PARIS (AP) — Liyamado ang mga batikang player, ngunit unti-unti nang pumapapel ang mga batang superstar sa Tour.

Germany's Alexander Zverev (AP Photo/Gregorio Borgia)
Germany's Alexander Zverev (AP Photo/Gregorio Borgia)
Dominado nina Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer, Novak Djokovic, Andy Murray at Stan Wawrinka ang Grand Slams mula noong 2005. Ngunit, nagsisimula nang lumikha ng sopresa at mangulat ang mga batang superstar at matutunghayan ito sa French Open na magsisimula sa Linggo (Lunes sa Manila).

Nagapi ng 20-anyos na si Alexander Zverev si Novak Djokovic sa Italian Open nitong Linggo (Lunes sa Manila), habang nasilat ng 23-anyos na si Dominic Thiem si Nadal sa naturang torneo.

“I think that Rafa is the big favorite,” pahayag ni Thiem .

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“Novak is coming, for sure behind him. And then Murray, you never know. He’s such a big player. He can also play amazing here. And after these three I think there are some players who can go very deep here who can make big surprises and to these players I count Sascha (Alexander Zverev) and myself,” aniya.

Sa unang pagkakataon at sa kasaysayan ng Tour mula nang gamitin ang computer ranking, ang top five ay may edad 30-anyos pataas.

At iginiit ng seventh-ranked na si Thiem na hindi ibig sabihin ay bigong makaporma ang mga batang player.

“They are so big players that it’s I think normal that they are still so good with a little bit older age,” sambit ni Thiem. “But I wouldn’t say that the younger players, they didn’t make it. I mean there is Milos (Raonic) or Kei (Nishikori) that have been in the top 10 for a very long time.

“Everybody should know how tough it is. Because they didn’t win a slam yet, it doesn’t mean that they didn’t make it because obviously the Big 4 are so strong that it’s in this period really tough to win a big title.”

Liyamado si Nadal para sa ika-10 titulo sa Roland Garros, ang paborit niyang court surface.

Umabot si Thiem sa semifinal ng French Open sa nakalipas na taon bago pinatalsik ni eventual champion Djokovic.

Kung mauulit ng Austrian star ang ratsada ngayong season, posibleng si Nadal ang kanyang makabangga sa quarterfinals.

“100 percent he’s the big favorite. He’s on the top to win here,” ayon kay Tiem.

“Of course I think he’s back at his best this year, and then also he won nine times. So he knows how it works to win here.I will think he will try

everything to win Le Decima, I think it will be very unique in tennis to win a Grand Slam title 10 times. It’s pretty crazy, I guess. So 100 percent he’s the one to beat here and the big favorite.”