Once again it’s that
time of year. New Years has come and gone and the Christmas decorations are
starting to make their way back into the boxes, and what does all this mean, must
be time for the Australian open. In a sense we like to think that the Ausie
open sets the scene for the rest of the tennis year. But it’s just the same as
any other Grand Slam and, as we have seen before, the tennis calendar can
deliver many surprises....
So how is this
Australian Open going to shape up? We are graced, as always with the appearance
of the top four, Djokovick, Nadal, Federer and Murray. Along with many others considered
to be the second division of tennis. However as we have seen before it can be
the second division players delivering the final blow.
If we look back on
the last major tournament we are taken to the ATP world tour finals in London,
UK. Wow what a tournament that was, we had injuries, upsets and a very worthy
champion. Federer for a record 6th time came out on top, but it was
the group stages that caught the world’s attention. Murray withdrew due to
injury after defeat from Ferrer, Nadal was toppled by the hugely powerful
Tsonga and Djokovick suffered twice as he was beaten by Ferrer and Berdych. So
we got to the semi-finals with only one of the top four (division 1) remaining,
what a year.
So 2012 what can we
expect is it going to be the year of one man, much like 2011 was or is it going
to be the year of some one new, (Andy Murray... not likely). Or is it going to
be once again one of those years where we simple just don’t know.
In a way I do hope that
this divide between the top ten is broken this year, it would be brilliant to
know that one of 10 players could win going into a single tournament rather
than the usual four. So who is your money on?
Federer is the last winner of a major tournament,
winning in London in November. But has he still got the game to complete with
the younger generation of tennis player? Is he fit enough? Is he strong enough?
Of course he is, he’s the greatest tennis player ever to walk this earth and
has a very good chance, as always, of winning this year.
Djokovick had an outstanding year in 2011,
reaching world number one and wining 10 singles titles, including 3 Grand
Slams. Djokovick also has a very good track record at the Australian open
having won it twice in recent years.
Nadal, the quickest
man in tennis, specialises in clay courts but has become over the years one of
the greatest all round players and is widely seen as the greatest competitor in
tennis history. But it is the Australian open that Nadal has struggled with
over all the other Grand Slams with only one win and no runner-ups. Can Nadal
win again? Who knows this is tennis.
Murray, the plucky brit. British when he is
winning, Scottish when he is losing. Is this his chance? He has never won a
Grand Slam before and this has been the talk over the player for many years.
The Australian Open has been a strange tournament for Murray over the years
with some terrible results up until two years ago where he reach the finals in
both 2010 and 2011. It seems that at the start of each year he has this huge
hype put over him and never seems to come through. Although Murray is
closer to a Grand Slam than ever before and surely something has to give some
time.
Finally, the one man
really banging at the door of the top four, one of the most exciting players in
recent history, Jo-Wilfred Tsonga. He made the world tour finals a few months
ago, he shocked the world in the 2008 Australian Open beating Murray in the
first round and making it all the way to the final only to lose in a tough
final to Djokovick. Tsonga is very unpredictable and if he is having a good day
then he is incredibly difficult to stop.
So in summery who is
going to win the Australian Open? I don’t know, my guess is as good as your,
but what I can say is that I am very happy that it is not just the top four in
the running any more. The game seems to be opening up.
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