Australian Open 2017: 5 Dark Horses Who Could Win Big
The first Grand Slam of the year is just round the corner and preparations are in full swing.
There is always a sense of urgency in the first month of the season as players get only a few weeks to get some match practice under their belt.
Though these tournaments serve as preparation tournaments for the big players, for others it is a platform to shine and make headlines. These players want to build some momentum and make their presence felt. This year as well, we saw a bunch of players kicking off their campaign in perfect fashion.
Let us now look at 5 players who could be unexpected big winners at the Australian Open:
1. Alexander Zverev
Alexander Zverev of Germany has continued to impress fans and critics alike, all around the world. Currently ranked 24th in the world, the 19-year-old is the youngest player in the ATP top 50. He decided to start his season by competing in the Hopman Cup.
In his first singles match of the year he lost to Richard Gasquet but his next two matches were impressive.
The highlight, of course, was his match against the 17 time Grand Slam Champion, Roger Federer. Zverev played a high quality match to take out the Swiss in three competitive sets of tennis. The German flaunted his thunderous serve and power-packed baseline shots.
Coming off a successful 2016 season, during the course of which he rose in rankings from 83rd to 24, Zverev can do some real damage at the Australian Open. Even though the German has not yet gone past the 3rd round at a major, this year’s Australian Open might prove to be his breakthrough tournament.
A quarter-finals appearance or better should be the ambition for him – and he is neither short on talent nor hard work.