Isner being out is no big loss for me as I've never been high on him. Aside from wins over Novak, Roger, his run to the QF at the US and of course his enormous feat against Mahut at Wimbledon I don't see him ever breaking through. He
always looks tired and as so many have said before with his height you'd figure he'd produce better results. And yet it STILL looks as if he's missing something to truly do some damage. (I'd be happy to take all this back if he proves me wrong but until then - just my opinion

)
With Isner out that makes Querrey the top ranked American next week. Hopefully he makes the best of it as I do think he's the better player of the two and his serve is a huge weapon.
As for the young guns my cards are on Tomic, Dimitrov and The Dog:
Tomic: He's been on a roll so far with a win over Djokovic at the Hopman Cup and just reached the final of the Apia International. After a few distractions stemming last year it looks like he's getting his head on straight. Here's hoping he can carry all that to make a good/great run at his home slam.
He's able to generate such easy power with his forehand stroke that is looks like he's barely making effort. Fun to watch.
Dimitrov: Many pave him as "The Next Federer" and while that's nice I'm waiting for him to be the first Dimitrov. He's got a solid all around game and just continues to improve month in and month out. He's shown he can hold his own with the big boys even if the result hasn't been in his favor and he has a beauty of a one handed backhand. 2013 the year of Showtime? I'm on that bandwagon.
The Dog: Dolgopolov is by no means a big guy. When I first saw him I literally mentioned how
skinny he was. But all of a sudden behind that skinny frame packed a punch and he's been able to get himself into the top 20 with quickness and precision. His game suits hard courts perfectly and he can be tough when he's on his A game. I'd like to see him really deliver this year.
I like Raonic and Nishikori. Raonic aka The Missile is a grand slam champ waiting to happen and his serve is that, a missile. He just lost to Hewitt at the Kooyong Classic which may sting but it should force him to prepare harder for next week. Nishikori finished strong in 2012 and is incredibly solid on both wings. The only thing holding him back are nagging injuries and again his knee has been bothering him. We'll see.
Ryan Harrison is seen as the next top American but as a tennis fanatic and avid player his forehand technique hurts my eyes. It's not fluid looking like a Roger or Novak or even Tomic. It's the one thing hurting him IMO. Sure, if you hit a ball a certain way again and again it'll go in/work and that's what he's done. But how you utilize it to great effect is everything. And because he takes a little time with the take back he often gets caught putting the ball back in the middle.
He beat Isner a few days ago (Isner not 100% obviously) and then gets squashed by Benneteau - a veteran serve and vollier. Still, age is on his side. His top strength is his serve and he's obviously going to keep working harder. But he isn't high on my list...for now.
I think this is my longest post since my SHH birth. I love this sport.
