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.

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.

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.

At love, Federer broke to go ahead 4-3. Federer sustained the cushion all the way through to seal the first set.

His first time out serving in the second set, Federer stared at break point in the second game. Yet, the world number three wiped that out in a hurry. Subsequently, Federer obtained the break in the third game.

Thereafter, Federer was supreme breaking Stepanek one last time as he served to extend the match.

Federer has been a fixture on the tour for over a decade. It seems every time he steps on court there’s another record he is equalizing or shattering. With the victory this afternoon, Federer knotted Pete Sampras with 762 wins.

Federer was asked his thoughts on this new feat “It’s nice tying Pete, but he could have played for many more years. He could still win some matches on tour now if he wanted to. . . It’s a funny stat, but it shows how long I have been around already, how much I’ve won, all around the world and all the different surfaces. . . over 10, 12 solid seasons. I’ve never missed big chunks of seasons. That’s how you end up with so many wins, I guess.”

Rafael Nadal and Federer are on the same half of the draw. Although it’s a few rounds away, MiamiTennisNews.com wanted to know: Is it strange to possibly clash with Nadal in the semifinals as opposed to a final? Federer responded “It’s not something that’s for the very first time. That’s how it is when someone is ranked not in the top 2. That can happen. It’s still so far away that you don’t really concentrate on playing him quite yet”.

In addition, Federer iterated “the top four. . .five guys have been so good. . .that it [doesn’t] matter almost if you’re 1, 2, 3, or 4, you [know] that the semifinal opponent, if all the seeds are coming through, is going to be extremely tough. That doesn’t change with Rafa. It’s just that maybe for the fans it’s unusual to see us so close or closer in the draw. . . I love to play against him, so we’ll see how it goes.”

Next up for Federer is Juan Monaco. The Argentine edged Sergiy Stakhovsky 6-4, 5-7, 6-4.

Mikhail Youzhny thrashed Yen-Hsun Lu 6-0, 6-1. Last year it was Novak Djokovic, this time around, Olivier Rochus stunned Marcos Baghdatis in three sets to advance to the third round and face Youzhny.

Jo-Wilfried Tsonga needed three sets to pull through against Teymuraz Gabashvili. In the subsequent round, Tsonga will clash with Alexandr Dolgopolov which will be another tight battle.

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.

It’s been smooth sailing for Nadal in getting through to the round of 16.  The world number one’s excellent form will come in handy as he faces 2010 semifinalist Marin Cilic.  After two easy matches, Cilic edged out John Isner 9-7 in the fifth to earn a crack at Nadal.

After a thrilling first round five setter against Lleyton Hewitt, David Nalbandian called it quit in the second round, four games away from being handed a straight set loss.  Mikhail Youzhny also departed earlier than expected.  The tenth seed was sent packing in the third round by Milos Raonic.  The 20 year old Canadian qualifier with the humongous serve also ousted Michael Llodra, the 22nd seed in the second round.  Next up for Raonic will be David Ferrer who is a relentless competitor.  Ferrer’s experience may prove too much for the youngster.  Thus, a Ferrer-Nadal quarterfinal showdown is the likely scenario.

Without much fuss, both Robyn Soderling and Andy Murray have been taking care of business.  Soderling’s fourth round match will be against Alexandr Dolgopolov.  The Ukrainian upset 13th seed Jo-Wilfried Tsonga in the third round.  Following an impressive second round match versus Juan Martin Del Potro, Marcos Baghdatis was forced to retire down two sets to one with a hand injury in his third round match against Jurgen Melzer.  As such, Murray will battle Melzer for a quarterfinal berth.

After letting a two set to none advantage evaporate, Federer came back in the fifth set to vanquish Gilles Simon in the second round.  Interestingly, it was Federer’s first victory over the Frenchman in their three meetings.  With Americans Mardy Fish and Sam Querrey on that side of the draw going out prematurely, Federer will play Tommy Robredo in the round of 16.  Despite a 9-0 mark versus Robredo, Federer will have to keep his eye on the ball if he plans to stick around.

Federer’s countryman, Stanislas Wawrinka is having a sensational tournament.  Wawrinka is for the first time in his second week at the Australian Open.  Wawrinka dispatched all his rivals in three sets including Gael Monfils in the third round.  On the other hand, Andy Roddick, the last American standing, after routine wins the initial two rounds had a spot of bother in his third round encounter.  Thus, Roddick may have his hands well occupied with Wawrinka in the fourth round.

Considering the caliber of the opponents Philipp Kohlschreiber in the second round and Richard Gasquet the third round, Tomas Berdych has fared well to reach the round of 16.  The sixth seed will now have to get through Fernando Verdasco, the 2009 semifinalist, in order to move on to his first quarterfinal in Melbourne.  Verdasco himself had a lucky five set escape in the second round versus Janko Tipsarevic.

Novak Djokovic, the 2008 champion, should be well rested for his round of 16 match since Viktor Troicki retired in the third round after only one set.  Moreover, with Nicolas Almagro as the opposition, it’s a mere formality that Djokovic will advance to the quarterfinals.

With Nadal and Federer still alive, the question becomes who can stop them from obtaining another major.  Certainly, Murray and Soderling are proving so far that they could be up to that task.  In a couple of days, it will be known whether Nadal will complete the “Rafa Slam” with four consecutive majors or Federer pocket his 17th major.  Quarterfinal action gets underway in a few hours.

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.

The initial week at the U.S. Open is complete and the men’s field has been scaled down to sixteen players.  Two names missing from the roll call are Andy Roddick and Andy Murray.  These two touted favorites were upset early on. Here’s a summary of the past seven days and an analysis of what could unfold the next few rounds.

While Rafael Nadal barely passed his pre-tournament exams in Toronto and Cincinnati, in his first three matches at the Open, the Spaniard gets an A plus.  Despite being tested, with a beefed up first serve to the tune of 130 miles per hour at times, Nadal has dispatched each adversary in three sets.  In the fourth round, Nadal will face compatriot Feliciano Lopez.  With Nadal’s 5-2 record against his fellow citizen, Lopez is likely the subsequent sacrificial lamb.

After surviving a five set tussle in the first round against Fabio Fognini ranked 86th, Fernando Verdasco is in the round of 16 and will take on David Ferrer, the tenth seed.  Although Verdasco has a 6-4 edge in their encounters, Ferrer prevailed at their last meeting on clay and at their only battle on hardcourt in 2004.  David Nalbandian, one of the few players who could have troubled Nadal, was easily given his marching orders by Verdasco in the third round.

Also in the top section of the draw, seventh seed Tomas Berdych was surprised in the first round by Michael Llodra.  However, the jaw dropper came today with  Murray, the 2008 finalist and fourth seed, dismissed by Stanislas Wawrinka in the third round. The Swiss advanced for the third occasion to the fourth round in New York.   Wawrinka will meet Sam Querrey for a spot in the quarterfinals.  Consequently, for Querrey, this is the ideal scenario to book his maiden quarterfinal berth at a major.

The Spaniards have ruled and Tommy Robredo made sure to partake in the round of 16 festivities. With John Isner beaten by Mikhail Youzhny in the third round, Robredo and the Russian will fight for a place in the quarterfinals.

Another American  propelled into the limelight this week was eighteen year old Ryan Harrison.  After coming through three rounds of qualifying, Harrison stunned Ivan Ljubicic, the fifteenth seed, in the first round.  Furthermore, Harrison was one point from a win in a fifth set tiebreaker in the second round.  Harrison became the first American teen to vanquish a top twenty player at a major since Roddick in 2001 also at this event.

With Murray done and dusted, Verdasco, Lopez, Ferrer, Wawrinka, Querrey, Robredo and Youzhny are the survivors in the top half of the draw.  Nadal has a record of 48 victories and 9 defeats against the guys left .  Thus, one can effectively write Nadal’s name on the final’s program.  As the axiom says, “one never knows for whom he works”.

Following a routine debut match, Roddick was toppled in the second round by Janko Tipsarevic.  As such, Roddick’s quest for a second major will be delayed another year.  With Roddick taking leave, a formidable hindrance to Novak Djokovic was removed in the bottom half of the draw.

After a near exit in the first round against Victor Troicki, Djokovic cleaned up his act to reach the fourth round against Mardy Fish.  The American had a strange five set, first round match whereby he lost one game in the three sets he carried.  In the third round, Fish escaped again, wrapping up the win in five sets against veteran Arnaud Clement who shocked Marcos Baghdatis in the first round.  Fish will be in search of his initial victory against Djokovic in five attempts.  With the wave Fish has been riding recently, it’s a feasible goal.

In the second round, sixth seed Nikolay Davydenko fell to Richard Gasquet. With his most successful showing at a major since 2008, Gasquet is now into the fourth round and will collide with fellow Frenchman Gael Monfils.  In contrast to Monfils whose play has had many highs as well as lows, Gasquet bounced his adversaries in three sets.  Hence, if Gasquet continues to be consistent, he has an excellent shot at making the quarterfinals.

In the same section, Marin Cilic, the eleventh seed, ran into Kei Nishikori in the second round.  Cilic was worn out by his opponent and the heat.  Yet, an injured Nishikori retired the subsequent round giving Albert Montanes safe passage.

Robin Soderling progressed to the fourth round after getting through the first round in five sets.  Since then, Soderling has been flawless and faces Montanes in the fourth round.  Thus, for Soderling, a quarterfinal meeting with Roger Federer appears almost certain.

Compared to Nadal, Federer has not been pushed and has readily reached the round of 16.  Federer will confront Jurgen Melzer whom he knocked out in their sole career meeting at Wimbledon two months ago.  For the five time champion, the real work will start with Soderling his likely quarterfinal counterpart.

With Roddick and Murray gone, it’s time to recalibrate.  In the top half of the draw, Nadal appears to be holding all the aces and seems a shoo-in for his first final in the Big Apple.  The singular brainteaser is who will be on the other side of the net on that day.  If Federer maintains the form he has demonstrated of late, in spite of the difficulties which Soderling or Djokovic could present in the quarterfinals or semifinals respectively, he should solve them.  In that case, there will be a Nadal-Federer final with the latter having a high chance of bagging his seventeenth major.  To the contrary, Soderling, Djokovic or Fish will be the one standing between Nadal and the career grand slam.  Under those circumstances, the Spaniard would be sitting pretty and hoisting his first U.S. Open trophy.

The French are known for their flare and Nicolas Mahut is undoubtedly part of the establishment.  In the second round of qualifying, Mahut outlasted his opponent 24-22 in the third set to advance.  Then, Mahut went five sets to make it into the main draw. In the first round of the main draw, Mahut faced John Isner. On Tuesday, the match was interrupted due to darkness after the two split four sets.  When the players returned on Wednesday, the night ended with a 59-59 draw in the fifth. Even the scoreboard was exhausted, crashing when the score got to 40+.  On Thursday, the match concluded when Isner hit two consecutive winners to break Mahut and grab a 70-68 victory.

The encounter which lasted 11 hours and 5 minutes, shattered all previous records and redefined the meaning of marathon match. The fifth set alone spanned 8 hours and 11 minutes.  However, despite a full day’s rest, Isner could not recuperate.  The next round, Thiemo De Bakker, who won his prior round 16-14, dismissed a depleted Isner in just 1hour 14 minutes.  For Isner, the physical consequences may reverberate for months.

While defending champion Roger Federer did not go to such extremes, it was a struggle to survive nevertheless.  Federer was nearly a spectator as 60th ranked Alejandro Falla forced Federer to climb out of a two sets to love deficit, even serving for the match.  With a bit of “luck” as Federer put it, he moved on.  The Swiss’ second round was also tough as qualifier Ilijac Bozoljac prevailed in the second set tiebreaker. Federer carried the match by capturing the fourth set tiebreaker.  The third round, Federer played close to flawlessly against Arnaud Clement.

Rafael Nadal also willed himself to advance.  After a routine initial round, Nadal required five sets the second and third round against Robin Haase and Philipp Petzschener respectively.  More importantly, Nadal had a flare up of his niggling knee problem and was treated for elbow issue.

Following a five setter with Oliver Rochus, Novak Djokovic thumped his next opponents Taylor Dent and Albert Montanes in the subsequent rounds.  British hopeful Andy Murray has been efficient, booting his counterparts in straight sets.  Even the Queen’s first appearance at Wimbledon since 1977 did not distract her subject as Murray dispatched Jarkko Nieminen in the second round.

After an uncomplicated primary round, Andy Roddick was rattled a bit by Michael Llodra and Philipp Kohlschreiber the next rounds, pushed to four sets by each.  Roddick has friendly company into the second week as Sam Querrey secured a fourth round berth after a five set tussle with Xavier Malisse.

Unsurprisingly, his second tournament back from injury, Nikolay Davydenko fell in the second round.  Shocking though was Fernando Verdasco, the 8th seed, Marin Cilic, the 11th seed, Marcos Baghdatis, the 24th seed, and Stanislas Wawrinka, the 20th seed, all exiting their first day out.

Robin Soderling, the 6th seed, has been on cue this week.  The Swede has sailed through his matches, duration under two hours.  His first event since his back injury, Jo-Wilfried Tsonga’s performance has been mixed.  In the second round, Tsonga went five sets after having a two sets to none lead against Alexandr Dolgopolov.  Yet, the following round, Tsonga cruised against qualifier Tobias Kamke.

This tournament has seen a revival of the French veterans.  Paul-Henri Mathieu knocked out 13th seed Mikhail Youzhny and De Bakker in the second and third round respectively to earn a spot in the final 16 at a major for the first time since 2008.  Also, Julien Benneteau is into the second week after surviving two five set matches.

Conversely, Gael Monfils had his fortnight cut short by Lleyton Hewitt in the third round.  Monfils was no match for Hewitt who recently beat Federer in Halle. The Aussie is grooving on grass despite two hip surgeries.

After coasting for two matches, Tomas Berdych had to shake off Denis Istomin in five sets in the third round.  In the round of 16, Berdych could have faced Victor Hanescu, but the Romanian retired after a bizarre incident.

In front two sets to none, Hanescu was forced to a fifth set by Daniel Brands.  Irked that play was not stopped since in his opinion it was too dark, Hanescu got irritated.  A series of purposeful foot fault followed.  Then, the crowd got under Hanescu’s skin resulting in him spitting in its direction.  After being cited for a code violation, Hanescu retired stating a thigh injury.  Hanescu has been sanctioned with a substantial fine for “unsportsmanlike conduct” and the episode is still under review.  Brands, who ousted Davydenko, is the beneficiary as the 22 year old reached his first round of 16 at a major.

Taiwanese Yen-Hsun Lu also caught a break with Cilic sent out early.  The 27 year old is likewise in his maiden fourth round at a major. Tenacious David Ferrer fought his way into the second week.  Ferrer regrouped after squandering a two sets to love advantage against Jeremy Chardy in the third round.  Jurgen Melzer equally dealt with adversity to arrive to the fourth round.  In the second round, Melzer toppled Victor Troicki in five sets and came back after dropping the first set to Feliciano Lopez in the third round.

On Monday round of 16 play begins with Federer and Melzer opening the proceedings on Centre Court.  Despite their decade on tour, astonishingly, the two have never met on court.  This has been a breakthrough year for Melzer, the world number 16 and 2010 French Open semifinalist.  A lefty like Falla, but with more confidence, Federer will need to be at his best, particularly on the backhand wing, if he plans to remain in the hunt for  a record seventh title.

Another first meeting is Berdych and Brands battling for a quarterfinal spot.  As a semifinalist at the French, Berdych should have no trouble moving on to his initial Wimbledon quarterfinal where he could see Melzer or Federer.

Nadal faces Mathieu for the tenth time and has a perfect record against the Frenchman.  Therefore, the Spaniard is unlikely to fall.  Similarly, Soderling encounters Ferrer whom he has vanquished five out of seven times.  As such, Soderling could clash with Nadal in the quarterfinals.  With the way Soderling has been striking the ball, the Swede may prove an unsolvable puzzle for the world number one.

Deadlock in their head to head at 3 a piece, Tsonga and Benneteau battle for a quarterfinal berth while Murray takes on Querrey.  Although Murray has won their three prior matches, their last meeting was in October 2008 and Murray has not been up to snuff since the Australian Open.  Conversely, Querrey captured the warm-up title at Queen’s Club. Consequently, the American could provide the upset and reach his first quarterfinal at a major, possibly the semifinals with Tsonga or Benneteau as his potential quarterfinal opponent.

Already twice this year, Roddick has given Lu his marching papers.  So, it’s almost a given that Roddick will claim the quarterfinal slot.  However, the same cannot be said  for Djokovic in Hewitt’s case.  Although Djokovic has a 3-1 record versus Hewitt, the two have avoided meeting the last two years.  With Djokovic service woes, Hewitt has the door ajar to form part of the last eight.

It’s unfathomable that the excitement of this last week can ever be replicated moving into the second week.  Many questions have been raised with the performances of Federer and Nadal in the primary rounds.  For these two men who have had a lock on Wimbledon since 2003, the outsiders, Roddick, Soderling and Murray may have found a way in.