ultimateshedman wrote:

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I remember having a debate with you about Nadal going down to Del Potro soon. I saw JMDP against Ferrero last year, he could become one of the contenders for RG in the future but his game does seem more suited to hard courts.

I agree, I think Andy has the perfect game to do well on clay. I think he will do really well on there this year, will be v interesting if he plays Federer on the clay, could be close. However, unless Nadal gets injured, he's still going to be the man to beat...if Andy's going to challenge his dominance on clay he needs to get stronger.   

 

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Hmm... I didn't say that he'll start an era on clay like Nadal has. I may have said that as a joke though. You know what my feelings on all matters concerning Nadal are like 

Even though he said that his favourite surface is hard, I personally think that he's more likely to succeed on clay or on the slower varieties of hard which resemble clay to an extent. Most of his good results have come on slow surfaces - all the wins on clay, Segovia, good performances in Australia. He has been ordinary on faster courts except for taking Gonzo to three sets and beating Ginepri in Tokyo. As a Junior he was an out and out slow court player who thrived on clay, so I really wonder why he says that he prefers hard courts....

With Andy, he definitely looks to be a better slow court player than someone who will dominate grass or American cement, but he has managed to defy the all logic and performed that way last year.  
Can't see anyone better Nadal on clay this year, but it will be closer than last year. I'd love to see Andy thrown in against him at Roland Garros.

ultimateshedman wrote:

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It's far too early to predict that he'll dominate the men's game like Federer Not even Andy himself will think he has a chance of doing that, what's Federer's done is incredible.

 

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I am pretty sure that Andy thinks himself to be capable of doing it. And honestly, why not?  He is a 19 year old who is still some distance away from maturity, but has already beaten arguably the most talented player of all time. He also has one of the best records against top ten players amongst people outside the top ten.
The match against Nadal really shows what sort of a player he can become in the years to come. Most people out there expected him to get slaughtered, and with valid reasons - he was playing the world number two, the courts suited Nadal much more than him, and Andy apparently didn't have much to hurt him. I seriously mean what I say out here - he was looking as good as Federer at times.

And how many people could have thought that Federer would become this good at 19? I'm sure that Andy has a chance.


-- Edited by Arka at 13:34, 2007-02-26