Young challengers geared up to press for Federer's top spot

Kathy Marks
Tuesday 03 February 2004 01:00 GMT
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The stage is set for an enthralling season in the men's game, with the No 1 ranking likely to change hands numerous times as a group of young players snap at the heels of the new Australian Open champion, Roger Federer.

The tournament, which ended last weekend with Federer and Justine Henin-Hardenne winning the singles titles, confirmed that the men's field is stuffed with talent and provoked speculation that tennis is approaching a golden era.

The generational change predicted for many years is finally taking place, with the game dominated by a crop of gifted young men who have already made a name for themselves and look likely to rule the roost in seasons to come.

The depth of the men's game is reflected in the fact that the last nine Grand Slam titles have been won by eight different players. The 22-year-old Federer has two, Wimbledon as well as the Australian, while his closest rivals in the rankings - Andy Roddick, the US Open champion, and Juan Carlos Ferrero, the 23-year-old French Open champion - have one apiece.

Ferrero, beaten by Federer in the semi-finals in Melbourne, ended the tournament as the new No 2. The 21-year-old Roddick, who arrived as top seed, was beaten by Marat Safin in the quarters and is now No 3.

Safin, a former No 1 and US Open champion, has jumped to No 32 after a barnstorming performance that clearly demonstrated that he is back after eight months off the tour with injuries. The 24-year-old Russian, who ended last season as No 86, beat Andre Agassi as well as Roddick at his first Grand Slam for 12 months.

But they were not the only players who distinguished themselves in Melbourne. David Nalbandian, the 2002 Wimbledon runner-up, played fantastic tennis, and many tipped the 22-year-old Argentinian as a possible title contender before he lost to Federer in the quarters.

Australia's top two players, Lleyton Hewitt, and Mark Philippoussis, were knocked out in the fourth round, but both the 22-year-old Hewitt, twice a Grand Slam champion, and Philippoussis, twice a runner-up, are forces to be reckoned with. Two promising young Australians, Todd Reid and Chris Guccione, aged 19 and 18 respectively, also impressed.

Thailand's Paradorn Srichaphan grows in stature at every major, while several Americans of Roddick's vintage - James Blake, Taylor Dent and Robbie Ginepri - are steadily moving up the rankings. Gustavo Kuerten, a former No 1 and three times French Open champion, exceeded his expectations at the Open and believes himself on the verge of a renaissance.

The sense of one generation passing the baton to the next was heightened by Agassi's first defeat in Melbourne since 1999, a loss that prompted the American - who turns 34 in April - to hint that he may be considering retirement.

Some of the young players, particularly Federer and Roddick, are already being talked of as potential legends. John McEnroe forecast that Roddick would win six to 10 Grand Slams in his career. Federer, with his beautiful all-court game, is hailed by many as Pete Sampras's successor; McEnroe calls him "one of the most talented players I have ever had the pleasure of watching".

Their successes have been greeted with relief by the ATP, organisers of the men's tour, which launched an advertising campaign called "New Balls" in 2002 aimed at generating interest in the new vanguard of players.

"New Balls" was catchy, but it took a while for reality to catch up. The young guns struggled to translate their undeniable promise into solid achievements at the majors. Agassi, meanwhile, carried on winning Grand Slams. Sampras did not retire until last September. The campaign was expanded to include older players, accompanied by slogans such as: "These balls still bounce".

Now the young men are in the driving seat, promising many more matches of the calibre of Federer v Hewitt and Safin v Roddick in Melbourne. The players themselves are conscious of a sense of history. Safin said after vanquishing Agassi: "You're going to see a lot of us in the next few years, I hope. It's going to be the new generation."

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