Interesting times

Winners and losers in 2002 on the tennis circuit

By CNNSI.com's Candy Reid

You could say it has been an interesting year in the tennis world.

Who would have thought that Thomas Johansson and Albert Costa would be crowned Grand Slam champions, that David Nalbandian would reach the Wimbledon final, and that Pete Sampras would win a record 14th major after the year, make that years, he's had?

There have been far fewer surprises on the WTA Tour. Serena Williams dominated, but what on earth happened to Martina Hingis?

While Williams the younger and Lleyton Hewitt grabbed the prestigious accolade of finishing the year ranked No. 1, who really were the winners and losers in 2002? And who will flourish in 2003?

ATP TOUR

UP in 2002

Lleyton Hewitt: He's not the strongest, the tallest, or the most talented. But his will to win makes up for anything he may physically lack. He's now won the U.S Open and Wimbledon and the Masters Cup twice, and if fit, he'll certainly be a good bet for Melbourne Park in January in front of his home fans. A worthy world No. 1, who'll stay there for the foreseeable future.

Paradorn Srichaphan: Thailand's favorite son had an incredible year, and I believe would have reached the season-ending Masters Cup if the tournament in Shanghai had been moved back a month. Srichaphan started the year ranked 112 on the ATP Tour and finished in 18th place after winning his first two career titles. He might not win a Grand Slam next year but he'll reach the top 10 and become the first Asian Man to do so.

Pete Sampras: Pistol Pete surprised everyone at this year's U.S Open by adding a 14th Grand Slam to his massive trophy cabinet. A wonderful achievement indeed. He’s just announced that he will be back for at least another year. But I’m not so sure. He’s certainly capable of competing with the best, but I don’t think he’ll make much of an impact in 2003 and will hang up his shoes after next year’s Slam in New York.

DOWN in 2002

Yevgeny Kafelnikov: Kafelnikov said that he was going to retire if Russia won the Davis Cup for the first time... but has now said he’s going to continue. And I think that’s a good thing. He’s a great player, who had a very average year by his standard, finishing 27th on the Champions Race. There’s no doubt he can go out with more of a bang. So hopefully he’ll produce the goods next year.

Andy Roddick: This category is a bit tough on the 20-year-old but he did experience a bit of a second-year slump on tour, especially at the majors, where his best performance was a quarterfinal berth at the U.S Open. A powerful all-round player and barring injuries (which are popping up more frequently) Roddick should step up this year and make the season-ender.

Non-mover

Marat Safin: The Russian has more natural talent than most, but we hardly got to see it this year. Certainly there were glimpses in 2002. He reached the Australian Open final, before producing a very mediocre performance in the final. He only won one tournament despite finishing the year as World No. 3. That coming at the Paris Masters in October where he blew his opponents away, including Hewitt in the Championship match. Still he finished the year on a high note helping Russia to win its first Davis Cup. But what about the rest of the year? The volatile 22-year-old has the ability to play on all surfaces. but will he? Your guess is as good as mine!

Roger Federer: Like Safin, the ‘Fed’ has bags of talent but has yet to really produce it at a Grand Slam. But unlike Safin, the Swiss No. 1 has a more even temperament on court, which is a definite plus. He’s a top-ten player and has the ability to become world No. 1, but putting it all together on a consistent basis is what’s lacking at the moment.

WTA TOUR

UP in 2002

Serena Williams: At the beginning of the year, Serena said she was going to do something special in 2002 and she did just that, winning three successive Slams and a tour high eight titles overall. A remarkable season concluded in her losing in the season-ending final in L.A to an in-form Kim Clijsters, which was certainly no disgrace. The loss was just her fifth of the year. Look for her to contend for all four Grand Slams in 2003. (Serena was injured for the Australian Open in 2002.)

Kim Clijsters: It was an inconsistent year for the young Belgian at best, but she finished strongly and showed she could play with the big girls in Los Angeles... winning the biggest title of her career, and beating Serena for the first time. A World No. 2 ranking is waiting for her next year.

Patty Schnyder: The Swiss left-hander is perhaps not an obvious choice for this category, but she did finish the year ranked No. 15, her highest ranking for four years. Her best tournament was at Charleston where she defeated, Jennifer Capriati, Serena Williams, Amelie Mauresmo and Mary Pierce, before losing in the final. Look for her to knock out some more big names in 2003 and move into the top 10.

DOWN in 2002

Martina Hingis: Definitely the 22-year-old’s worst year on Tour after an ankle injury kept her out of action for three months. However before that, the Swiss-Miss reached the Australian Open final for the sixth successive time, but lost in three sets to Capriati after having four match points. Hingis managed to qualify for the season-ender but had to withdraw due to lack of form and more ankle problems. She has already pulled out of the 2003 Australian Open. Let's hope that when she does return she will be back to her best.

Jennifer Capriati: A great start to the year for J-Cap (see Hingis) when she briefly held the No. 1 ranking. However, the rest of the season was a little disappointing for such a formidable player. Problems off court with U.S Fed Cup Captain Billie-Jean King and unwelcome advice from Richard Williams also hampered her year. However the American has a great support system, with her father, also being her coach, and Capriati should get back to winning ways in 2003. Maybe starting with a third consecutive Aussie Open Title?!

Non-mover

Lindsay Davenport: Another great player who was hampered by injuries in 2002, Davenport missed the first three Grand Slams of the year before reaching the semifinals at Flushing Meadow. The knee-injury seems to be cured and that's good news for women's tennis, since the 26-year-old is a definite contender for the majors.

Venus Williams: Venus was upstaged by her younger sister in 2002 after being beaten in the final by Serena in the last three majors. The few kinks in Venus’ game are starting to show more and more, however a powerful serve and wonderful athleticism help her to avoid many upsets. Serena’s year will force Venus to step up a gear in 2003 and once again challenge for the No. 1 ranking.

Give 'em a break in 2003

Anna Kournikova: Okay she hasn't yet won a tournament. And yes she is recognized more for her looks than her ability on the court. However, she's still only 21-years-old and once she gets over the hump I think she'll win many trophies. They might not be the big ones, since the Williams sisters are always lurking... but getting back into the top 10 certainly isn't out of the question!

Tim Henman: 'Our Tim' gets persecuted during the Wimbledon fortnight. Whatever he does is not quite good enough. But Briton's greatest hope certainly has the necessary weapons to win at SW19. However, Hewitt seems to have his number on the grass courts, and anybody who likes cricket is quite used to the Aussies beating up on the beleaguered Brits.

And one last thing...

Guy Forget has stepped down as French Davis Cup Captain after his team’s 3-2 loss in the final to Russia in November. But why didn’t he play Fabrice Santoro against Marat Safin in the first Davis Cup singles match in Bercy?? No doubt about it Paul-Henri Mathieu is an up and coming player, but Santoro has a 6-and-1 record against the Russian. Just a thought!

Candy Reid is an anchor and reporter for CNN International's World Sport. She previously played on the satellite tennis tour for two years and had a world ranking in both singles and doubles. She also represented Great Britain as a junior before playing for the University of Tennessee on a tennis scholarship.

 

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