Dream Thiem

Thiem would lose the arm wrestling contest 6-0, 6-0

Last week in Rotterdam, the tennis world was introduced to qualifier Dominic Thiem, 20 year-old Austrian and new member of the ATP Top 100. He pushed Andy Murray to three sets in a losing effort and impressed everyone with his shotmaking ability off of both wings. After just one match of seeing him play, you can consider me an expert on Thiem's potential as a tennis star. Here are three basic things you need to know about this addition to our Next Generation roster of talent.

First and foremost, he hits the ball hard. For someone who isn't physically imposing, he really goes for his shots. He can clock the forehand and will pull the trigger early (to his detriment, at times) on the down-the-line backhand. Watching him run Andy from side to side was entertaining.

Second, and already most exhausting, he has a one-handed backhand. Wielding a one-hander is almost a guarantee that experts will talk about you and how beautiful (elegant, free-flowing, gorgeous, awe-striking, etc.) that one singular groundstroke is. Every one-hander is different, but I would compare the way it zips through the court to that of Richard Gasquet's. However, unlike Reesh, Thiem isn't content to sit back and do all the heavy lifting from that wing.

Lastly, he's a fighter. After getting down an early break in the final set, he did well to stay in touch with Andy until the end, making Andy serve his way out of the match.

It's always fun seeing an up-and-comer rise up and test a big name. Thiem's game seems perfectly suited for clay, so it should be a player to keep an eye on when April rolls around. I daresay he has a better chance to pull off a big upset then!

What do you think of the baby-faced Thiem's upside? Leave a comment!

Happy Holidays!

Good ol' Saint Novak.

A very merry World Tennis Day to all!

Although I just found out such a day existed last week and only remembered it after roaming around the web this afternoon, 'twas a joyous and exciting 24 hours to be a fan of this beautiful sport.

Kudos to all the players getting involved in those lighthearted matches to spread tennis joy around the world.

Fortunately or unfortunately, the goofing off ends here. March is upon us, which means it is U.S. hard court season! Two combined events, loaded draws, and several thousand points and dollars to be awarded. Who's gonna reap the bulk of those benefits? Let's find out by taking a quick look back at an unusually busy February.

Doha: Serena is back at #1, but Vika had the last laugh in their final round match. Serena holds a big lead in their H-to-H record, but Vika has always played her tough and seems to be making more inroads each successive faceoff. Don't be surprised if Azarenka gets back to the top spot by year's end (Serena has a TON of points to defend this summer).

Dubai: Kvitova got back on track with this Premier title. The draw was trimmed down after the Doha finalists withdrew, but hats off to getting the job done. Now that she's pulled off playing well for two matches in a row, is it no longer wishful thinking that she could do it for consecutive tournaments? We'll see, but we do know she has all the weaponry to dominate.

ATP 500s: Federer is stunned at Rotterdam and Dubai. He can't seem to hold MPs anymore. The door is open for Murray, who was absent for the entire month, to leapfrog him in the rankings. Djokovic wins Dubai, undefeated in 2013. Nole's on a serious roll, 18 straight matches to be exact. Is a repeat of 2011 in store? He seems unstoppable at the moment, especially on hard courts. Nadal blows away David Ferrer in Acapulco. The scoreline may be ho-hum, but Rafa has only just started playing tournaments and is only going to get more comfortable out on court. The only question is will he play Indian Wells and/or Miami? WE STILL DON'T KNOW. It's not like IW begins in two days or anything...

I don't know about you, but I am so excited for Indian Wells and Miami because: a) combined events are easy to follow both men and women, and b) they are both in my country's time zone. Those of you who feverishly followed the Australian Open like I did feel me...

Leave a comment to discuss the happenings of February or to look forward to March. Should be another exciting month!