AUSTRALIAN OPEN: BACK TO NOSTALGIA & TIME-TRAVELLING TO THE FUTURE
Djokovic’s second round
loss raised further questions about his future
fresher and in better shape can be optimal for players for whom stamina may become an issue.
Perhaps the current younger crop is not as outstanding as were the “big four” on their way up. If so, the defeats of Novak Djokovic, the titleholder, and Andy Murray, the top seed, are all the more extraordinary.
Dokovic’s second round 7-6(10-8) 5-7 2-6 7-8(7-5) 6-3 loss to Denis Istomen, an Uzbekistani qualifier, raised further questions about his future. An implication from his newly departed coach, Boris Becker, was that personal issues and a completion of the career Grand Slam might both be altering the 12-time Grand Slam winner’s balance of priorities.
Murray’s 7-5 5-7 6-2 6-4 fourth round defeat by Mischa Zverev, the World No.50 from Germany, brought questions about his conditioning and strategy. He’d had only two week’s break during the close season and did not always move at his best in the high temperatures. He also struggled to thread passes from deep positions past a net-rushing opponent; Federer comfortably beat Zverev by stepping forward and taking time away from the volleyer.
Nadal and Federer produced some of the best quotes as well. “I feel this rivalry go not only in the tennis world,” Nadal said in his lively pidgin English. “People outside our world talk about this.” Federer was typically benevolent: “I would have been happy to have a draw tonight, and share it with Rafa,” he said.
Serena had similarly good words for Venus. “This is probably the moment of our careers so far,” she said. “I felt like no matter what happened, she can’t lose, I can’t lose.”
From early in the tournament Serena’s first strike tactics made her seem the unofficial favourite, though she was aided by her
compatriot Coco Vandewegh’s fierce-hitting conquest of the top-seeded titleholder, Angelique Kerber. That also opened up the chance for Serena to recapture the World No.1 ranking.
Surprisingly the Williams sisters withdrew from the Women’s Doubles, citing an elbow injury to Venus. It was won by the second-seeded Bethanie Mattek-Sands of the United States and Lucie Safarova of the Czech Republic, who beat Andrea Hlavackova, another Czech, and Peng Shuai of China 6-7(4) 6-3 6-3.
A different kind of delight emerged when Australia’s John Peers and Finland’s Henri Kontinen won the Men’s Doubles by beating the legendary American twins, Bob and Mike Bryan 7-5 7-5. The Melbourne man thus helped ensure that a fortnight of nostalgia- inducing outcomes was leavened by at least one which kept us in the here and now.
Australian Open 2017, Melbourne: Men’s Singles: [17] Roger Federer (SUI) bt [9] Rafael Nadal (ESP) 6-4, 3-6, 6-1, 3-6, 6-3
Women’s Singles: [2] Serena Williams (USA) bt [13] Venus Williams 6-4, 6-4
Men’s Doubles: [4] John Peers (AUS) & Henri Kontinen (FIN) bt [3] Bob Bryan (USA) & Mike Bryan (USA) 7-5, 7-5
Women’s Doubles: [2] Bethanie Matthek-Sands (USA) & Lucie Safarova (CZE) bt [12] Andrea Hlavackova (CZE) & Peng Shuai (CHN) 6-7(4), 6-3, 6-3
INTERNATIONALTENNISMAGAZINE March 2017 | 11
www.isportgroup.com/InternationalTennisMagazine
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