Not the Second Coming

It is just not Fernando Verdasco's year.

This said, does anyone else feel like FeVer is a little bit, well... overrated? He had one outstanding tournament at the Aussie Open last year. He played Rafa tighter than he will ever play him again. I feel very comfortable making this claim. But since then - a few minor tournaments aside - FeVer just ain't all that.

He's not a bad player - not even close. He's not even mediocre. He's just not the Second Coming of Rafa that everyone seems to think he is. He's had some good results - some Slam quarters and whatnot. But I don't think FeVer's ever going to make a Slam final. I don't think he's even going to make semis again. I think he's doomed to more of the same - more small tournament victories and upset-but-not-upsetting early round losses to up and comers like Thiemo de Bakker.

The Second Coming of Rafa would take a couple of early losses, sure. All the greats do, every now and again. But FeVer takes so many of these early losses and he doesn't back them up with the wins. I don't know how close FeVer is to making the end of year championships but I wouldn't be at all surprised if he doesn't. I don't know what he's done to earn it.

And you know what? the expectation placed on his shoulders after AO '09 can't have been good for him. There must be one thing worse than being a Roger or a Rafa and having the weight of the world on your shoulders, pushing expectations uphill like Sisyphus. Imagine being Verdasco - imagine being called the Second Coming of Rafa when really, you're not. Not even close. That must be very, very painful.