[cmchelsea]

I know we're still over a month away from the AO, but I already can't wait. It's been a long time that I've looked forward to a slam as much as this one, and that's mainly because of the depth we'll see on display. We'll have a fine mix of Big 3, guys like Med, Thiem, Tsitsi, Zverev etc on the cusp of winning a slam, maybe this year and hopefully Murray and delpo returning to near their best again.

Providing everyone's fit the field will look like this..

Seeds 1-8 - Djokovic, Federer, Nadal, Thiem, Zverev, Tsitsi, Medvedev

Seeds 9-16 - Wawrinka, Shapovalov, Diego, RBA Kei etc

seeds 17-24 - Karen, De Minaur, Dimitrov, FAA, Rublev etc

Seeds 25-32 - Kyrgios, Raonic, Basilashvili, Tsonga etc

Unseeded - Murray, Delpo, Cilic, Verdasco, Hurkacz, Opelka, Struff, Gasquet, Edmund, Sinner all are capable of knocking out any seed outside the top 8, this is just from the top of my head, there's probably guys I've failed to mention.

Seriously if the draw gods are looking down on us we could end up with matches like Murray/Kyrgios, Karen/Delpo and many great matchups as early as R1. Seriously can't wait.

Bring it the fuck on i say.

 

[chilazon]

R1 is too early for either of those matchups.

 

[Johnny Groove]

Well I'm not looking past the Maldives vacation right now but maybe in a week or so we can get back to training

Gonna be a great AO and 2020 season imo. Top guys are still favorite, but the gulf between the GOATs and the rest is as small as I can remember in 15 yrs

 

[fenway4]

Stacked??? Sorry, but I can't think of a whole lot of male players that I'd consider stacked.

 

[Manuromero90]

I think tennis its having some great period as a whole, we should value it while it last and not complain about Federer, Nole and Nadal winning. Next season has the chance of being one of the best with all the talent from top to bottom of the ranks.

 

[guitarra]

Strong - yes.
But most stacked ever - that's an exaggeration methinks.

 

[Lukasgigler]

Keri is most likely not playing the AO. His healing process is stuttering

 

[TheLastJedi]

Big names, competitive, yes.
But Big3 are way past their prime, and young generations yet to show their peak level.

 

[Bella&Mirka]

With one reasonably okay player in the Desert Gen of 1990-97?? No way.

 

[Supercell]

Word ever is used way too often here but it looks really strong on paper. The more important thing is that they are strong (healthy and in-form) come the AO and produce many high-level matches.

 

[Yuma]

The great thing is that the gap between seeded players has narrowed, and we also have lots of dangerous players outside the seedings as well. No longer does #1, #2 and #3 feel comfortably ahead of #6, #7 and #8, compared to a lot of times in the past 10 years.

Holding my breath on the field though... there is more than enough time for injuries to happen before AO and if often does happen to somebody. Lets hope it won't be the case.Too many times in the past 4-5 years especially we have been missing one of the very top players through injuries. Maybe we have one more chance in 2020 to see them all, for the most part, back to full fitness and playing good tennis.

 

[Phillo]

Big names, competitive, yes.
But Big3 are way past their prime, and young generations yet to show their peak level.

Straight sets in QF/SF/F w/ no more than 8 games surrendered in each match for Novak in AO19, who, if in form, def. not "past any prime".

 

[Moozza]

Murray back on the big stage. Can’t wait for this one.

Let’s go!

 

[TheLastJedi]

Straight sets in QF/SF/F w/ no more than 8 games surrendered in each match for Novak in AO19, who, if in form def. not "past any prime".

If you believe Djoker is still in his prime. Fine with me.

 

[Zverevdadiii]

Big names, competitive, yes.
But Big3 are way past their prime, and young generations yet to show their peak level.

not even close

 

[Kowchi]

I predict we will get match of the year as early as AO.

Everyone is going to be fresh and hungry. I really want Djokovic and Nadal to bow out so we can get some fresh competition. I have a good feeling about Tsitsipas if he plays his cards right. His game is perfectly suited to the AO surface. Just last year he had to run into an in form Nadal.

Medvedev should be hungry as well and his game should match up to Indian Wells surface.

My only request is Federer is somehow super rested and ready for another final.

 

[CaribbeanFan01]

I predict we will get match of the year as early as AO.

Everyone is going to be fresh and hungry. I really want Djokovic and Nadal to bow out so we can get some fresh competition. I have a good feeling about Tsitsipas if he plays his cards right. His game is perfectly suited to the AO surface. Just last year he had to run into an in form Nadal.

Medvedev should be hungry as well and his game should match up to Indian Wells surface.

My only request is Federer is somehow super rested and ready for another final.

So Federer reaching the final is fresh competition....

 

[bighax]

Don't think so TBH.

Seeds 1-8 - Djokovic, Federer, Nadal, Thiem, Zverev, Tsitsi, Medvedev

Djoko, Fed, Nadal can be expected to do well (but likely neither will be peaking). The others are still a question mark. Tsi and Med - it was their first season of being on top; Thiem has traditionally been inconsistent (to say the least); and Zverev is useless at slams.

Seeds 9-16 - Wawrinka, Shapovalov, Diego, RBA Kei etc

I doubt Waw will produce his famous "I've been sucking all year but I'm peaking out of nowhere" performance here. Shapovalov can't be relied upon - he will shoot himself down early on. Diego and Kei have too much flaws in their games. RBA could be dangerous if he keeps his form up.

seeds 17-24 - Karen, De Minaur, Dimitrov, FAA, Rublev etc

Dimitrov should do some damage (only to fold in the SF / F), the others I don't think so.

Seeds 25-32 - Kyrgios, Raonic, Basilashvili, Tsonga etc

Nick is the only one who could theorethically trouble the top players - but rumours say he only does that during a full moon. Tsonga, Rao are past it. Basilashvili can bash well for a match, only to fold next round.

Unseeded - Murray, Delpo, Cilic, Verdasco, Hurkacz, Opelka, Struff, Gasquet, Edmund, Sinner all are capable of knocking out any seed outside the top 8, this is just from the top of my head, there's probably guys I've failed to mention.

Delpo, Cilic have high peak but I don't see them doing much. They haven't shown it for some time. Andy is a ? due to the injury. Verdasco, Struff, Opelka, Gasquet, Edmund...no. Sinner I know nothing about.

In summary: Big 3 are vulnerable but no one can knock them off their thrones anyway. Gen U keeps sucking, NG is too new, and the second tier of Big 3 generation (say, Tsonga - who would be feared just a few years ago) just aren't that good anymore. IMO, the quality of this AO will depend on whether Tsitsipas and Medvedev don't fall of a cliff, and perhaps Dimitrov. Big 3 also has to keep up their level for any of this to matter.

 

[NADALalot]

Despite having ankle surgery and being unable to conduct full training sessions, Rafa won 18 sets in a row at 2019 AO, and absolutely annihilated Tsitsipas in the SF.
I doubt 2020 will be much different, other than Rafa being WAY FITTER, as the young stars are still strictly suited to best-of-3-sets.

 

[guitarra]

I predict we will get match of the year as early as AO.

One never knows with these matches of the year. That requires two top players to peak at the same time in the later stage of a slam. But yeah, surprisingly enough AO was often the event when matches of the year took place. That probably has something to do with the freshness. On the other hand by the time USO is around the majority of the players are usually pretty fatigued by the entire season so that we rarely get the matches of the year during that event.