10 Falling Bros

How's it going bros?

Andy Murray lost in an exhibition yesterday, in other news, the world is not over. I find it hard to believe that people on social media are concerned with Andy Murray's performance in a match that didn't matter against a Top 10 player. The only relevance it posed is that the #AndyFaceofSheerDiscomfort still exists; this took me 6 pages of google image searching to find.

To all the critics and concerned Brits who are ready to call him a Scot again, know that Andy Murray is not going anywhere for a while. His AcBROlades:
-He's young as hell
-His deuce court on-the-run forehand is the best shot in the sport right now; minus, maybe, the Djoker down-the-line backhand RKO
-He is the game's sweetheart; until Nadal wins the French Open
-Kim Sears is hot
-The Speech
-And lastly, the #AndyFaceofSheerDiscomfort which is #awesomehashtag

But some folks are going to fall off the pedestal. Combination of being old, being due to fall back down to earth, and some who may just fall. Including his opponent yesterday, but I'll get into that.

10 Bros who will be ranked lower at this time next year then they are now:

Ready. Set. BRO.

1. Janko Tipsarevic- The first time I had ever seen Tipsy play was in the 2010 US Open against my post-adolescent man crush Andy Roddick. He was unseeded and took out the local legend in the 2nd round. I then saw him again in Memphis at what used to be called the Regions Morgan Keegan classic; who knows what they call it now, or cares?

I like his style of play, Tipsy has a live arm on his serve and forehand, and mostly plays little man tennis #tennisbro. He won 57 matches last year including a QF run at the open. He's best friends with Novak BROkovic, has a super hot wife and does his own mashes of house music. Tipsy also stirred up quite s&%* storm on twitter regarding the equal compensation of both tours; last time I checked, this is America.

From a performance standpoint, Tipsy is not on the same level as the 8 guys ranked ahead of him right now. Meaning he can't advance; roughly 500 points below number 8. Tsonga. I'll certainly pull for him, but I see him going to Verdasco route and falling out of the top 10 and maybe out of the top 15 with all the talent that is on the cusp behind him. However, no one would be happier then me to have the tennis version of the Braves' Dan Uggla #musclehampster jump Tsonga and make a move to the top. Idemo!

2. Pico Monaco- Pico is one of the most popular players on the tour. He's another bro from Tandil who won 4 of his 7 career titles in 2012. He got hot at the Sony Ericsson in Miami and stayed hot through the summer. Studly clay court player, but there are some big time guys ranked between the 13 and 20 spot who could just as easily make a run and place higher then he. My guess, is his season will manifest itself in a drop to the mid 20's. If he tanks hard he could fall down to around 40.

3. Stanislas Wawrinka- Solid name, great 1-handed backhand and has deceptive power. 4 years ago he ascended as high as number 9 in the world. He stays perpetually between the number 15 and 21 rankings now a days. Yesterday I declared at least 3 guys close to him in ranking will rise this year (Dolgopolov, Janowicz, Chardy). This may be a year Wawrinka finishes are number 25. It helps him that Nadal will not be playing the Aussie, a tournament he has had success at. He needs to rack up the points while he can. Not sure that will be enough for him this year.

4. Tommy Haas- He was ranked number 2 in the world... When I was 13 years old. I listed him as a top 5 player on my Rad Rankings list, and I still hold true to it. But at 854720863576753075398 years old, you can still be a total badass and hover around a triple digit ranking; cough, cough, Ivo Karlovic.

5. Mardy Fish- He inspired us all in 2010 by losing a ton of weight, keeping a proper diet, and beating the ever loving crap out of the competition. He remained consistent as the top-ranked American in 2011. But a heart condition knocked the cowboy off his horse last year, forcing him to retire his 4th round match to Mr. Federer in the US Open. He will sit out the Aussie and his ranking will fall out of the top 30. Playing only 32 matches last year and what I am sure will be a reduced tournament schedule this year, he will not gain as many points. This starts the downfall for Mardy. He is the last of a dying breed as a serve and volley player, he is getting a rotten deal out of the whole thing. May end the year ranked around number 50.

6. Marcos Baghdatis- It is very very very insane to believe that the guy who cursed during an interview after playing Andre Agassi is only 27? This guy is sneakily the most entertaining player on tour. The only reason I would ever want his ranking to fall is for a repeat of this. The best part of him going agro on his racquets is Stan Wawrinka's reaction, I for one, would be dying laughing if I watched that. Well played, Stan, well played.

7. Nikolay Davydenko- I'm ignoring the fact that there are like 14 player's on tour who share the first name Nikolay. I will not ignore the inability of Mr. Davydenko to separate business and pleasure. His wife is his coach. He constantly is changing racquet sponsors, and he complains to a degree that would make a french dude on tour proud to call him his own. But I do respect the former world number 3. So much so that I will can anything that could be construed as insulting and just say he will finish outside the top 50 this year, mmkay?

8. Brian Baker- This one hurts. This is like being hit in the sack by a tank shell. Brian Baker was the comeback player of the year in 2012. He was the sports Rudy. Surgery after surgery to repair injury after injury. He made the Cinderella run into the round of 16 at Wimby. He and I even share the the privilege to call Tennessee home; I lived there for some of the most splendid years of my life. My employer, the USTA Southern LOOOOOVVVVEEEESSSS this guy.

As painful as it is to say the under dog will go back in kennel, all signs are pointing to it. It isn't easy to win on this level, but it is easier to gain confidence when the whole sport is cheering for you to succeed. Finally at 28 Brian Baker will get a chance to battle the existence of a sophomore slump. Rather then a 5 month season, he will try to compete for 10. Will his hips, shoulders and legs make it all the way through? Can he move up into the top 50? His game is certainly good enough, but now his war-torn body has to survive.

I try to be as optimistic as I can being an American tennis fan, but history has not been my buddy on this one. Remember this list is not about drastic downturns, but negative movement, I am worried Baker may fall to around 70 and that Ryan Harrison and Jack Sock will be the promising American sons this year.

9. David Nalbandian- That Mullet, #LULZ. He can still provide excitement. He really isn't the guy you want to mess with though if you're a chair umpire; god this guy scares me. He definitely gets the award for biggest mullet-having serial killer look alike on tour. Don't f%$^ with the bull, or you get the man horns. That shouldn't have been a default, but a praise for the return of the bad boy movement in tennis. Though he'll probably be knocking on 100's door this season.

10. Rafael Nadal- Monte Carlo and French Open Championships, then falling in the 2nd round at Wimbledon, then the knee surgeries came. 2012 was a roller coaster for Rafa. The news got worse today. He pulled out of the Aussie Open setting his return date for Acapulco.

Now we all know at this point Rafa could only play clay tournaments for the rest of his career and still have 15 major titles before he hangs it up. We all also know that that will never happen given his competitive nature. He is a fighter and that is what makes this even worse.

With no points gained in Melbourne, and his body beginning to regress; something we all knew was going to happen sooner rather then later given his style of play, Rafa could potentially find himself out of the top 10 this year. The field is getting too competitive and there aren't enough points to be gained on clay courts to carry a top 5 ranking when struggling. I don't know for sure if it is a really bad stomach virus, or his knees. But this is the first time in a long time the tennis establishment may look at the potential of a top 4 that lacks the name, Nadal.

That's it for the journalistic stuff for a while, bros.

follow me on twitter @thetennisbro.

Gin Gin

Billy Stein ~ The Tennis Bro