Italian Stallion
Rookie
Italian women's tennis went through a golden era over the last couple of decades with Italian Stallions Schiavone, Pennetta, Errani and Vinci winning Fed Cups, slams, reaching slam finals and generally just kicking ass. It's probably going to go through a slump now with very few young females emerging apart from Cocciaretto.
Not to worry, because the future of men's tennis is Italian. Not since the days of Panetta, Pietrrangelii, Barrazutti and Bertolacci have we seen the likes of this army of stallions stampeding through the singles rankings.
Under twenty-five in the the top 60 are Sonego and Berrettini. They're promising, but here's where the real guns come out to play.
At 197, is 17 year-old Jannik Sinner, so named because he don't go to confession-he's too busy kicking ass. This guy is the next Andy Murray, only without the strain of losing DNA. He's younger than everyone ranked above him. He has excellent court coverage, defensive skills, mental fortitude and tactics. He's got a cool forehand, backhand, volleys and serve.This ginger stallion is going right to the carrot top.
At 375, is the Australian Open junior champion, 17 year-old Lorenzo Musetti. He's a bit of a headcase at the moment, but he's only young. Imagine Gasquet with Fognini's sex appeal, then being slapped in the face by Roger Federer with a baguette-that's what it's like to compete with this stallion on the court.He has the touch, tweeners, drop-shots, lobs, tweener lobs, tweener drop-shot lobs and angles. He has a killer backhand.He's the most stylish player since Federer. It's only a matter of time before he puts it all together and starts crushing the opposition.
At 382, it's 17 year-old Guilio Zeppieri, semi-finalist at Australion Open juniors with a strong forehand. He looks a bit slight and small but he's apparently six-foot, so he's just lulling his opponent into a false sense of security with optical illusions-a short sign of a future magician on the court.
If that doesn't whet your appetite and you think those guys will bomb, then not to fear because Luca Nardi is the next stallion on the horizon. He has been compared to Federer already by the former number 42 Stefano Pescosolido. He's already ranked number 60 in juniors.
Born in August 2003, Nardi has been one of the best players of his generation, winning his first U12 title in 2015 in Padova and adding two more in the U14 category in 2016, still at the age of 12! Luca conquered Les Petits As Mondial Lacoste, the biggest event in the world for U14 players, beating Hamad Medjedovic in the title match, and he was almost unbeatable during the season, winning the U14 title in Pavia and his first ITF junior crown in Tirana as a qualifier, playing only his second event in the oldest category. He become the second player from the 2003 generation who won a match on a pro circuit at the age of 14.
Then there's the young fringe guys like Forti, Moroni, Baldi, Mager and possibly 17 year-old junior Flavio Cobolli who recently reached the quarter-finals of the junior French Open, only to be defeated by the Wimbledon junior champion, all of which will help ensure Italy will be a force in the Davis Cup for years to come.
In five or six years, once these guys have developed, the big three will be gone or on the way out and it'll be the start of the golden age of Italian tennis the like of which the world has never seen.
Zverev, Tsitsipas, De Minaur, Krygios, Tiafoe and co. better strike while they've got the small window of opportunity cause these Italian Stallions are soon going to make them irrelevant bystanders.
For sure, Sinner, Musetti and Nardi will be mopping up slams, possibly Zeppieri and Cobolli too, and Berrettini and maybe Sonego will be there to pick up the scraps that fall from the master's table.
I think only Auger-Aliassime and maybe Molleker, and young Spanish hopeful Carlos Alcaraz Garfia will be able to go toe to toe with this generation of Italians-the rest may as well go home.
Read it and weep guys.
Not to worry, because the future of men's tennis is Italian. Not since the days of Panetta, Pietrrangelii, Barrazutti and Bertolacci have we seen the likes of this army of stallions stampeding through the singles rankings.
Under twenty-five in the the top 60 are Sonego and Berrettini. They're promising, but here's where the real guns come out to play.
At 197, is 17 year-old Jannik Sinner, so named because he don't go to confession-he's too busy kicking ass. This guy is the next Andy Murray, only without the strain of losing DNA. He's younger than everyone ranked above him. He has excellent court coverage, defensive skills, mental fortitude and tactics. He's got a cool forehand, backhand, volleys and serve.This ginger stallion is going right to the carrot top.
At 375, is the Australian Open junior champion, 17 year-old Lorenzo Musetti. He's a bit of a headcase at the moment, but he's only young. Imagine Gasquet with Fognini's sex appeal, then being slapped in the face by Roger Federer with a baguette-that's what it's like to compete with this stallion on the court.He has the touch, tweeners, drop-shots, lobs, tweener lobs, tweener drop-shot lobs and angles. He has a killer backhand.He's the most stylish player since Federer. It's only a matter of time before he puts it all together and starts crushing the opposition.
At 382, it's 17 year-old Guilio Zeppieri, semi-finalist at Australion Open juniors with a strong forehand. He looks a bit slight and small but he's apparently six-foot, so he's just lulling his opponent into a false sense of security with optical illusions-a short sign of a future magician on the court.
If that doesn't whet your appetite and you think those guys will bomb, then not to fear because Luca Nardi is the next stallion on the horizon. He has been compared to Federer already by the former number 42 Stefano Pescosolido. He's already ranked number 60 in juniors.
Born in August 2003, Nardi has been one of the best players of his generation, winning his first U12 title in 2015 in Padova and adding two more in the U14 category in 2016, still at the age of 12! Luca conquered Les Petits As Mondial Lacoste, the biggest event in the world for U14 players, beating Hamad Medjedovic in the title match, and he was almost unbeatable during the season, winning the U14 title in Pavia and his first ITF junior crown in Tirana as a qualifier, playing only his second event in the oldest category. He become the second player from the 2003 generation who won a match on a pro circuit at the age of 14.
Then there's the young fringe guys like Forti, Moroni, Baldi, Mager and possibly 17 year-old junior Flavio Cobolli who recently reached the quarter-finals of the junior French Open, only to be defeated by the Wimbledon junior champion, all of which will help ensure Italy will be a force in the Davis Cup for years to come.
In five or six years, once these guys have developed, the big three will be gone or on the way out and it'll be the start of the golden age of Italian tennis the like of which the world has never seen.
Zverev, Tsitsipas, De Minaur, Krygios, Tiafoe and co. better strike while they've got the small window of opportunity cause these Italian Stallions are soon going to make them irrelevant bystanders.
For sure, Sinner, Musetti and Nardi will be mopping up slams, possibly Zeppieri and Cobolli too, and Berrettini and maybe Sonego will be there to pick up the scraps that fall from the master's table.
I think only Auger-Aliassime and maybe Molleker, and young Spanish hopeful Carlos Alcaraz Garfia will be able to go toe to toe with this generation of Italians-the rest may as well go home.
Read it and weep guys.
