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The 2014 season saw the old order of men’s and women’s tennis take on the young generation, which made for several riveting contests. The likes of Roger Federer, Novak Djokovic Serana Williams and Maria Sharapova locked horns with the the Kei Nishikoris, Milos Raonics, Eugenie Bouchards and Simona Haleps on the biggest of stages, but time and again the experienced players stamped their dominance – if only just.At the 2015 Australian Open, while all eyes will be on the rising stars in tennis, there are even younger players that will be looking to make their first impression at the Grand Slam stage.Here, we list 10 players from the youngest of the three generations who aren’t just likely greats of tomorrow but may very well be champions of the immediate future.Reminder: You can watch all the action live on Sony Liv Sports here.
#1 Jiri Vesely
The recipient of the 2013 ATP Star of Tomorrow award, Jiri Vesley has had a good if not great career till date. The 20-year-old left-handed player from Czech Republic had a successful 2014 season at the Grand Slams. He contested all the four Majors, and while he lost in the first rounds of the Australian Open and US Open, he reached the third round at Wimbledon to signal his potential.
The No. 3 Czech Player reached his best season-ending rank at 66 last year. This year, Vesley won his first ever ATP event at Auckland, defeating 16-ranked Kevin Anderson in the semifinal. It will be interesting to see how far Vesely goes in the first Grand Slam of 2015.
#2 Dominic Thiem
Dominic Thiem is the youngest player in the top 50 of the ATP Rankings. The 21-year-old Austrian made waves last year when he defeated Stan Wawrinka in the third round of the Madrid Open. In what turned out to be a breakthrough year, Thiem reached his first ATP final on home soil in Kitzbühel. He also made it into the third rounds of Barcelona, Madrid and Indian Wells.
His best performance came at Flushing Meadows, where he reached fourth round, defeating 12th-ranked Gulbis and 21st-ranked Lopez on the way. Known for his ferocious single-handed backhand, Thiem will look to garner some quality wins in Melbourne.
#3 Borna Coric
Known for his aggressive play, Borna Coric considers himself as “the best of his generation”. He improved by leaps and bounds over the last year; at 18 years of age, Coric has already made a break into the top 100. The Croatian, who idolizes Rafael Nadal, beat the 14-time Grand Slam champion on the indoor courts of Basel last year.
Coric, who has a mature head on his shoulders that belies his tender age, will be a special feature for the tennis fans in Melbourne.
#4 Nick Kyrgios
Nick Kyrgios, along with Borna Coric, are the only teenagers in the top 100 of the ATP Rankings. The young Australian made significant strides last year, leaping more than 130 spots to reach his best year-ending rank at 52. He is just two places behind Lleyton Hewitt among Australian players.
At 6’ 4’’, Kyrgios fires aces regularly and likes to play heavy groundstrokes by taking the ball early from the baseline. This inherent technique helped him to dispatch Rafael Nadal in the fourth round at Wimbledon. In the process, he became the first wild card player to defeat a World No. 1 at Wimbledon.
Kyrgios, who idolizes and trains with Roger Federer in Dubai, will have the support of the enthusiastic Australian crowd in Melbourne and would love to make a mark at this year’s event.
#5 Bernard Tomic
The ‘bad boy’ of Australian tennis, Bernard Tomic has had significant ups and downs in his short career so far. After showing encouraging signs at the junior level, in which he won the Orange Bowl Championship, the Australian Open and the US Open, Tomic struggled on the professional tour with injuries and off-court distractions.
Yet, the 66-ranked Australian has proved that he has vast potential and has stated in the media that he has ‘matured in his approach to life and career’. If he is serious about that, Tomic may well be on his way to compensate for the ‘lost’ years.
#6 Eugenie Bouchard
The 20-year-old Bouchard is making waves on the tennis circuit. In an incredible 2014 season, Bouchard made semifinal runs at the Australian Open and Roland Garros, and reached her first ever Grand Slam final at Wimbledon. The Canadian star broke into the top 10 for the first time and played her first ever WTA season-ending tournament in Singapore.
Bouchard will look to bolster her career with a Major title in Melbourne. Her experiences of playing on the big stages and the big occasions will help her fight her nerves at this year’s Majors.
Don’t forget to tune in to Sony Liv Sports to catch all the action from the tournament live.
#7 Aleksandra Krunic
Aleksandra Krunic of Serbia is one of the dark horses among the young breed of tennis players. At 167 cm, Krunic looks painfully inferior to the other players of her generation. However, she makes up for that with her athleticism and timing, as the audience at Flushing Meadows witnessed last year during her upset victory over Petra Kvitova.
Krunic’s ability to shift directions of the ball in play was marvellous, given the amount of strength required to do so. But it wasn’t just her hard-hiting playing style that amazed the tennis fans; her tactical play also shone through. Given her medium-sized posture, Krunic uses the advantage of body balance and big groundstrokes to play on her own terms. It will be interesting to see Krunic again after her inspiring US Open run.
#8 Belinda Bencic
The Swiss prodigy Belinda Bencic is as swift and as classy as the other great Swiss players that have taken the world by storm over the years. Bencic, like her Serbian counterpart Krunic, made headlines at last year’s US Open.
Born in 1997, the 17-year-old Bencic appeared in all the Grand Slams last year. She reached the second round at the Australian Open, made a first round exit at the French Open, and got into the third round at Wimbledon.
But her best performance in a Major came at the US Open, where she became the youngest player to reach last the eight of the tournament, registering victories over top 10 player Angelique Kerber and former World No. 1 Jelena Jankovic.
#9 Kristina Mladenovic
The 21-year-old Kristina Mladenovic is taking silent strides towards glory. The Frenchwoman also features regularly in the doubles competition of Grand Slams, and she reached the final of Wimbledon last year with Timea Babos.
Mladenovic has a great serve, possesses great volleying skills and works powerfully from the baseline. In the IPTL, she registered several upsets over top players in the singles matches, giving insights into her clinical game play. While Mladenovic looks more interested in doubles, her skills can give her better results in singles as well.
#10 Sloane Stephens
The aggressive, quick, hard-hitting American is certainly one of the best of her generation. Sloane Stephens is often compared to her compatriot Serena Williams for their similar game style. Interestingly, Stephens came into the limelight when she defeated Serena in the 2013 Australian Open quarterfinals. However, she didn’t taste much success came after that.
The 21-year-old is yet to reach a WTA final. But her all-round tennis game and aggressive play make her one to look out for in any tournament.
Don’t forget to tune in to Sony Liv Sports to catch all the action from the tournament live.
