Sysyphus
Talk Tennis Guru
Time to see if the NextGen C team really has any potential in the upcoming Diamond Age.
The NextGen field is potentially the deepest field in tennis history, very different from the top heavy big 4 golden era.
I have already covered the obvious spearhead of the Dimaond Age who have big potential to win all fours slams: Tsitsipas (21), Auger-Alliasime (19), Shapovalov (20), Zverev (22), Medvedev (23), Coric (22). Coric likely to have more of a Murray/Wawrinka career. The rest high single digit slams, maybe more for one or two.
But some amazing prospects have been flying under the radar. Safiullin has been white hot on tour for some time now with incredible progress, so time to compare him with fraudulent slam winner Safin
My eyeball take:
1. The younger Russian has significatly better footwork from the ground. Safiullin is a wall and only had 7 UEs in his Rafa Nadal Open match versus Rosol making him the most consistent easily of the two. Safin lumbering brute. Safiullin much cleaner forehand and similar backhand.
2. Serve is definitely Safin given his all time high at 2005 Australian Open, but Safiullin will be going from zero to hero over the next few years, and his serve performances at Shmykent and Kazan show that he already has scary potential.
3. Safiullin has an excellent return already, leagues ahead of lumbering Safin. If he keeps up his current stat progress on return, could be downright unplayable in a few years.
expected Safiullin return progress:
With Djoko seemingly in for a parts change at the repair shop, the AO 2020 could be Safiullin's to lose. Safiullin has already racked up impressive 18-match win streak in stacked futures in Thailand and Vietnam, and looks ready to bring this consistency to the main tour any day now.
The NextGen field is potentially the deepest field in tennis history, very different from the top heavy big 4 golden era.
I have already covered the obvious spearhead of the Dimaond Age who have big potential to win all fours slams: Tsitsipas (21), Auger-Alliasime (19), Shapovalov (20), Zverev (22), Medvedev (23), Coric (22). Coric likely to have more of a Murray/Wawrinka career. The rest high single digit slams, maybe more for one or two.
But some amazing prospects have been flying under the radar. Safiullin has been white hot on tour for some time now with incredible progress, so time to compare him with fraudulent slam winner Safin
My eyeball take:
1. The younger Russian has significatly better footwork from the ground. Safiullin is a wall and only had 7 UEs in his Rafa Nadal Open match versus Rosol making him the most consistent easily of the two. Safin lumbering brute. Safiullin much cleaner forehand and similar backhand.
2. Serve is definitely Safin given his all time high at 2005 Australian Open, but Safiullin will be going from zero to hero over the next few years, and his serve performances at Shmykent and Kazan show that he already has scary potential.
3. Safiullin has an excellent return already, leagues ahead of lumbering Safin. If he keeps up his current stat progress on return, could be downright unplayable in a few years.
expected Safiullin return progress:
With Djoko seemingly in for a parts change at the repair shop, the AO 2020 could be Safiullin's to lose. Safiullin has already racked up impressive 18-match win streak in stacked futures in Thailand and Vietnam, and looks ready to bring this consistency to the main tour any day now.
