Players to watch at the 2013 Australian Open - Men

Yesterday we looked at the women most likely to sizzle and fizzle at this year’s Australian Open, which begins next week. Today we move on to the infinitely more predictable men’s field. Why do we even bother, you ask, if we know with absolute certainty which four players are going to make it to the semis? Well, there’s the small matter of one member of the Big 4 having left a 6-feet-wide hole in the draw, which means that the last semifinal spot is suddenly up for grabs. Without further ado, then, here are the players that are likely to make a mark at this year’s edition of the Happy Slam:

Lleyton Hewitt: When is the best time to relegate a veteran performer to the bin of the also-rans? Never, if Lleyton Hewitt’s rock-solid enthusiasm for the game is anything to go by. The little Aussie battler probably doesn’t know the meaning of the word ‘quit’, as he continues to trudge his way through the ranks, mounting one comeback attempt after another. Now ranked No. 82 in the world, Hewitt has set the Kooyong exhibition tournament on fire, scraping past Milos Raonic in a thriller before annihilating Tomas Berdych in the semis to make the home fans sit up and take notice. The 31-year-old may have suffered more than his fair share of injuries and ailments over the years, but don’t be surprised if he puts together another strong run in Melbourne this year to mirror his stirring performance here last year.

Bernard Tomic: From one Aussie talent to another, considerably less dedicated one. In sharp contrast to Hewitt, Bernard Tomic may be a little too familiar with the word ‘quit’, but 2013 seems to have infused a spring in his step. He went undefeated in the Hopman Cup, even straight-setting Novak Djokovic along the way, and has just defeated Jarkko Nieminen to reach the semis in Sydney. Like his veteran compatriot, Tomic also had a fine outing at his home Slam last year, notching up a couple of five-set victories before bowing out to Roger Federer. The early indications suggest that Tomic enjoys playing on his home turf, so it’s not inconceivable to imagine that he will make everyone forget his miserable 2012 by slashing his way through the Melbourne draw.

Grigor Dimitrov: Dimitrov’s strongest claim to fame at the moment may be that he’s rumored to be dating Maria Sharapova, but the Bulgarian has also been giving a good account of himself on the court. He produced a flurry of ravishing winners off his forehand (and also a few off his sometimes-suspect backhand) to reach the Brisbane final, where he gave Andy Murray a small scare before going down in two hard-fought sets. ‘Baby Federer’ is still only 21 years old, so maybe he’s got time to turn into his own man after all. If Sharapova lets him, that is.

Jerzy Janowicz: Not much has been seen or heard of Janowicz since he stormed to the final of the Paris Masters a couple of months ago (for the record, he made a forgettable first-round exit in Auckland last week). But those who saw those blistering serves and cannon-like forehands in Paris aren’t likely to forget about him for a long time to come. It remains to be seen whether the Pole’s defense-related deficiencies (he moves exceptionally well for a 6’8″ guy, but he’s still 6’8″) will hold up on the slower courts in Melbourne, but you know what they say about unbridled offensive play: on its day, it is unbeatable, no matter what the conditions. It is entirely possible that Janowicz makes a rash of errors and crashes out early against a nobody, but it’s also possible that he continues where he left off in Paris, leaving a slew of punch-drunk opponents in his wake.

Richard Gasquet: The original Baby Federer never quite made the leap to Federer-esque adulthood, but he’s been chugging along in the middle of the field nicely over the past two years. He won his 8th title in Doha last week (defeating Nikolay Davydenko in the final), and he’s always promised plenty in Melbourne before being pegged back by misdirection and misfortune. Is the time ripe for Gasquet to make his first Slam semifinal appearance since 2007? Only the Melbourne courts can tell, but the signs are looking good.

Juan Martin Del Potro: The Tower of Tandil has finally re-entrenched himself in the top tier of men’s tennis, and now all that’s left for him to do is reach his first Slam semifinal since 2009. Sure, Del Potro has never had a particularly happy time at the Happy Slam; the only two times he went beyond the 4th round, he was drubbed mercilessly by Roger Federer. But the Argentine seems to be carrying himself with a different air these days; a more confident air. If he can rediscover his deadly groundstroke combination of firepower and consistency, there’s no reason why he shouldn’t set his Melbourne record straight this year.

The Big Three: Now we’re talking. Rafael Nadal may have caused a little air to be sucked out of Melbourne with his withdrawal, but the story in men’s tennis continues to revolve around the heavyweights at the top. Does anyone honestly believe that a player other than Novak Djokovic, Roger Federer and Andy Murray can win the year’s first Slam? A short answer to that would be ‘no’.

There has, of course, been a strange rearrangement of characters in the hierarchy at the top. There used to be a time when Djokovic was the Third Wheel, the player neither of the top 2 wanted to face in the semis; now, Murray has taken Djokovic’s place, who in turn has taken Federer/Nadal’s place as the Top Dog. In terms of form coming into the tournament, each of the top 3 can legitimately claim to have the advantage: Murray is coming off a title in Brisbane, Federer is rested and rejuvenated after his gala time in South America, and Djokovic is looking as solid as ever. Who will come out of this tension-filled troika with his reputation enhanced? I can’t help but resort to that sorry cliché here: your guess really is as good as mine.

And now, a look at the players who are most likely to disappoint:

Milos Raonic: This is the venue of his much-celebrated breakthrough two years ago (he came out of nowhere to reach the 4th round), but things just don’t seem to be moving for the 22-year-old Canadian. He’s already lost twice this year (out of which, admittedly, one loss came in the Kooyong exhibition), and he’s come nowhere close to making the vaunted Next Step that everyone’s been expecting him to make for the better part of two years. He still has time on his side, of course; maybe he will take the Next Step at Wimbledon?

David Ferrer: The last time Nadal pulled out of a Slam (that is, the US Open), Ferrer filled the void admirably, reaching the semifinal and justifying his No. 4 seeding. Can he do that again? I’m guessing no. It feels horrible to say this, but Ferrer, who won his maiden Masters title in Paris last year, may have hit his ceiling. The Spaniard was schooled by Nikolay Davydenko in Doha last week, and he will likely need to avoid the big-hitters to make an impression in Melbourne this year. The part that really sucks? Making the semis can’t be considered an achievement for him any more; it’s the least he is expected to do. That’s not a very pleasant situation to be in.

Tomas Berdych: I’ve been burned after predicting an early exit for him before (most notably at last year’s US Open), but I’m going to do it again anyway. The 5th seed has looked listless and lost in nearly every match he’s played this year – maybe he’s still suffering from the hangover of his Davis Cup win – and will need a turnaround of epic proportions to make something out of his Melbourne campaign.