RICKY DIMON’S 2015 GRAND SLAM PREDICTED WINNERS: DJOKOVIC, NADAL, AND FEDERER

Written by: Staff on 27th December 2014

RICKY DIMON'S 2015 GRAND SLAM PREDICTED WINNERS: DJOKOVIC, NADAL, AND FEDERER

epaselect epa04287358 Roger Federer of Switzerland serves to Santiago Giraldo of Colombia in their third round match during the Wimbledon Championships at the All England Lawn Tennis Club, in London, Britain, 28 June 2014. EPA/TATYANA ZENKOVICH |

By Ricky Dimon

It is true that predictions mean nothing. All that matters is what happens on the tennis court, between the white lines. But predictions are undeniably fun and with the 2015 season barely more than a week away, it’s time to have some of that aforementioned fun. It’s time for Grand Slam predictions!

Will current and former world No. 1s like Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal, and Roger Federer restore order to the proceedings or will we see more breakthrough performances on the heels of what we witnessed in 2014 from Stan Wawrinka and Marin Cilic? Only time will tell, and the story will begin to be told sooner rather than later with the Aussie Open three weeks away.

Here goes nothing!

Australian Open – Novak Djokovic. What’s not to like about Djokovic’s chances at 2015’s first Grand Slam? The world No. 1 is 43-6 lifetime at the Australian Open with four titles. He triumphed in 2011, 2012, and 2013. His only loss at the tournament since 2010 came this past season to Stan Wawrinka, and that was a 9-7 in the fifth set thriller won by the man who went on to lift the trophy. Djokovic has positioned himself well for more domination Down Under, having compiled a 17-1 post-U.S. Open record in 2014–a stretch that featured titles in Beijing, Paris, and at the World Tour Finals.

Novak Djokovic of Serbia returns the ball to Stanislas Wawrinka of Switzerland during their quarter final match at the Australian Open Grand Slam tennis tournament in Melbourne, Australia, 21 January 2014. Wawrinka won the match in five sets. EPA/NARENDRA SHRESTHA

Runner-up – Roger Federer

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French Open – Rafael Nadal. Nobody dominates an event quite like Nadal at the French. Nobody did before and perhaps nobody ever will again. But Nadal’s reign is still ongoing and there is no real reason–other than physical issues–to think he will vacate his Roland Garros throne in 2015. Only once in 10 years has the Spaniard struggled with an injury at his favorite major, which is why his record there is an outrageous 66-1 instead of a flawless 70-0 (he lost, of course, to Robin Soderling in the 2009 fourth round). Nadal was rarely 100 percent in 2014, but he was 100 percent during the clay swing and should be just that on the sport’s most forgiving surface until he retires.

Rafael Nadal of Spain serves the ball during his first round match against Robby Ginepri of the USA at the French Open tennis tournament at Roland Garros in Paris, France, 26 May 2014. EPA/CHRISTOPHE KARABA

Runner-up (if on opposite side) – Novak Djokovic

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Wimbledon – Roger Federer. I maintained that Federer had one more slam left in him even throughout his disastrous slump in 2013. He did not quite get the job done in 2014 and at 33 years old his chances, you would assume, are only getting slimmer. Or aren’t they? Federer was a much improved player this season compared to the shadow of his former self that he was in ’13 and he came within one set of winning Wimbledon. Although a blowout loss to Marin Cilic in the U.S. Open semifinals was a relative disappointment, a strong finish to 2014 (Federer went undefeated at the World Tour Finals before withdrawing from the final then led Switzerland to its first Davis Cup title) should have him energized for 2015.

Roger Federer of Switzerland in action against compatriot Stan Wawrinka in their quarter final match during the Wimbledon Championships at the All England Lawn Tennis Club, in London, Britain, 02 July 2014. EPA/FACUNDO ARRIZABALAGA

Runner-up (if on opposite side) – Andy Murray

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U.S. Open – Novak Djokovic. I picked four different slam winners in both 2013 and 2014 and I’m tempted to do the same for this upcoming season thanks to breakthrough, non-Big 4 players like Wawrinka and Cilic. But I’m not going to pull the trigger. Cilic and Wawrinka must do more to establish themselves as consistent slam contenders, while the likes of Juan Martin Del Potro, Kei Nishikori, Gael Monfils, and Jo-Wilfried Tsonga are too injury-prone. One man who could do it is Grigor Dimitrov, who has all the tools and is just now entering his prime. Look for the 23-year-old Bulgarian to come close in New York if he gets a favorable draw, but picking against Djokovic is foolish in just about any hard-court situation.

Novak Djokovic of Serbia reacts after defeating Andy Murray of Great Britain during their quarterfinals round match on the tenth day of the 2014 US Open Tennis Championship at the USTA National Tennis Center in Flushing Meadows, New York, USA, 03 September 2014. The US Open runs through 08 September, a 15-day schedule. EPA/DANIEL MURPHY

Runner-up (if on opposite side) – Grigor Dimitrov

Ricky contributes to 10sballs.com and also maintains his own tennis website, The Grandstand.

Topics: Australian Open, French Open, Grand Slam predictions, Marin Cilic, Novak Djokovic, Rafa, Rf, Ricky Dimon, Roger Federer, Stan Wawrinka, Tennis, U.S. Open, Wimbledon

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10sBalls_com says:

December 27, 2014 at 8:52 pm

-@Dimonator’s 2015 #GRANDSLAM PREDICTED WINNERS: @DjokerNole, @RafaelNadal, AND @rogerfederer- http://t.co/OlyyjsjwUp #tennis #Federer #RAFA
BrianSHester says:

December 27, 2014 at 8:58 pm

RT @10sBalls_com: -@Dimonator’s 2015 #GRANDSLAM PREDICTED WINNERS: @DjokerNole, @RafaelNadal, AND @rogerfederer- http://t.co/OlyyjsjwUp #te…