The Storylines and Personalities Return For 2003
http://www.atptennis.com/en/newsandscores/news/news/2003season_preview.asp
As the season kicks off, story lines abound for 2003. Here is a list of the
top 10 stories likely to unfold, as the tennis ball drops to bring in the
New Year:
1.) Last year, Lleyton Hewitt became the first man to finish back-to-back
as World No. 1 since Pete Sampras in 1998. Can Hewitt continue his historical
run and become the fifth man since 1973 to end as year-end No. 1 for three
consecutive years, following in the footsteps of great champions Sampras,
Lendl, McEnroe and Connors?
2.) Will Andre Agassi, so close to reaching the No. 1 position in 2002,
continue his chase to become the oldest-ever World No. 1? And with his
three Tennis Masters Series Shields in 2002, Agassi only needs victories
at TMS Monte Carlo and TMS Hamburg to achieve an unprecedented Tennis
Masters Series Sweep of the big nine.
3.) Will Spaniard Juan-Carlos Ferrero and Switzerland's Roger Federer
continue their quest for the No. 1 spot? Ferrero captured his second Tennis
Masters Series event in 2002, Federer his first, and both nearly upset
Lleyton Hewitt in the late stages of the Tennis Masters Cup Shanghai. With
both of their games on the rise, these two stars could give Hewitt some
serious heat.
4.) Are Grand Slam champions Marat Safin and Gustavo Kuerten ready again
to challenge for the world's top ranking? Safin didn't win a title until
November of last year, at the Tennis Masters Series event in Paris, while
Kuerten spent most of 2002 recovering from hip surgery. But both of these
popular stars can never be counted out for big-time tennis glory.
5.) In 2002, Carlos Moya had a superb season, capturing four ATP titles and
winning a personal-best 59 matches. Now, rejuvenated at age 26, he looks
to prove that he can add more titles - both on hard and on clay - to his
mantle.
6.) Pete Sampras has announced he will return in 2003. Will his US Open
triumph propel him to greater heights? And can the seven-time Wimbledon
champ capture another on his favorite grass court at the All-England Club?
7.) Which young stars will continue their rapid rise and become tennis
heroes back home? Last year, a group of talented young players emerged
as top prospects: charismatic American James Blake won his first ATP event;
Thailand's Paradorn Srichaphan captured his country's first ever ATP title
and finished the year 16th in the ATP Champions Race; France's Paul-Henri
Mathieu became the first Frenchmen in 16 years to win back-to-back
tournaments - and he did it as a qualifier; and, Russia's Mikhail Youzhny
won his first ATP title and then clinched an historic Davis Cup victory
for his country.
8.) Who will be the newcomers in 2003? Can French teenage phenom Richard
Gasquet make 2003 his break-out year; is talented Spaniard Feliciano Lopez
ready for his first tournament title and will Mario Ancic prove that Grand
Slam upsets are a prelude to future success?
9.) Will a host of South Americans continue their surge into the ATP elite?
A record seven Argentines finished in the ATP Top 50 in 2002; new stars like
David Nalbandian of Argentina and Fernando Gonzalez of Chile emerged, while
Guillermo Canas captured TMS Montreal. Can the Latin Quarter continue to
prove the versatility of their game on faster surfaces?
10.) The season-long ATP Champions Race has come down to the final week for
three consecutive seasons. Which players will be part of the drama this year
as the Race for No. 1 reaches a climax in Houston, Texas, in November.
==Dec. 26, 2002==
--
Escude, a brilliant escapologist.
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