Dark Horses for FO

Tammo

Banned
#1 Isner, if you can even call him a DH. Clearly has shown that clay is his best surface.

#2 Monaco, been playing really good tennis from the end of last year onward.

#3 Bellucci- maybe, but really up and down tennis player

#4 Andujar- recently won a touney on the clay.


Pleas make any more suggestions.
 

tacou

G.O.A.T.
depends what you consider a Dark Horse. Andujar and Bellucci combined sitll have 0.0% winning the FO.

Monaco is playing pretty good but has a 7-8 record at FO which is pretty bad for him, reaching the 4th round once.

Isner is a good bet, especially since he will have a top16 seed. I'd love to see John make the quarters at the FO. Heads would roll.
 

MichaelNadal

Bionic Poster
depends what you consider a Dark Horse. Andujar and Bellucci combined sitll have 0.0% winning the FO.

Monaco is playing pretty good but has a 7-8 record at FO which is pretty bad for him, reaching the 4th round once.

Isner is a good bet, especially since he will have a top16 seed. I'd love to see John make the quarters at the FO. Heads would roll.

Pretty much my thoughts. As long as Djokodal are around, there's no such thing as a dark horse.
 

boredone3456

G.O.A.T.
The only real "dark horse" is maybe Isner. He was Stellar in DC on clay and made the finals of houston. Has beaten big names on clay and non clay recently and actually seems to be able to grind on clay.

Monaco has been playing well but I seriously do not know if he can beat a big name. His results lately have been helped by others getting upset, although he did beat Isner before retiring in MC.

Belluci is not a threat...beating Ferrer does not make him one and I will not be calling him one just for that.

Andujar...well...talented but again..will probably not be a threat at the French unless he gets a miracle draw and upsets.

I would call Wawrinka and Verdasco threats before Belluci and even Andujar.
 

Hood_Man

G.O.A.T.
I'm not really sure what a dark horse is these days, anyone who isn't in the top 3, maybe 4?

I remember how relatively invisible even Federer felt during last years tournament until the semis, with all the coverage being on Djokovic and Nadal.

Isner for me, I'll jump on the hype train.
 

Walenty

Professional
I was thinking of making this same thread today--I need to get spend some time away from this forum....
 

Walenty

Professional
But yeah considering his current condition I would say Soderling is one (yes, yes I know) if he manages to recuperate in time. Just imagine the misfortune of the top 8er drawing him in the 2nd/3rd round. :)
 

li0scc0

Hall of Fame
Nobody has a chance of winning the French Open other than Nadal, Federer, and Djokovic.
Isner could make the semifinals, as could Ferrer or Murray.

Nobody else stands a shot of making the finals, let alone winning.
 

TTMR

Hall of Fame
There are no dark horses in tennis anymore, the powers that be have ensured that. Dark horses don't make for good ratings. The same people winning slam after slam and tournament after tournament is the way of the present and the future, and we should all bask in this 'golden era' we were given.
 

Shangri La

Hall of Fame
Nadal.

Plagued by knee problems and lack of practice, Nadal's outlook at FO is really concerning. In current form he probably has next to zero chance to win. But Nadal is the toughest and most talented man the sport has ever seen and you can never count him out. Vamos!
 
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Shaolin

Talk Tennis Guru
There are no dark horses in tennis anymore, the powers that be have ensured that. Dark horses don't make for good ratings. The same people winning slam after slam and tournament after tournament is the way of the present and the future, and we should all bask in this 'golden era' we were given.


This exactly^^ It's sad but there are only 3 players capable of winning slams anymore. Plus maybe Murray or Delpo but that's a big maybe. I doubt Delpo does it again. I'm thankful I got to see tennis in the 90s and early 00s when there was actually some question as to who would win.
 

veroniquem

Bionic Poster
Favorites: Nadal, Federer, Djokovic
Dark horses: Murray, Berdych, Del Potro
Outsiders: Almagro, Bellucci, Dolgopolov
 

stringertom

Bionic Poster
IMO, a dark horse would have to be a first-time major winner or, in Delpo's case, someone on the injury rebound. That being said, I doubt the FO will see a dark horse winner for the next few years. If the RG ball is as fast as last year's version, the winner will be one of the trivalry. If it is altered to slowness, the winner will be Djok or Ralph.

Dark horses to go deep into the second week: Issie, Nishi, JWT.
 

tank_job

Banned
QFT. The last genuine "dark horse" who actually went on to win was Delpo in USO '09 !
If I really had to pick one name as the dark horse for FO........look at my sig :)

Look, you only have to go back 3 years to find an example where someone outside of the big 3 won a slam. Their dominance isn't that complete. If it was, we would have to go back over a decade in time to find some non-big-3 slam winner, but we only have to go back 3 years.
 

sbengte

G.O.A.T.
Look, you only have to go back 3 years to find an example where someone outside of the big 3 won a slam. Their dominance isn't that complete. If it was, we would have to go back over a decade in time to find some non-big-3 slam winner, but we only have to go back 3 years.

Note also that Delpo '09 is the only one outside of the big three to win a slam in the last 7 years ! That should give a perspective of the kind of domination by these three. Even Delpo's win was more of a blip I must say, Federer had that match on his racquet and had he closed out the second set, there would be no exception to this rule for 7 years and counting.
Of course it is foolish to say that this will continue to be so and sooner or later someone outside the top three will bag one. Hope it happens this year.
 

cc0509

Talk Tennis Guru
Anybody who is not Nadal or Djokovic with a slight possibility of Federer is a dark horse to win the FO this year.
 
D

Deleted member 21996

Guest
i'm sorry but isnt a DH someone who can cause some kind of damage at least?

Monaco can only cause damage to the eyes of the viewers atching his matches with his Pusher style and the Nadal derriere licking!!!! by the time he faces a real player, he will fold like a wuss he is. his 14th ranking is completely farcical and another nail in the coffin of Strong era theorists!



Anduwhat?? Belluwho??

FFS.. Andujar won the Casablanca 250 featuring the worlds fatest tennis player as the home hero...

Isner, i can see reaching as far as 1\2 finals, but not a DH...

DH in my view could very well be JMDP, or Tsonga.. guys who can blast their ways thru a entire field out of the blue (or red in this case) as flawlessly as they could lose round 2 to some qualifying lucky loser...

ps: Oddly enough those two are among my favourites...
 

Clay lover

Legend
JMDP. He can blast everyone off court even on clay. Isner is way too sloooooooooooooow to get through the entire field of clay courters. Clay courters without firepower don't stand a chance against Djokadal.
 
..
Anduwhat?? Belluwho?? ...
Good ones! I found all the original spellings on ancestry dot calm. Pablo Andwhojar? Thomaz Bellwhocci?

Andy Mwhorray? John Whichner? Mardy Which? Jo Whatfried Wronga? David Ferrwhere? What Monaco? What Martin Del Whotro? Robin Whaterling? Richard Gasqwhy? Gilles Saywhat? Nicolas Almagrwho?
 

svijk

Semi-Pro
DHs can be named only after the clay tournaments before the FO are over.....maybe by then we won't be talking about Isner
 

Bobby Jr

G.O.A.T.
Isner isn't a dark horse, especially at the French Open. His limited movement is highlighted on clay. Regardless he simply doesn't have the goods otherwise to be considered a top contender. The bulk of players who based their games around huge serves over the years have been little more than French Open mugs - Sampras, Becker, Ivanisevic, Roddick...
 
Almagro I think
Yes. Almagro is definitely a dark horse. I just hope he isn't too exhausted going into the FO from playing the tournament in Nice.

Another dark horse is Juan Monaco. Made a deep run at the Miami Masters on hard courts. If his ankle is fully healed after twisting it in Monte Carlo, he could do really well. He's hitting a very clean ball this season.
 

Bobby Jr

G.O.A.T.
I disagree on Almagro. I'd put Berdych way ahead of him.

People seem to have 2 minute memories of long-term ability. Almagro doesn't have it. Even when he seems to be playing amazingly his limit for consecutive wins seems to be about 4 matches once you get to any 500 or higher level tournament.
 

Evan77

Banned
no dark horses, Djokovic, Nadal and Federer in semis (and yeah, we need some loser AKA as 'a dark horse' to join in just to get spanked) ... too bad, too sad .. same old stuff ...
 

papertank

Hall of Fame
Frankly, it would be a huge shock if anyone but Nadal or Djokovic won the FO. So that means I would include Federer, Ferrer, Almagro and other great clay courters as dark horses, as well as people like Isner, Monaco and Raonic.
 

Shaolin

Talk Tennis Guru
no dark horses, Djokovic, Nadal and Federer in semis (and yeah, we need some loser AKA as 'a dark horse' to join in just to get spanked) ... too bad, too sad .. same old stuff ...


That loser is a guy who worked his ass off to play professionally a sport you sit on the couch watching, never to win one ATP point if you tried your entire life.
 

kishnabe

Talk Tennis Guru
Andreas Seppi( winning Belgrade with a weak draw, and beating a top form Wawrinka)

Stanislas Wawrinka.....PLayed some good dirt during South America.....carried some of the form into Euro Clay Season.

Nicolas Almagro......If he feels like reaching a QTR.

Verdasco.....for saving Tennis during Madrid.

Ferrer.....Even surpassing his best CC tennis form last year.....just mentally faded against Dafa......will do well this time.

Soderling...FO2013 Dark Horse.
 

Evan77

Banned
That loser is a guy who worked his ass off to play professionally a sport you sit on the couch watching, never to win one ATP point if you tried your entire life.
yeah, I get your point ... if I try really hard I could win one point (maybe), lol ... I guess I should try the WTA

on the other hand, I sit on my sofa, when I'm watching tennis ... not sure where to sit ... any suggestions? :)
 
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