Can Andy Roddick continue his resurgence?  After a poor first half of 2006 when he was comprehensively outplayed by Andy Murray at Wimbledon, Roddick teamed up with Jimmy Connors and experienced a revival in the second half of the season, winning the Cincinnati Masters and following that up with an appearance in the US Open final. There is definitely a new sting and zip in Roddick’s game and attitude that seemed lacking early last year. Unlikely ever tp achieve much on clay in the more high profile tournaments (Masters events and Roland Garros), Roddick’s season will be judged on what he can achieve elsewhere and whether the fire that Connors has lit under him will continue to burn. 

Can David Nalbandian fulfil his potential? No longer able to call himself the reigning Masters Cup champion, the Argentinian ended 2006 by leading his nation into their first Davis Cup Final in 25 years. Nalbandian proved what many are already well aware, that he has the talent to be a Grand Slam champion. Whether he will ever be able to translate his talent into a tangible Grand Slam triumph and not simply a series of consistent showings that result in semi-final appearances (he also made the Wimbledon final in 2002) will likely be answered in the next two or three years. In the eyes of Sports Magician, 2007 represents a crucial year in Nalbandian's career. Time is running out and the window of opportunity shuts far more quickly than it opens.

Can the newcomers stick around? 2006 saw four new names end the year in the top 10 of the men’s tour: James Blake, Tommy Robredo, Mario Ancic and Fernando Gonzalez. Blake and Robredo, in particular were outstanding. Blake won five titles and made the final of a Masters Series event and the Masters Cup while Robredo won his first Masters Series title in Hamburg. Competition is fierce and there are a number of very talented young players maturing by the week and looking to break into the elite and turn these four players into ‘one-season wonders’. Sports Magician believes it will be a tough ask for all four to still be in the top 10 come the end of the season and that, rather than Blake or Robredo, Ancic has the greater chance to still be there. Ancic, a player yet to fully justify the hype around him in previous years, had a quietly strong 2006 despite missing significant time with injury.

Can the young guns make some noise? The ATP, as mentioned, has a number of very talented young players on the verge of taking the step from promise to fulfilment. Marcos Baghdatis, Tomas Berdych, Andy Murray, Novak Djokovic and Richard Gasquet lie waiting to jump into the top 10. All of these players currently lie between 12 and 18 in the rankings. In addition, there is Gael Monfils, currently lower down at 46, who will be hoping for an injury-free season to show his full potential. Another name to watch out for, although he is probably more of a prospect in 2008, is Juan-Martin Del Potro, ranked at 92. By the end of the season, his name will be far more familiar.  Sports Magician believes at least two of these youngsters will be sitting in the top ten in 12 months -- Murray and Djokovic being the likely candidates. 

Can elite players of the recent past return to the top 10? Since 2000, but before 2006, names such as Lleyton Hewitt, Juan Carlos Ferrero, Guillermo Coria and Marat Safin featured regularly in the top 10. But in 2006, none of them sat among the elite. All have suffered either through injury, politics on and off the court, or simply a loss of form and confidence. Hewitt’s 2006 was highlighted by winning Queens. Ferrero’s was credible for making a Masters Series final in Cincinnati. Safin salvaged some joy from his season by winning the deciding rubber in the Davis Cup final against Argentina. There was no such joy for Coria, who is outside the top-100. The Magician whose plight was documented in the latter part of this year faces a significant challenge to rediscover his past form and successes that took him to number three in the world only two and a half years ago. Sports Magician believes Marat Safin has the greatest chance to find himself back in the top-10 sooner rather than later.

(Full article at http://sportsmagician.blogspot.com/ )