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Posted: Monday January 3, 2011 9:37AM ; Updated: Monday January 3, 2011 1:17PM

SI.com's 2011 Experts' Predictions: Men's Tennis

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Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer have combined to win 21 of the last 23 major championships, but Novak Djokovic, Andy Murray and Robin Soderling are primed to challenge that hegemony in 2011.

The biggest X factor is Juan Martin del Potro, the big-serving Argentine who outlasted Federer in the 2009 U.S. Open final. Then 20, Del Potro rapidly climbed to No. 4 in the rankings, but subsequently missed 10 months with a wrist injury. Whether he can regain form is one of the year's most significant plotlines.

Andy Roddick is the only player besides Federer to have finished in the year-end top 10 for the past nine seasons, but his days at the summit of American tennis may be numbered with John Isner and Sam Querrey waiting in the wings.

Here's how SI.com's tennis experts see the upcoming men's season playing out.

SI.com's 2011 Experts' Predictions: Men's Tour
Jon Wertheim S.L. Price Bruce Jenkins Richard Deitsch Bryan A. Graham Andrew Lawrence
Will Roger Federer ever regain
the No. 1 ranking?
No No Yes No No No
How many tournaments will
Juan Martin del Potro win?
Two Three Three Two Three Three
Who will be the highest-ranked American at the end of the year? Roddick Roddick Isner Roddick Roddick Isner
Player of the Year Nadal Nadal Nadal Nadal Nadal Soderling
Breakthrough Player Dolgopolov Gulbis Dimitrov De Bakker Dimitrov Isner
On His Last Legs Blake Ljubicic Hewitt Ferrero Hewitt Hewitt
Most Curious About Del Potro Gulbis Harrison Del Potro Del Potro Del Potro
Year-End Top Five Nadal
Djokovic
Federer
Murray
Soderling
Nadal
Federer
Djokovic
Del Potro
Soderling
Nadal
Federer
Djokovic
Murray
Soderling
Nadal
Federer
Murray
Djokovic
Soderling
Nadal
Federer
Djokovic
Murray
Soderling
Nadal
Federer
Soderling
Djokovic
Murray
Australian Open Federer Federer Nadal Nadal Federer Federer
French Open Nadal Nadal Nadal Nadal Nadal Nadal
Wimbledon Nadal Nadal Federer Federer Nadal Soderling
U.S. Open Djokovic Del Potro Federer Murray Nadal Nadal
Women's Tour Predictions

EXPERTS: Fantasy Tennis: Building the Ideal Player for 2011

JENKINS: Ten things I'd like to see in 2011

GALLERY: Tennis Players to Watch in 2011

GALLERY: 20 Must-Follow Tennis People on Twitter

WERTHEIM: Ten fearless prognostications

REACT: Weigh in with your predictions for 2011

 
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