Veterans' Day

While perusing the scores of the various ATP and WTA tournaments around Europe, something very intriguing caught my eye: Namely Marat Safin and Younes El Aynaoui making the quarterfinals at the BMW Open in Munich. I have to tell you something that may be thought of as a crazy statement: Watch out for these two. You can vote here if you want to dispute this even crazier statement: I think Marat Safin will make the top 10 and be comeback player of the year!

First of all, everyone on the ATP tour knows when his head is on right, Safin (left) has one of the top-five talents out there. That being said, his head hasn't been on right for quite some time, with him not sniffing a final in a while. But he's had some pretty good clay-court wins, starting with that five-set win over Tomas Berdych in Davis Cup. I wouldn't be surprised if he won this week; I definitely think he's turning the corner.

El Aynaoui (bottom left) has been off the radar for years and years now. But when he's healthy as he appears to be now, watch out. He's on a hot streak now, having just won a Challenger in Switzerland, qualifying in Munich and winning a couple of rounds. In a flashback note, one of the most exciting matches I've ever watched at the U.S. Open was in 2003 and it involved Younes and this 17-year-old, fist-pumping kid from Spain who had a penchant for digging wedgies out before every return and serve. The veteran came through, but you knew that kid was going to be the real deal. Any guesses on who that kid was? : )

While I'm not expecting Safin and El Aynaoui to pick up a Slam this year, I can definitely see both of them punching holes in draws in '08. And Younes better watch out for that kid he beat at the Open years ago!

(Photos: AP)