NADAL BACKED

The former English player, Wally Masur, reckons that it’s Rafael Nadal who will be the favourite to go all the way in the first Grand Slam of the next season i.e. the Australian Open.

Nadal was the most consistent player on the tour in the last season. He lifted a lot of trophies during the season and at the end of the season, he was at the top of the world rankings.

Novak Djokovic’s performance in the season was alright too, but, towards the end of the season, his form deteriorated a bit and he moved down in the world rankings. Soon after that, his coach quit as well and he had to appoint a new coach.

According to Masur, the new coach brings fresh energy and that can be very helpful for a player at times, but, still, if one has to pick the favourite, it has to be Nadal.

When asked which male player will go into the Australian Open as favourite, Masur said, “There is nothing different this time around. It’s again the top 4 guys who will be quite difficult to beat. As far as the favourite is concerned, I think its Rafa. Novak is also a world class player. He has just appointed a new head coach and that can actually be quite good for him, but, still, if I have to take one name, I would say Rafa.”

“Novak is very strong on hard courts. His best performances in the last few years have come on those kinds of surfaces. But, his problem is that he has not managed to be as consistent as he should be.”

Djokovic is currently at the second position in the World rankings. He had won the Australian Open in the last season.