgery and the time off?  How much time will it take him to get back to his best form after 3.5 months out of action?

3. Will Spartan Stan continue to improve, or have we seen his best?

4. Which younger players will step up and start to consistently make it to the bigger tournament semis and finals? Dimitrov, Janowicz, Raonic, or someone else?  Pablo Carreño  improved from #654 to #65 last year.  Maybe we will see another jump up for him toward the top 30 where he can be seeded for majors?

5. How well will Federer do this year after his working vacation of last year?  Will his back hold up to the heavier schedule he has mentioned for this year? At which majors will be a significant factor (semis or better)?  Any?

6. Will Djokovic continue his consistent play of the last couple of years?  Will he be able to win a major outside of Australia this year?

7. Juan Martin Del Potro is #5 in the world, David Ferrer is #3.  Will they switch places this year? 

I'll give you my opinions after I hear what others have to say...

Respectfully,
masterclass

Great post, masterclass Here is my opinion on your main points:

1. I am not very happy that Rafa has decided to play Doha next year. I believe the Abu Dhabi exho and the early rounds at the Australian Open will give him enough play practice to attack the title. After that I think he is going to play in South America before going to the American slow hardcourts.

2. Murray just started practicing for the first time since the injury the other day so I don't think he will be one of the favorites in Australia. I am , too, curious to see his form. Moreover, the Davis Cup tie USA - Great Britain is in San Diego (on clay !!!) and I am planning on attending each day. Hopefully Murray travels with the team and plays

3. Stan lost a heart breaker in Australia against Nole this year, he played amazing tennis and I expect him to repeat, if not better, that performance next year.

4. Since I am a big fan of Dimitrov, I expect 2014 to be his breakthrough year. Realistically, he can enter the Top 20 around the clay season but I will not be surprised if he gets even higher. His fitness has improved, so has his confidence after beating Nole this year and winning his first ATP title. I also expect Jerzy to win a title and reach Top 10, he has great potential but needs to stay healthy. Big guys tend to get injured more often.

5. After one of his worst years Federer will bounce back in my opinion. Australian Open - Rotterdam - Dubai give him a great chance to record some wins and win a title. We will see if his back problems persist, though. Agassi at that age was starting to have significant problems with his back.

6. Dokovic will undoubtedly be the favorite in Australia and the following hardcourt tournaments. But I have a gut feeling that he won't be able to defend his Australian Open crown.

7. David Ferrer is getting old (I know how unbelievable this sounds) and I expect him to decline this year. Moreover, he has a lot of points to defend so I do not expect him to keep his #3 position for too long.