You would think, with the year-end championship, this year called ATP World Tour Finals, which was played November 29th, that there would be no more tennis to be played.

Au contraire.

There was one last piece of unfinished business.  The Davis Cup Final.

Spain, again, found itself in the finals.  They were heavily favored on slow clay to beat the Czech Republic.  Last year, the Spaniards played the Argentines in Argentina.  The Argentines opted to play on hard courts because they thought Rafael Nadal would play.  However, in 2008, Nadal was injured.  Instead, they called on Fernando Verdasco to play the fourth tie (apparently, Ferrer who lost in straight sets was hurt) which he won in five sets.  This victory buoyed Verdasco who, up to then, was considered a man with a ferocious forehand but a timid mindset.

This year, Rafael Nadal played Tomas Berdych.  Although Nadal had not won a single set in the ATP World Tour Finals dropping 6 sets to Djokovic, Davydenko, and Soderling, Rafa found himself on familiar ground playing a player outside the top 10.  A subpar Nadal still knows how to beat non-elite players on clay.  This wasn’t even close.  A 7-5, 6-0, 6-2 drubbing put Spain on the board 1-0.

Alberto Costa, Spain’s Davis Cup captain, then made an unusual choice.  David Ferrer isn’t even the second best Spaniard.  Between Nadal and Ferrer, there is Verdasco and Tommy Robredo.  Perhaps Costa remembered last year’s Davis Cup where Ferrer lost tamely to David Nalbandian.  Perhaps Costa wanted Ferrer to redeem himself.  For whatever reason, Costa put his money on Ferrer.  For two sets, Costa’s decision looked like a poor one.  Stepanek was striking the ball well and took the first two sets easily, 6-1, 6-2.

But Ferrer hung in there and fought tough, taking the next two sets, 6-4 and 6-4, and finally took the fifth set, 8-6.

Spain up 2-0.

Although Lukas Dlouhy is one-half of one of the more successful doubles team (with Indian, Leander Paes), the Czech team decided to go with their singles players, pairing Radek Stepanek with Tomas Berdych.  The Spaniards went two lefties, Feliciano Lopez and Fernando Verdasco.  With power forehands, the Spaniards took the match in straight sets, 7-6, 7-5, 6-2.

Perhaps to entertain the locals, Nadal and Ferrer played the meaningless reverse singles.  The Czech team let some of their team savor a bit of the Davis Cup finals playing Jan Hajek and Lukas Dlouhy (who normally plays doubles) instead of Stepanek and Berdych.

With that, most players gear up in December with a rigorous training regimen trying to get ready for 2010.  Andy Murray has already headed to Miami where he has spent the last two Decembers training.  No doubt Roger Federer has headed to Dubai to begin his training for 2010.  The ever-confident Federer posted to Facebook looking forward to a wonderful 2010.

There remains questions heading into 2010, many of which look like the questions heading into 2009.  Can Roger Federer come back?  Sure, he nearly accomplished the improbable Small Slam for the fourth time in his career, falling short by losing to Juan Martin del Potro.  But his game, when it’s off, always looks shaky.  Is the shank forehand a symptom of his movement?  Look at the crisper Davydenko.  Will Federer, someone who plays near the baseline like Davydenko, look to him as the model to beat players like Nadal and del Potro.

Can Andy Murray win a Slam?  Murray started off 2009 hitting as well as he ever had.  His ball striking turned passive as the year wore along, perhaps, in part, due to a wrist injury that manifested itself at the US Open.  Murray reached number 2 primarily due to Nadal not playing Wimbledon and losing early in the French.  However, with a resurgent Djokovic playing well at the end of the year, Murray slipped back to number 4.

Can Rafa play a full year?  2009 saw Rafa succumbing to injuries earlier than ever.  The rigorous clay circuit seemed to drain Rafa both physically and mentally.  Rafa saw his undefeated streak end at the French Open when surprising newcomer, Robin Soderling, took him out in four sets, and then took that win to his first final at a Slam ever.  Rafa took a big break, then lost to del Potro and Djokovic prior to the US Open.  Although he reached the semifinals of the US Open, Rafa had no answers to del Potro and lost tamely 2, 2, and 2.  Rafa struggled some in the indoor season, losing to Djokovic and Davydenko, then in the round-robin, he again fell to Robin Soderling.  Even so, Rafa tends to play well at the start of the year.  What changes will he make to get him more durability?  Or has Rafa’s grinding style finally caught up to him?

Is Novak Djokovic back?  Djokovic won more matches than anyone else in 2009.  But he had few Masters titles and poor Slam results.  He returned back to the semifinals of the US Open for the third year in a row, but looked a bit listless against Roger Federer.  After the US Open, Djokovic looked the most solid, beating Federer in Basel one week and Nadal in Paris the next.  However, Djokovic couldn’t get to the semifinal rounds of the ATP World Tour Finals, a fate that also befell Andy Murray.

Where is Andy Roddick?  Roddick complained about the grind of the tour in Shanghai.  He had to retire and did not play the remainder of the year.  Is Sam Querrey ready to come back?  A freak injury early in the Asian tour left Querrey unable to play the remainder of the indoor season.  Even so, Querrey remains the second highest ranked American player.  Roddick found himself unable to take his amazing Wimbledon final appearance and buoy that to better results.  Instead, Roddick found himself struggling against other Americans, including both Querrey and Isner, who knocked Roddick out of the US Open.

How will Juan Martin del Potro do in 2010?  del Potro beat many of the top players, including Federer, Nadal, and Murray.  Yet, he found himself a bit frail, suffering from injuries that took him off the tour for several weeks right around the US Open and right after the US Open as well.  del Potro was able to peak in most of the Slams, however, getting to the semifinals of the French Open and winning the US Open.

Is Robin Soderling ready to ascend the ranks?  Soderling showed his victory over Nadal wasn’t a fluke and managed to eke in the ATP World Tour Finals when Roddick bowed out due to injury.  Last year, Gilles Simon found himself in the same position.  His victory over Federer meant Federer was unable to make the semifinals.  Simon, however, regressed in 2009, basically unable to make forward progress and lost somewhat early in most tournaments.  Will Soderling be able to play well where Simon did not?

Will there be a surprise for 2010?  In 2007, Novak Djokovic came from nowhere to put himself at number 3.  In 2008, Andy Murray made a bid to move to the top of the rankings, and Juan Martin del Potro also came from nowhere to move himself to the top 10.  In 2009, del Potro continued to make progress.  2009 saw Davydenko returning to form late in the year as well as Djokovic.

Are there any players that are ready to make that leap in 2010?

Finally, what about American tennis?  Can Melanie Oudin make herself a top 10 player?  Can Querrey recover from a freak accident?  Does Isner have enough of a game to move higher in the rankings?  Is James Blake done for?

As we congratulate Spain for its second consecutive Davis Cup, we bid 2009 adieu.  Roger Federer reclaimed number 1, his first French title, and became a father.  As the holidays approach, let us reflect on the year of tennis just passed and look forward at another year of tennis ahead.