Posted by Tom Perrotta, TENNIS.com
Will the first quarter of the tennis season in the books, it's time to look ahead to the rest of the year. Let us know what you think by answering these questions (my answers are below).
1. Rafael Nadal won the first major of the year and strengthened his hold on the top ranking. From now through Wimbledon, Nadal will:
A. Not lose a single match and defend his titles at the French Open and Wimbledon.
B. Dominate the clay-court season and win the French Open, but lose at Wimbledon.
C. Lose at the French Open for the first time in his career and fail to defend at Wimbledon, too.
2. Serena Williams will do which of these things in 2009?
A. End the year ranked No. 1
B. Win the French Open
C. Win Wimbledon
D. All of the above
3. Roger Federer is glad the spring hard-court season is over. How will he feel after he's done with clay and grass?
A. Great, because he's going to win his first French Open and then race past Pete Sampras, the current record-holder with 14 major titles, at Wimbledon.
B. Great, even though the French Open title will continue to elude him. But who wouldn't feel good after winning a record-tying 14th major title at Wimbledon?
C. Great, because he's going to be a father. He won't be too happy with his tennis, though, not after leaving Paris and London empty-handed for the second straight year.
4. Victoria Azarenka, perhaps the next true champion in women's tennis, seems to get better by the day. How high will she climb?
A. Very high, but not right away. She won't win in Paris or London, but should be a threat at the U.S. Open.
B. Unclear. Though she's quite talented, she is still prone to meltdowns. After several years of watching women fail to live up to the "heir apparent" label, I'm reserving judgment on this one.
C. Very high and very soon. She'll win the French Open and finish the year inside the top three.
5. Andy Roddick is off to a great start this season. The French Open is a lost cause, but can he make up for his recent disappointments at Wimbledon?
A. Yes, Roddick can win the Wimbledon title. In fact, he will win it.
B. Yes, but he can't win the title with Nadal, Federer, and Andy Murray in the field. However, he should reach the semifinals for the first time in four years.
C. Yes, he's going to surprise a lot of people and reach the Wimbledon final.
D. No, he's just not as dangerous on grass anymore, and his recent emphasis on quickness and steadiness won't play to his advantage on the surface.
6. Jelena Jankovic began the year as the No. 1 player in the world; she has since dropped to No. 4. Is JJ's decline temporary, or the beginning of a long bear market?
A. She's going to fall a lot farther before she rediscovers the confidence she had last year, if she ever does.
B. The rest of the tour has solved Jankovic; her serve is too weak for a sustained run at the top.
C. She'll go down as the worst No. 1 in the history of tennis.
D. If she gets a few wins under her belt on clay, look out. I wouldn't be surprised to see her play in the French Open final again, or even win the tournament.
7. Wimbledon's Centre Court now has a retractable roof. How will this affect the tournament?
A. The roof won't work and will become a national embarrassment, much like that wobbly Millennium Bridge, which was closed for 20 months after it opened in 2000.
B. It won't have any effect at all, as it won't rain this year. In fact, it will never again rain on the day of the Wimbledon men's final (call it nature's way of honoring the greatest match of all time.)
C. It's going to save the tournament in terms of television and sponsorship agreements, but anger many middle-ranked players, who will seethe in the locker room during a rainy week as their high-ranked colleagues finish matches and tear up Centre Court worse than it's ever been torn up before.
8. Kim Clijsters, the former No. 1 and U.S. Open champion, will return from retirement this summer. How will she do?
A. Fabulous. She's going to win the U.S. Open.
B. It's going to be a lot tougher for her than many people realize. Good story, but I don't expect great results.
C. Clijsters won't win another major, but be on the lookout for Jada, her daughter, in 17 years. She's going to be the best tennis player in the family.
My answers:
1. A
2. C
3. C
4. B
5. B
6. D
7. C
8. A
