AUSTRALIAN

Melbourne, Jan. 13: Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic are both gunning for a record seventh Australian Open crown from Monday, but Andy Murray will make his last appearance in Melbourne as the era of the “Big Four” draws to a close.

Number one Djokovic and third seed Federer face a stern challenge from the likes of youthful force Alexander Zverev, seeded four, who is still looking for a first major to cement his place as torch-bearer for the next generation.

But Murray dropped a preGrand Slam bombshell, breaking down during a tear-filled press conference as he revealed chronic hip pain means he will retire after Wimbledon — if he can carry on that long.

And question marks remain over the fitness of world number two Rafael Nadal who pulled out of his Brisbane warm-up but arrived in Melbourne professing he was “fully fit” and promising to unleash a remodelled serve.

It all means the era of the “Big Four” is almost over after a season in which Federer — who opens his title defence against Denis Istomin on Monday — rolled back the years on Rod Laver Arena to lift an emotional 20th Grand Slam.

It put him on a par with other six-time Australian Open winners Djokovic and Roy Emerson — although the Australian great’s victories all came

before the Open

MOST TITLES: Margaret Court won her first crown in 1960. Between then and 1973 she won the women’s singles 11 times, the doubles eight and mixed twice — 21 titles in all.

MOST TITLES (MEN): Adrian Quist won 13 titles between 1936 and 1950. He won three singles and 10 doubles.

YOUNGEST CHAMPION: The youngest men’s singles champion was Ken Rosewall of Australia. He was 18 years and two month old when he won in 1953. The youngest women’s singles champion was Martina Hingis of Switzerland. She was 16 years and four months old when she won in 1997.

OLDEST CHAMPION: Thelma Long was 37 years and seven months old when she won the women’s doubles in 1956.

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era.

By contrast, the 31-year-old Djokovic endured a miserable early Melbourne exit in 2018, followed by elbow surgery and a string of disappointing results that saw him drop outside the top 20. But since winning a fourth Wimbledon in July the Serb rose inexorably back to number one by losing only three further matches — one of which was to Zverev at the ATP Finals. Djokovic won his third US Open in September to put him on 14 Grand Slams — three and seventh at Melbourne Park while eight weeks pregnant two years ago, and now attempts to match Margaret Court’s mark of

24 singles majors on the Australian’s home soil.

The 37-year-old’s last outing on tour was her meltdown in losing the US Open final to Naomi Osaka in September and she enters the season-opening Slam as the 16th seed.

Yet she has proved in the past that such numbers mean little to her and Osaka said most in the locker room believed the veteran remains the one to beat in Melbourne.

Serena’s 2017 triumph Down Under gave her the outright Open-era record for singles majors ahead of Steffi Graf’s 22, leaving only Court’s tally of 24 titles — 13 of which were earned in the amateur era before 1968 — for her to chase.

Defending champion Caroline Wozniacki admitted Serena, already hailed by many as the greatest of all time, was an unknown quantity in Melbourne after sitting out the end of the

2018 season following the US Open blow-up.