Someone asked me to check out Kei Nishikori before we left the Open
today. He and del Potro played the last day session match in Louis
Armstrong. This was my first time seeing him live. The things about
him that stood out the most to me: he already has a legion of fans,
and he has the springy legs and effortless, Gene Kelly-esque footwork
of Kolya Davydenko. I didn't see the whole match so maybe he came back
strong in the end, but my overall impression was that del Potro was in
a different league. The Argentine was blowing Nishikori off the court.
At least today, del Potro was the young gun with the most game.
Kei still has a little more to prove, but he will likely establish his
place soon in the growing pack of hugely talented below-drinking-age-
in-America guys on the ATP tour – the likes of Cilic, Gulbis, and
Querry – who could win a Major someday. The ridiculous wealth of
young, male talent on display at the Open this week should be the
biggest story in tennis right now. Novak and Rafa showed just how fast
this promise can turn into dominance on the tour. And I haven't even
mentioned Murray or Tsonga in this context yet – if they stay healthy
it's a matter of "when" and "how many Majors" rather than "if." Heck,
the winner of the upcoming Murray vs. del Potro match could be the
next U.S. Open champion.
All this gets me wondering – what can we make of the old beards on
tour – the Mardys, Blakes, and Gonzos? All are capable of so much –
just look at what Mardy did to Gael Monfils today (the Frenchman being
another "if or when-er" on tour.) Is it ridiculous to write off these
guys who are in their mid/late 20s as talents past their sell-by
dates? Or should we just accept them as part of a lost generation of
players that lived during the "Federer era" and move on? Is it
remotely possible that Mardy will expose all of us as shamefully eager
to jump on the hype bandwagon? (But remember that Rafa and Djokovic
used to be hype, too.)
These are the big questions that I'm left with after my time at the
Open this weekend (I have some others relating to the price and
quality of the food concessions, but I won't bore you with those.) The
thrilling thing is that some of these questions may be answered by
Sunday.
What do you think?
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