2013 ATP Regional Honors

Hey Y'all. Galileo here.




Welcome to the ATP's regional glance. We are almost at the end of another season and the time is ripe, I feel. Here's Todd's original WTA version.

==NORTH AMERICAN/ATLANTIC REGION==
PLAYER OF THE YEAR: Raonic, CAN
POY (RUNNER-UP): Isner, USA
RISER: Pospisil, CAN
SURPRISE: Smyczek, USA
VETERAN: Russell, USA
FRESH FACE: C.Harrison, USA
COMEBACK: Young, USA
DOWN: Fish, USA
JUNIOR: Peliwo, CAN
DOUBLES: Bryans, USA (really, who else? )
TEAM: Canada Davis Cup
CHALLENGER PLAYER: Kuznetsov, USA
IMPROVED: Kudla, USA
UNDERRATED: Sock, USA
DAVIS CUP: Raonic, CAN (lost only to Djokovic)
KEY AN EYE ON...: R.Harrison, USA
TOP PERFORMANCE: Raonic in the second half of the year was a top five player consistently (CAN)
NATION TO WATCH: Canada
COMEBACK NATION: Canada
WORRIED NATION: USA-the state of men's tennis in the USA, as Todd put it, is dismal.
MOST INTRIGUING NATION: Any country that isn't the US or Canada because it will be interesting to see if the rest of North America can offer anything.
=MARKET WATCH=
BUY: Raonic/CAN, Pospisil/CAN and Isner/USA
SELL: Fish/USA & Querrey/USA
HOLD: Young/USA, R.Harrison/USA, C.Harrison/USA

==SOUTH AMERICAN REGION==
PLAYER OF THE YEAR: Del Potro, ARG
POY (RUNNERS-UP): Berlocq & Zeballos, both ARG
RISER: Zeballos, ARG
SURPRISE: Zeballos, ARG
VETERAN: Nalbandian, ARG
FRESH FACE: Garin, CHI
COMEBACK: n/a
DOWN: Monaco, ARG
JUNIOR: Garin, CHI
DOUBLES: Melo and Soares with different partners, BRA
TEAM: Argies Davis Cup
CHALLENGER PLAYER: Alejandro Gonzalez, COL
IMPROVED: Pella, ARG
UNDERRATED: Mayer, ARG
DAVIS CUP: Del Potro, ARG
KEY AN EYE ON...: Bellucci, but only when you least expect it (BRA)
TOP PERFORMANCE: Zeballos beating Nadal in a clay court final (ARG)
NATION TO WATCH: Chile
COMEBACK NATION: Chile
WORRIED NATION: Uruguay
MOST INTRIGUING NATION: Colombia
=MARKET WATCH=
BUY: Del Potro/ARG
SELL: Bellucci/BRA & Monaco/ARG
HOLD: Zeballos/ARG

==EAST AND SOUTH ASIA/PACIFIC REGION==
PLAYER OF THE YEAR: Nishikori, JPN
POY (RUNNER-UP): Tomic, AUS
RISER: Matosevic, AUS
SURPRISE: Hewitt, AUS
VETERAN: Hewitt, AUS
FRESH FACE: Saville, AUS
COMEBACK: Hewitt, AUS
DOWN: Lu, TPE
JUNIOR: Chung, KOR
DOUBLES: Tomic/Barty in the Hopman Cup, AUS
TEAM: Aussie Davis Cup
CHALLENGER PLAYER: Groth, AUS
IMPROVED: Kyrgios, AUS
UNDERRATED: Soeda, JPN
DAVIS CUP: Hewitt, AUS
KEY AN EYE ON...: Nishikori, JPN
TOP PERFORMANCE: Hewitt for never giving up and actually having a decent year and ending up within the Top 60 as the Aussie #2
NATION TO WATCH: China - they are coming, albeit slowly
COMEBACK NATION: Australia. The seeds have been planted and they are starting to grow into a dangerous nation.
WORRIED NATION: Thailand
MOST INTRIGUING NATION: South Korea. The strong junior scene may translate.
=MARKET WATCH=
BUY: Kokkanakis/AUS & Kyrgios/AUS
SELL: Ito/JPN
HOLD: Tomic/AUS & Nishikori/JPN

==WEST ASIA/AFRICA/MIDDLE EAST REGION=
PLAYER OF THE YEAR: Anderson, RSA
POY (RUNNER-UP): Paes, IND
RISER: Qureshi, PAK
SURPRISE: Weintraub, ISR
VETERAN: Sela, ISR
FRESH FACE: n/a
COMEBACK: Devverman, IND
DOWN: Anderson, RSA (He has not been on excellent form in the past few month, but he is still the best African player by miles)
JUNIOR: Wayne Montgomery, RSA
DOUBLES: Paes and Quershi playing with different people, IND
TEAM: Israel Davis Cup Team
CHALLENGER PLAYER: Sela, ISR
IMPROVED: Weintraub, ISR
UNDERRATED: Weintraub, ISR
DAVIS CUP: Weintraub - in Israel's 5-0 loss to France, Weintraub got their lone set against Jo-Willy Tsonga.
KEY AN EYE ON...: Montgomery, RSA
TOP PERFORMANCE: Anderson for back-to-back fourth rounds at slams and getting to three finals plus a quarter at Indian Wells
NATION TO WATCH: RSA
COMEBACK NATION: ISR
WORRIED NATION: Pretty much any country in Africa except for RSA. Morocco and Egypt have had some past successes so I will highlight them especially.
MOST INTRIGUING NATION: India
=MARKET WATCH=
BUY: Montgomery, RSA
SELL: Bhambri, IND
HOLD: Anderson, RSA

==EASTERN EUROPEAN REGION==
PLAYER OF THE YEAR: Djokovic, SRB
POY (RUNNER-UP): Berdych, CZE
RISER: Dimitrov, BUL
SURPRISE: Janowicz, POL
VETERAN: Davydenko, RUS
FRESH FACE: Khachenov, RUS
COMEBACK: Gulbis, LAT
DOWN: Tipsarevic, SRB & Dolgopolov, UKR
JUNIOR: Milojevic, SRB
DOUBLE: Stepanek and Dodig although with different partners (CZE/CRO)
TEAM: Czech Davis Cup
CHALLENGER PLAYER: Haider-Maurer, AUT
IMPROVED: Janowicz, POL
UNDERRATED: Tursunov, RUS
DAVIS CUP: Stepanek, CZE
KEY AN EYE ON...: Gulbis, LAT
TOP PERFORMANCE: Djokovic up until he lost that semifinal to Nadal at the French
NATION TO WATCH: Czech Repbulic
COMEBACK NATION: Poland
WORRIED NATION: Ukraine
MOST INTRIGUING NATION: Latvia
=MARKET WATCH=
BUY: Dimitrov/BUL & Tursunov/RUS
SELL: Tipsarevic/SRB, Dolgopolov/UKR, Melzer/AUT & Stahkovsky/UKR
HOLD: Djokovic/SRB, Berdych/CZE & Youzhny/RUS

==WESTERN EUROPEAN REGION==
PLAYER OF THE YEAR: Nadal, ESP
POY (RUNNER-UP): Ferrer, ESP
RISER: Wawrinka & Gasquet (SUI/FRA)
SURPRISE: Haas, GER
VETERAN: Haas, GER
FRESH FACE: Paire, FRA
COMEBACK: Nadal, ESP
DOWN: Kohlschreiber/GER, Verdasco/ESP, F.Mayer/GER & Federer/SUI
JUNIOR: Zverev, GER
DOUBLE: Lopez/Granollers, ESP
TEAM: French Davis Cup Team
CHALLENGER PLAYER: Busta, ESP
IMPROVED: Fognini & Robredo (ITA/ESP)
UNDERRATED: Seppi, ITA
DAVIS CUP: Tsonga, FRA
KEY AN EYE ON...: Wawrinka/SUI, Gasquet/FRA & Federer/SUI
TOP PERFORMANCE: Nadal...this one needs no explanation really. Just Nadal being the king.
NATION TO WATCH: GBR
COMEBACK NATION: GBR
WORRIED NATION: Belgium
MOST INTRIGUING NATION: Portugal
=MARKET WATCH=
BUY: Paire/FRA, Agut/ESP, Haase/NED & Brands/GER
SELL: Ferrer/ESP, Almagro/ESP, Kohlschrieber/GER & Simon/FRA
HOLD: Federer/SUI, Gasquet/FRA, Fognini/ITA & Haas/GER



And a few more, without international borders...

2014 is MOST IMPORTANT for:
Ferrer/ESP and Raonic/CAN
....Ferrer is on a consistent downward trend and, if he can't reverse it, he could be in trouble. He will probably fall out of the top ten and then he will retire before 2015 or during 2015, I would say. Raonic needs to prove himself in the slams. If he can do that, he will be a top five mainstay.

2014 is LEAST IMPORTANT for:
Federer/SUI and Hewitt/AUS
...Fed is playing with house money now. People seem to think it will be important for him, but I think the Swiss star can do whatever he wants and after this year, next year will matter little for him. Hewitt is just out there to play a bit more, get a bit more cash.

POISED FOR GREATNESS in 2014??:
Del Potro/ARG and Janowicz/POL
...Del Potro will probably get to around the 20-4 mark in slams and if the draw falls in his favour then he could win one. Janowicz should make a slam quarter or two. He will also win a 500 in 2014, I predict.

READY TO TURN HEADS in 2014:
Tomic/AUS and Gulbis/LAT
...I think that if Tomic can really get going and consistently stay within the top 40, he could become a major factor at the big events. Gulbis is the quintessential dark horse and every now and then the dark horse comes good. He should make a big splash in 2014.

HE COULD BE FORCED TO HOLD HIS HORSES in 2014:
Fognini/ITA and Monfils/FRA
...Fognini is so inconsistent that he is impossible to predict. So I predict unpredictable inconsistency. I think he will stay within the top twenty and score some big wins. He should grab a couple of titles and a fourth round or two at the slams maybe. Look for more of the same from him and he has had, admittedly it was under the radar, a pretty decent year.

LURCHING TOWARD DISASTER in 2014???:
Berdych/CZE and Tipsarevic/SRB
...Let me explain. He has done well to get to number 5 and stay there or thereabouts, especially considering he will probably go title-less this year. I just don't don't see him staying in the top ten for all of 2014. I think he will start to lose to people he shouldn't and I think he will start to fall. He should finish at around number 9 or 10 next year, especially if he can't maintain his slam form. As for Tipsarevic, well, he is in a massive slump and he should consider retirement.



I am going to quickly preview Paris here. I don't have time to do a full review of the past week's action because of certain circumstances beyond my control. My apologies.


*PARIS*
=QF=
Nadal [1] d. [9] Gasquet
Raonic [10] d. [3] Ferrer
Del Potro [4] d. [5] Federer
Djokovic [2] d. [7] Wawrinka
=SF=
Nadal [1] d. [10] Raonic
Djokovic [2] d. [4] Del Potro
=FINAL=
Djokovic [1] d. [2] Nadal

=DOUBLES=
=SF=
Bryan/Bryan [1] d. [4] Dodig/Melo
Peya/Soares [2] d. [6] Marrero/Verdasco
=FINAL=
Bryan/Bryan [1] d. [2] Peya/Soares


Well, thanks everyone. My apologies and visit WTA BACKSPIN. I will be back to review the ATP tour championships soon.

Galileo

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