Starting on December 7—the 25th day left in 2010—TENNIS.com will countdown from the year-end No. 25 on both tours with "The Last Word," a look back at the year that was and a look ahead at the season to come. Here's who we've looked at so far.
Best of 2010
The Californian’s most impressive victory came in his home state when he beat Andy Murray in the Los Angeles final. After losing the first set 7-5, Querrey won a second-set tiebreaker and then the match for his fourth title of 2010.
Worst of 2010
Coming into 2010 with high expectations, Querrey couldn’t have got off to a rockier start. He dropped his first match to James Blake in Brisbane, then lost his next two to sub-Top 50 opponents (No. 52 Evgeny Korolev and No. 107 Rainer Schuettler).
Year in Review
Querrey had a very productive season, winning four titles and reaching a career-high ranking of No. 18. Though none of those titles were necessarily career-changers (three 250’s and a 500 in Memphis), they demonstrated a high level of consistency and mental strength. But aside from his win over Murray, Querrey beat just one other Top 10 player—then-No. 7 Andy Roddick, in Memphis. He somehow managed to avoid Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer, Tomas Berdych and Robin Soderling in his 27 tournaments this season. Still, Querrey further established himself as a lethal server who can dictate a match with his powerful forehand. When he’s playing his best, Querrey has the ability to overwhelm anyone on the other side of the net.
See for Yourself
Querrey’s three-set win over Murray provided a glimpse of how successful he can be:
The Last Word
Querrey avoided most of the big boys this year, but he’ll have to beat them if he’s to make a serious run at the Top 10. Luckily for his fans, the Bay Area product has the game to defeat them. If he can, expect a breakout season in 2011.
—Brad Kallet