For the second year in a row, Roger Federer is on course to equalize Pete Sampras’ record of seven Wimbledon titles. Defending champion Rafael Nadal is also through to the second week as he goes for his third French Open-Wimbledon duo. While Novak Djokovic, the hottest player this season, is in great form through three matches.

The world’s top three players are still the ones to beat heading into the round of 16 while world number four and hometown pick Andy Murray is also alive with an outside chance. Here’s a review of the past few days and a look at the rest of the tournament.

Federer has looked superb through the first three rounds of play. The Swiss dominated his third round match against a less than 100% David Nalbandian who’s had his number previously.

In the fourth round, Federer takes on Mikhail Youzhny. Federer has won all ten of their prior meetings and the Russian has never been beyond the round of 16 at this event.

David Ferrer tied his best showing at the All England Club by reaching the round of 16 and will face Jo-Wilfried Tsonga who was a quarterfinalist last year. The winner of that contest will probably battle Federer in the quarterfinals.

After straight sets triumphs his initial two matches, Djokovic had to bear down against Marcos Baghdatis to move on in four in the third round. On Monday, Djokovic meets Michael Llodra in the fourth round. Although Llodra is sensational on grass, he should be no match for Djokovic.

Eighteen year old Australian qualifier Bernard Tomic is the unforeseen name in the second week. In the first round, Tomic took down veteran Nikolay Davydenko. Next, he erased a 2 set to love deficit to topple another veteran Igor Andreev.

In the third round, Tomic stunned an ailing Robin Soderling in straight sets. The teenager clashes with veteran Xavier Malisse in the round of 16. The one left standing will probably see Djokovic in the quarterfinals. Consequently, a Djokovic-Federer semifinal seems a done deal.

Although Nadal was pushed his first three rounds, the Spaniard still dispatched his opponents in three sets. Juan Martin Del Potro was also tested in his second and third round matches by Olivier Rochus and Gilles Simon respectively but came through. As a result, the anticipated duel between Nadal and Del Potro will occur in the round of 16.

Since Del Potro’s return from wrist surgery, the two only tussled once at Indian Wells. Del Potro has improved considerably since that meeting. Yet, with his previous success on this surface, Nadal will squeak by.

With three time Wimbledon finalist Andy Roddick’s shocking exit in the third round to Feliciano Lopez, Mardy Fish is the sole surviving American. In his maiden fourth round showing at the All England Club, Fish collides with 2010 runner up Tomas Berdych.

Berdych and Fish have never played. Considering his 2010 breakthrough, Berdych has underachieved this year. Therefore, Fish has a tremendous opportunity to cinch his primary quarterfinal at Wimbledon where he will stare at either Nadal or Del Potro.

Twice a quarterfinalist at Wimbledon, Lopez encounters Lukasz Kubot in the round of 16. The 29 year old qualifier in his second main draw at this tournament ousted Arnaud Clement, then Ivo Karlovic and subsequently upended Gael Monfils in the third round.

With Murray’s erratic performance so far, his fourth round rival Richard Gasquet should be able to capitalize. However, twice, Roland Garros in 2010 and Wimbledon in 2008, Gasquet blew a 2 set to 0 lead against the Brit. That is a gargantuan psychological hurdle for Gasquet to overcome. As such, Murray should make it to the quarterfinals.

Murray prevailed in all four meetings against Lopez and appears to have a comfortable road to the semifinals. The question is whether Nadal or Del Potro will be his adversary.

Similar to the French Open, the top four players have a good chance of colliding in the semifinals. With Federer ending Djokovic’s perfect season, the latter will be looking for revenge. Djokovic is hungry for this distinctive prize which can work in his favor or his detriment.

On the other hand, Federer has the pressure of wanting to make history. The same applies to Murray with his nation hoping to claim its home trophy for the first time since 1936. Nadal is playing with fewer expectations which sets up the perfect scenario for him walking away with the championship for the second straight year.

For the first time at the All England Club, Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic are the top two seeds. Defending champion Nadal will fight to collect his third hardware at this venue and his third French Open-Wimbledon combo. Djokovic who registered his maiden loss of the year at the previous major after a forty-one match unbeaten run will attempt to reach his first final at SW 19.

Two other competitors are also hoping to make history. Third seed Roger Federer tries to equalize Pete Sampras’ all time record of seven titles while fourth seed Andy Murray carries the aspirations of an isle on his shoulders. This fortnight, Murray aims to terminate his nation’s 75 year drought at its home major. Here’s the breakdown of the 2011 Wimbledon draw.

For world number one Nadal, it should be smooth sailing until the third round. In that session, the defending champion could be bothered by phenom Milos Raonic. Again in the round of 16, Nadal will be on crash alert with Juan Martin Del Potro his likely opponent. Consequently, there are various rocks along the road early on for the top seed.

In the quarterfinals, Nadal could face a rematch of last year’s final with Tomas Berdych. Considering Berdych’s average performance this season, the Spaniard should have the advantage. However, a semifinal against either Andy Roddick, a three time finalist, or Murray will be a harder challenge.

Having won the Queen’s Club trophy for the second time, Murray has once more found his mojo. Murray’s potential third round counterpart is Marin Cilic and either Stanislas Wawrinka or Richard Gasquet in the fourth round. While these are all worthy adversaries, Murray should have the upper hand.

Roddick also has a favorable path until the round of 16 where the unpredictable Gael Monfils possibly awaits. A Murray-Roddick quarterfinal would be a rematch of their sensational 2009 semifinal. Although Roddick’s year has been sub-par to date, he can rebound at SW19 where he has had great success previously.

Djokovic and Federer anchor the bottom half of the draw. Thus, the two could collide in the semifinals.

Federer’s initial obstacle could be in the third round in the form of David Nalbandian. The Argentine has been contending with injury but has the tools to trouble Federer. In the quarterfinals, Jo-Wilfried Tsonga or David Ferrer could offer Federer stiff opposition. Still, the Swiss maestro would be in the driver’s seat.

Like Federer, Djokovic could have a few early intricate encounters such as Marcos Baghdatis in the third round and Michael Llodra or Viktor Troicki in the round of 16. Yet, Djokovic should move on to the quarterfinals.

The wildcard in that section is Robin Soderling. Even though grass is not Soderling’s strong suit and he’s been inconsistent this season, Soderling will be a formidable hurdle for either Djokovic in the quarterfinals or Federer in the semifinals.

Call it kismet or curse, John Isner and Nicolas Mahut who last year redefined the meaning of marathon match will do battle again in the first round. Without question, each man is praying for a less dramatic outing this time around.

Surprises at the majors have been few on the men’s side with Nadal and Federer dominant at the ultimate six to seven years. However, the gap has shrunk between the top three players with Djokovic raising his game to new heights this season.

Nadal, Federer and Djokovic have the greatest possibly of hoisting the trophy on the final Sunday. With less than one hundred points separating him from the Spaniard, Djokovic could rearrange the pecking order and overtake Nadal at number one after this event.

For Nadal to retain the title, Federer to bag number seven or Murray to become a hometown hero, for at least one or all, the road may lead through Djokovic. Fasten your seatbelt, Wimbledon will be quite the ride this year.

Although his performance has been patchy this year, Nikolay Davydenko has a 6-4 record against Nadal. With ten titles on clay including one recently in Munich, Davydenko, the twice semifinalist at Roland Garros, is a formidable potential challenger for Nadal in the round of 16.

Despite a downward slide the last two months, Robin Soderling can at any time regain the form which brought him three consecutive titles early this year. As such, the two time French Open finalist, the only person to defeat Nadal at Roland Garros, could be a serious obstacle in the quarterfinals.

Along with Nadal, Andy Murray is in the top half of the draw which could set up an intriguing semifinal clash between the two. The dangers for Murray include rising star Milos Raonic in the third round and talented Ukrainian Alexandr Dolgopolov in the fourth round.

In the quarterfinals, Murray could face stiff opposition from clay court specialist Nicolas Almagro and 2010 French Open semifinalist Jurgen Melzer. Yet, after the disappointment of failing to close out Djokovic in the semifinals in Rome, Murray’s greatest roadblock may be mental.

Provided his left thigh is at 100%, Juan Martin Del Potro could end Djokovic’s perfect season in the third round. Beforehand though, Del Potro will need to dispatch Ivo Karlovic in the first round.

If Mikhail Youzhny and 2010 French Open semifinalist Tomas Berdych had built on their success from last year, they could be viewed as true threats to Djokovic in the quarterfinals. However, with their results of late, Berdych and Youzhny are unlikely to pull off an upset considering Djokovic’s play and confidence at an all time high.

After flirting with a second round exit in Madrid at the hand of Feliciano Lopez, Roger Federer faces the Spaniard in the opening round. On notice, Federer will have to be vigilant if he plans to stick around for round two.

In the round of 16, Federer could also be tested by hometown favorite Jo-Wilfred Tsonga. Furthermore, David Ferrer will be a perilous quarterfinal adversary for the Swiss.

For the first time in many moons, Federer finds himself in the backseat when it comes to being one of the favorites at a major. To once again become part of that conversation, Federer will need to mute Djokovic in the semifinals.

With Nadal victorious last year and Djokovic solely defending his quarterfinal status, only the latter can gain ground in the rankings. Consequently, after the French Open, there might be a radical shift at the summit with Djokovic king of the mountain. The event begins in two short days.

With Nadal winning nine of the twelve meetings against Berdych and the last eight, the contest at first seemed a formality. Particularly the manner in which Nadal got out of the gates.

Nadal raced to a 3-0 advantage in the primary set by taking Berdych’s first two games. Then, by provoking a backhand miscue from Berdych padded his lead to 4-0.

With Berdych serving, Nadal hit an awesome forehand crosscourt pass off a backhand overhead by Berdych which summed up the miserable time that Berdych was having. Still, Berdych held to make the score respectable at 4-1.

While Nadal had no trouble carrying the set, the next couple of games, Berdych demonstrated that he finally awoke.

In the opening game of the second set, Berdych overcame double break point to maintain serve. Subsequently, when Nadal double faulted and had a forehand go long, Berdych had double break point. With a forehand up the line winner, Berdych grabbed the break for 2-0.

Then, Berdych consolidated for a 3-0 lead. During the changeover, Nadal called for the trainer and the Spaniard had his shoulder and neck attended to. After the treatment, Nadal held for 3-1.

Nadal received treatment again during the second set. In the eighth game, Nadal fought off two set points to guard serve for 5-3. However, with strong serving, Berdych closed the set with a love game.

Prior to the commencement of the third set, Nadal was manipulated by the trainer for the third time. By slicing a backhand long, Nadal stared at triple break point.

A mistake by Berdych and three consecutive aces gave Nadal game point. The Spaniard finished the game with a forehand volley winner.

Both players had relatively fast service games with no break point until the eighth game.

When Berdych dumped a forehand into the net after Nadal’s penetrating stroke, the latter had double break point. Nadal went up 5-3 when Berdych again netted a forehand.

As a result of a winner, Nadal arrived at triple match point. With Berdych’s backhand sailing long, Nadal wrote his name opposite Federer’s in the semifinals.

A conspicuously disappointed Berdych said “to break after winning the second set, that would have been a great chance for me. But, he just served unbelievably well. . . You can expect three or four aces from somebody like [Andy] Roddick or [Ivo] Karlovic. But from Rafa [not really], just too good for him”.

Still, Berdych said there are positives to take away from this encounter when asked by MiamiTennisNews.com “the matches since the last time I beat him, I had not won a set against him. . . I was trying something different today. Until maybe the last service game it was working pretty well and I had a good run”.

After the match, Nadal cited that it was unusual that his serve actually saved the match. Something that would not have been possible probably four years ago.

As far the right shoulder injury, Nadal stated that he felt a pinched nerve, something that had never occurred before. The Spaniard expressed that he just blocked out the injury in the third set. After all, it’s the quarterfinals of a Masters Series one of the most important tournaments.

Nadal felt confident that he would be well for the challenge of playing Federer tomorrow night. In their head to head, Nadal leads Federer 14-8.

Speaking of Federer, Nadal iterated that it’s always nice and “special” to play Federer. Over the years, they’ve developed a friendship and he does not view it as a “rivalry”. The two have battled in so many finals and he has great respect for Federer.

Nadal is in his second straight semifinal in Miami. In 2005 and 2008, Nadal advanced to the final but was stopped by Federer the first time, then surprised by Nikolay Davydenko the second.

Q. The weather today, did that cause you any disruptions, or just you know what you have to do in those sort of situations? ​

RAFAEL NADAL: No, you know, be calm and wait. That’s all. Nothing else. You can’t do a lot of things in days like today. Relax in the players’ lounge, be with the friends. That’s it. ​It’s nothing new. It’s something that happen a lot of times in the tennis. ​

Q. Playing Alexandr today, did you feel that he was maybe a little bit tired having to finish off against Tsonga today? ​

RAFAEL NADAL: I don’t know. I don’t know if he was tired or not, but you can ask him, I think. But maybe is possible, no? But I think when we play matches, fiveset matches in Grand Slam is more than what he had. ​So I think probably is not easy play end of the match and after start of the match. That’s sure. But that’s part of the game, no? It happen to me a few times, and I think in general I played at very good level, no? ​Probably he had more mistakes than usual, but I don’t know if because he was little bit tired or not. ​

Q. Did you find the conditions heavy because of the rain from earlier on? ​

RAFAEL NADAL: No, heavy, very humid. That’s why I am sweating a lot. ​

Q. What about playing Tomas in the next round? ​

RAFAEL NADAL: Difficult match always, no? We know each other. We played a lot of times, and I know just play my best tennis I gonna have chances against him, no? ​He can play very, very good, and I have to play very solid all the time with my serve and wait a chance on the return. ​

Q. One question about being an ambassador for Bacardi. I was just wondering, was that a difficult decision, seeing that alcohol and sponsorship for alcohol might be a little strange for some people? Or was it more you saw the good it can do with the company? ​

RAFAEL NADAL: Did you see the campaign? ​

Q. Yeah. ​

RAFAEL NADAL: So, I mean, I am not presenting alcohol party, you know. It’s a responsible campaign, a social campaign. ​Anyway, I think alcohol is inside our lives, so is nothing new, no? But the campaign is not against alcohol but about be responsible when you go out. ​So wasn’t difficult decision, because I think is very important social campaign, and I believe in this campaign. So it was a very easy decision, because I think is very good thing to do for Bacardi.

As a result of a double fault, Federer gave Monaco break point in the opening game. However, Federer managed to hold. By misfiring on a forehand, Monaco gifted Federer a break point and threw in a double fault for the break.

At this point, it seemed Federer would make short work of world number 35. But with a couple of mistakes of his own, Federer surrendered the next game allowing Monaco to get back on serve.

At 2-1, Federer had a couple more chances to break. Still, Monaco was unflappable and guarded serve.

With Monaco saving six out of seven break points, the first set went to a tiebreaker which Federer claimed.

In the second set, Monaco dominated on serve while Federer had a few tight games. Consequently, it seemed that the match could go to a third set. As usual though, Federer stepped it up at the right time.

After an ace for game point, Monaco double faulted for deuce. Then, with a forehand winner, Federer had his second break point opportunity of the game. When Monaco’s forehand landed long, Federer went up 5-4.

With Federer serving for the match, Monaco continued to resist. Finally, with a forehand up the line winner, Federer arrived at 40-30. With Monaco’s stroke going out of play, Federer penned his name into the next round.

After the match, MiamiTennisNews asked Federer what made Monaco a difficult adversary considering he’s a clay court specialist “tough was not having played him very often. Then, it being hot, humid and slow conditions. . .this is as slow as it gets out on the hard court. It’s a bit of clay almost except that you can’t slide. All the clay court specialists. . .have adapted very well to the hard courts now these days”.

In addition, Federer cited “I thought he played well in the later stages of the first set and then also in the second. But I was able to come through with a crucial first set, which allowed me to have a bit of sort of winfromtheback sort of feeling. . .I had the one return game which worked well, and was able to serve it out. So it was a good finish for me”.

Qualifier Olivier Rochus upended the 13th seed Mikhail Youzhny 1-6, 6-3, 6-3 and will be Federer’s subsequent challenge in the fourth round. Federer’s record against Rochus is 7-0, their ultimate meeting was two years ago.

This was what Federer had to say about the upcoming battle “He’s coming back from an injury, I think. But he’s played well. I think he’s been in the challenger in Guadeloupe [and won that tournament]. Today, he beat Youzhny, a quality player. . .coming back from a set down. . .it was impressive.

Also, Federer expressed “He’s a good friend of mine. He has amazing touch and feel out on the court, great playing sense, when to play which shot. Even though he’s a small guy, he knows how to use his weapons and his feel. He’s a great tactician. I enjoy playing against him. It’s a different kind of playing style. I’m looking forward to the match”.

Tomas Berdych, the seventh seed, defeated Carlos Berlocq 7-5, 7-6 while Florian Mayer shocked Nicolas Almagro in three sets. The winners will now meet in the fourth round.

On the ATP side, Rafael Nadal, the world number one may battle 2009 finalist Tomas Berdych in the quarterfinals.

With Roger Federer dropping to the number three in the rankings, the Swiss could clash with Nadal in the semifinals.  Moreover, Federer may contend with defending champion Andy Roddick in the quarterfinals.

If the draw plays out according to the seeding, in the bottom half, David Ferrer and Robin Soderling will be slated to meet in the quarterfinals.  However, Juan Martin Del Potro could spoil that face-off.

Also located in the bottom section is the hottest player on tour, world number two Novak Djokovic. The Serb could have a rematch of this year’s Australian Open final in the quarterfinals with Andy Murray.

Whether it’s Del Potro, Ferrer or Soderling in the semifinals, at this stage, Djokovic seems ready to mow over all comers.

Turning to the ladies, Caroline Wozniacki is perhaps hoping to see Na Li in the semifinals in order to avenge her Australian Open loss.

For defending champion Kim Clijsters, it’s all about her shoulder.  In the past, Clijsters has easily taken care of Victoria Azarenka and could collide with her in the quarterfinals.

Francesca Schiavone and Vera Zvonareva are possible semifinal opponents for Clijsters.  Since her rejoining the tour, Clijsters has yet to play Schiavone.  However, Clijsters has a perfect 11-0 record against the Italian.

Clijsters has encountered Zvonareva five times since coming back with the Russian prevailing on three occasions. Overall though, Clijsters has a 7-3 edge in their head to head.

For Clijsters repeating will be completely dependent on how well she has recuperated from her shoulder injury.

Main draw action begins on Tuesday March 22.  A a complete view of the male and female draws is available by clicking here.

Remember, MiamiTennisNews.com will be providing live coverage from the tournament the next two weeks. Join our Facebook Fan page at http://www.facebook.com/MiamiTennisNews and follow us on Twitter under the user name @MiamiTennisNews at http://twitter.com/MiamiTennisNews for the latest news, live scores, and results.

With a sensational stab at a booming serve, Cilic forced a backhand miscue from Soderling to secure a mini-break at 5-3.  After Soderling failed on a crosscourt pass, Cilic was at 6-4.  However, Soderling managed to wipe out both set points.  Later, when Soderling’s backhand down the line landed long, Cilic had his fifth set point.  As a result of Soderling’s return going long, Cilic finally had the set.

Following a love game to start the second set, at 1 all, Cilic sent a forehand out of play to hand Soderling his second break opportunity of the game.  Soderling banked the break when Cilic dumped a backhand into the net.  Subsequent to consolidating with a love hold for 3-1, his next time up, Soderling committed three successive errors to gift Cilic triple break point.  As Soderling’s backhand crosscourt sailed long, the players were knotted at 3 all.  Yet, after having multiple game points, Cilic produced an unforced mistake to give Soderling a break chance.  By anticipating Cilic’s shot, Soderling struck a forehand pass up the line winner to regain the lead at 4-3.  Soderling solidified the break by holding, then broke again at love to push the championship into a final set.

Subsequent to a prompt service game, Soderling got to break point after Cilic’s forehand found the net.  Still, Cilic was able to prevail in that game.  For the next three games, each player cruised.  But, in the sixth game, Cilic began with a double fault.  Later on, Soderling thumped a backhand down the line pass for a winner and arrived at triple break point.  When Cilic flubbed another backhand, Soderling had the break for 4-2.  Once again with a fast hold, Soderling got to 5-2.  Although Cilic held, Soderling serve was impenetrable.  With Cilic bouncing another return long, Soderling had triple match point.  The Swede wrapped up the title with a forehand up the line winner.

Despite being disappointed, Cilic recognized that he had a fantastic week with victories over Tomas Berdych in the quarterfinals and saving match point against Mikhail Youzhny in the semifinals.  Cilic stated “I am looking forward to coming back next year”.

Soderling is also grateful for the great run he has had of late saying “I am happy I won”. Soderling congratulated Cilic on his play because it was a battle particularly “the first set was really played well . . . Keep this up and you’ll have a great year”.  Moreover, Soderling expressed his gratitude to those in his box who stick by him day in and day out “win or loose, you are there . . .thank you”.   Thus far this year, Soderling’s only loss has been in the round of 16 at the Australian Open.

1969 was the year when Rod Laver accomplished the calendar grand slam for the second time.  Laver had done so previously in 1962.  At the Australian Open, Rafael Nadal will attempt to become the first person to hold all four majors simultaneously, although not in the same calendar year.  Like Nadal, Roger Federer has won three majors in a single year on multiple occasions, but never held all four.  With a historic sixteen majors, Federer, the defending champion, will be one of the competitors trying to halt Nadal from revising  the tennis annals.  Indeed, if the Australian Open draw holds up, Nadal’s route to his second title is fraught with red flags.

After seemingly comfortable initial two rounds, Nadal may see Marin Cilic in the round of 16.  Despite disappointing results the remainder of 2010 after a semifinal placement in Melbourne, for Cilic knowing that he’s gone that far at this major can be an inspiration.  Moreover, the only time these two met in 2009, Cilic was the victor. In the quarterfinals, Nadal also has a few pesky potential opponents to look forward to: Mikhail Youzhny, David Ferrer and David Nalbandian.  On any given day, these men can be a real thorn on any individual’s side.

The second part of the top half of the draw has Robin Soderling and Andy Murray as the top seeds.  Either player could clash with Nadal in the semifinals.  Soderling appears to have a favorable trek until the round of 16 where he will possibly collide with Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, the 2007 Australian Open finalist and 2010 semifinalist.  On the other hand, 2010 finalist Murray may get Juan Martin Del Potro, Marcos Baghdatis or Jurgen Melzer.  Del Potro, the 2009 U.S. Open champion, and Baghdatis, the 2006 Australian Open finalist, would be a contest for anyone.  Whether it’s Murray, Soderling or Tsonga in the semis, Nadal will have to his hands occupied in order to reach his second Australian Open final.

To say Federer is hungry for the title is an understatement considering the implications if Nadal prevails. Could Mardy Fish or Sam Querrey trouble the defending champion in the round of 16?  Possibly.  However, with Federer’s four titles out of five his last five tournaments, it’s unlikely anyone will down him early on. Both Gael Monfils and Stanislas Wawrinka have a win over Federer, but are a combined 2-11.  Therefore, it’s inconceivable that either Monfils or Wawrinka will upend Federer in the quarterfinals.  Once again, Andy Roddick may find himself in the position of needing to go through Federer to advance to the semifinals.  Despite Roddick’s 2-20 against Federer, he is the most formidable rival who can actually put a crimp in Federer’s style.

In the semifinals, potential adversaries for Federer include Novak Djokovic and Tomas Berdych.  Federer has an axe to grind with each of them since Djokovic defeated him in the semifinals at the U.S. Open and Berdych in the quarterfinals at Wimbledon last year.  Despite Berdych’s success in 2010, there a sense that he is still mentally frail.  Thus, it would not be astounding if Philipp Kohlschreiber boots him in the second round or if he falls to Richard Gasquet in the third round or is ousted in the fourth round by either Fernando Verdasco or Janko Tipsarevic.

Other than Viktor Troicki in the third round, no other persons comes off as a credible threat to Djokovic.  While Berdych surprised Djokovic in the semifinals at Wimbledon last year, in a quarterfinal match in Melbourne, Djokovic would have the advantage.  With the Davis Cup title last December, Djokovic finished the year on a high note while Berdych fizzled after Wimbledon.  Consequently, a rematch of the 2010 U.S. Open semifinals, Dojokovic versus Federer may be in store.

Will it be Rafa or Roger?  That’s the question on everyone’s mind.  Either way, it will be an Australian Open for the history books.  Federer could continue to pile it on with his seventeenth major while Nadal hoist four consecutive majors.  Can Del Potro or Djokovic sneak in for a second major title in an era dominated by two men or will it be Murray to add his name to the club of major winners?  In two weeks, all will know the response.

No room for dispute, 2010 was a banner year for Rafael Nadal.  The Spaniard captured three majors, regained the world number one ranking and completed the career grand slam.  As such, Nadal’s domination left no ambiguity as to who was the most outstanding player in 2010.  With the year at a close, here’s a snapshot of the stories which caught the headlines this foregone season.

After a slow start, Nadal found his footing on clay with his first calendar title at the Monte-Carlo Masters.  Subsequent to banking titles at the Masters in Rome and Madrid, Nadal culminated his clay campaign with his fifth big prize at Roland Garros.  At Wimbledon, the Spaniard defended his 2008 title to seize his second major at the All England Club.  Finally, at U.S. Open, with troublesome obstacles removed from his half of the draw,  Nadal reached his first final in New York.  Nadal stared down a strong challenge from Novak Djokovic to hoist his first U.S. Open trophy.  With a total of seven titles, Nadal topped his peers in 2010.

For Roger Federer, this year was a mixed bag.  After grabbing his sixteenth major in Australia, Federer had a fourth round loss at the Sony Ericsson Open to Tomas Berdych which sent him into a tailspin.  As defending champion at the French Open, Federer was beaten in the quarterfinals by Robin Soderling which ended an unprecedented streak of twenty-three consecutive semifinals at the majors.  Furthermore, defending champ Federer was ousted in the quarterfinals by Berdych at Wimbledon.  In fact, Federer’s ranking dropped to number three, his lowest since November 2003.  Yet, with his second title of the season at the Cincinnati Masters, Federer seemed again on the right road.  However, Federer failed to take advantage of match points in the U.S. Open semifinals against Djokovic and went down in flames.  After the New York fiasco, Federer resurfaced with a fresh coach, Paul Annacone, and won three of four finals including the ATP World Tour finals where he toppled Nadal.

The Australian Open appeared a turning point for Andy Murray.  Easily handled in the final by Federer, Murray could do nothing right with the racket for a while. Eventually at Wimbledon, Murray advanced to the semifinals only to be disappointed by Nadal.  With the defense of his title at the Rogers Cup, Murray seemed to be back.  But, another setback occurred at the U.S. Open where Murray was stunned in the third round by Stanislas Wawrinka.  In besting Federer in the Shanghai Masters final, Murray looked to be heading for a strong finish.  Yet, at the ATP World Tour Finals, Murray took another  downturn.  This was emblematic of the Scot’s tumultuous year which included a rupture with coach Miles Maclagan, a brief ceding of the world number four spot to Soderling and only two titles.

With solely two titles and a U.S. Open final appearance, Djokovic had a so-so year.  The Serb even ascended to number two for a bit, but finished at number three.  While individual success was sparse, Djokovic led his country to its first Davis Cup title.  Along with countryman Viktor Troicki, Djokovic mounted a brilliant comeback to stop France from a tenth trophy.

For the second consecutive year, Soderling earned a place in the final at Roland Garros.  Last year, by shocking Nadal in the round of 16, Soderling stamped his name into tennis trivia.  This time around though there was no surprise as Nadal exacted sweet revenge.  In the Paris Masters final, Soderling vanquished Gael Monfils for his biggest career title.  A few weeks later, Soderling announced that coach Magnus Norman and he were splitting up because the former wanted to dedicate more time to his family.  Thus, it will be interesting to see how Soderling will fare without the man who spearheaded his rise.

Despite no titles, 2010 was a breakthrough season for Berdych.  After a finalist showing at the Sony Ericsson Open, Berdych made it to the semifinals at Roland Garros.  Moreover, Berdych booked his first slot in the final of a major at Wimbledon.  Consequently feeling the weight of expectation, Berdych crashed in the first round at the U.S. Open and had a mediocre finish to his season.  With his highest career ranking at number six, Berdych will have to prove in 2011 that he was not a flash in the pants but the real deal.

At 28, David Ferrer, a former world number four, shot up from a ranking of 17 at season’s start to number 7 at year’s end.  The hardworking Spaniard claimed two titles and participated in the year ending championships in London.  Although compatriot Fernando Verdasco also terminated the season with two titles and as the world number nine, he missed out on the final dance.  Furthermore, unlike 2009, Verdasco performed poorly at the majors with a single quarterfinal showing at the U.S. Open.

With his triumph at the Sony Ericsson Open, Andy Roddick seemed to put all the elements together for a push to another final at a major.  But Roddick hit a low following a gut wrenching loss to Yen-Hsun Lu ranked 82nd in the Wimbledon round of 16.  Later, Roddick had an early departure in Washington.  As a result, for the first time since 1973, no American male was ranked in the top ten in singles.  Shortly thereafter, tests revealed Roddick was on the tail end of a bout of mononucleosis.  At the ATP World Tour Finals, Roddick was a shell of what he had been when the season began.

Several other veterans stood up in 2010.  Mikhail Youzhny demonstrated he still had game at the age of 28 with two titles.  The Russian was a quarterfinalist at Roland Garros, a semifinalist at the U.S. Open and ended the year as the world number ten.  At 29, Jurgen Melzer reached his first career major semifinal at Roland Garros and had his best ranking at eleven.  Besides, Melzer and Philipp Petzschener won their first doubles major at Wimbledon.  Following hip surgery, with a title at the Legg Mason Classic, David Nalbandian proved once again he was a force.  Michael Llodra equaled his career high ranking of 23 and was essential to France’s run to the final of the Davis Cup.  In the final at Indian Wells, 31 year old Ivan Ljubicic upended Roddick for his tenth and loftiest career prize.

As a result of a wrist injury in the early months, Juan Martin Del Potro went from a potent threat to Nadal and Federer to being unable to defend his U.S. Open title.  After the Australian Open, Del Potro had surgery and needed months to recuperate.  Del Potro returned in October and played just two tournaments with prompt exits.  Thus, Del Potro the world number four last year finds his ranking in the cellar at 258 this month.

At Wimbledon, John Isner and Nicolas Mahut made history with the longest match ever.  In a first round match lasting 11 hours and 5 minutes over two days, Isner emerged as the winner edging Mahut 70-68 in the fifth set.  However, the next round, Isner was drained and went away in straight sets.

Carlos Moya, the 1998 French Open champion and former world number one, succumbed to age and a body which would not cooperate despite his desire to continue.  This November, Moya retired at 34 after winning twenty titles.

In doubles, Mike and Bob Bryan dominated with an unblemished record in finals at 11 including the Australian and U. S. Open titles.  Also, the two became the winningest team in doubles surpassing the previous mark set by Todd Woodbridge and Mark Woodforde at 61. In addition, the Bryan brothers finished at number one ahead of Daniel Nestor and Nenad Zimonjic.  Despite seven titles, amongst them the French Open and the ATP World Tour Finals, Zimonjic and Nestor decided to part ways at season’s end.

In conclusion, with the 2011 season just around the corner, there are a horde of interesting questions on fanatics’ mind.  Can Nadal accomplish the calendar grand slam?  Will Federer win another major or will 16 be all he wrote?  Moreover, can Federer wrestle the number one ranking from his nemesis?  Will Murray terminate the British drought at the majors?  Who will be the breakout star of this new season ?  Will Del Potro be healthy again and climb back to where he was in 2009?  With the Australian Open less than three weeks away, some of these answers will be come soon enough.