I think I’ve found a solution to the woes of American men’s tennis: Cancel the rest of 2014, effective immediately. Donald Young may have stumbled out of Auckland after gamely stretching top-seeded David Ferrer to three sets, but Bradley Klahn won a match yesterday, as did Jack Sock, John Isner, and Steve Johnson.
In fact, Johnson won two matches the other day—one over former Australian Open finalist and once-upon-a-time world No. 8 Marcos Baghdatis, the other over fourth-seeded Kevin Anderson. The latter has been fighting a viral bug for a few days, but the 6’8”, raw-boned South African can rain down havoc with his big serve. Thus, yesterday was about as good a day as Americans have had on the ATP in a good, long time.
This may be fit for domestic consumption only, but let’s take a quick scan of the landscape these lads inhabit, because one or more of them may be gone from view in the blink of an eye. We’ll take them in order, starting with the lowest ranked.
Steve Johnson, ATP No. 160: I’ve been one of those people who’s always liked Johnson’s prospects, despite “weaknesses” so glaring that they make the former USC Trojan something of a throwback. Johnson doesn’t generate a great deal of power, and he relies heavily on a slice backhand. His is an old-school game driven by an acceptable present-day work ethic, grit, and determination.
Johnson has an excellent head for the game and, as his exemplary college record suggests, the ability to play at a consistently high level for long periods of time: The two-time NCAA singles champion ended his collegiate career with a 72-match winning streak. Is that good enough to allow “Stevie” to make his living as an ATP pro? The jury is still out on that.
Johnson improved by just 15 places in the ATP rankings since the start of 2013, during which he went 4-10 on tour. Judged in relation to his peers, that’s actually pretty good. Johnson lost a heartbreaker in the first round of the Australian Open—after qualifying—to then-No. 11 Nicolas Almagro in five sets. He also beat the likes of Andreas Seppi and Ivo Karlovic in ATP matches, so he has reason to hope.
There’s no point dwelling on Johnson’s weaknesses, which are somewhat mitigated by his attitude. Johnson’s game—one many feel is unsuited to today’s landscape—was shaped by his father, also named Steve, a tennis coach in California. Acknowledging his dad’s influence, Steve has said: “He taught me pretty much everything I know. Since I can remember, it’s always been me and him out there hitting balls, having a blast. It's really been amazing. I wouldn't change anything.”
Johnson must be hoping that his same-day wins over Baghdatis and Anderson are an indication of things to come.
Jack Sock, ATP No. 100: Sock’s ranking is deceptive, for he has more upside than any other young American and is just 21 years old. This could be a pivotal year for the 6’1” slugger, whose style and attitude echo those of his childhood idol, Andy Roddick.
Sock took out Adrian Mannarino in the first round of Auckland, and yesterday—impressively—polished off second-seeded Tommy Haas. Was it a shot fired across the bow of the 21-and-under set on the ATP?
Sock played significantly more tour matches than his peers last year, winning 10 of 23. The highlights were his back-to-back wins over Milos Raonic and James Blake in Memphis, and a first-round win at Roland Garros over talented clay-courter Guillermo Garcia-Lopez. (Sock had previously won three matches in qualifying, and he lost in the second round to the aforementioned Haas.)
Loaded with power, muscular and explosiveness, Sock seems perfectly designed for today’s game. That he can perform on both clay and hard courts also suggests that he’s got Top 10 potential. Sock has shaved 50 ticks off his ranking last year, and with some luck he’ll be able to improve by at least that many places in 2014.
