MIKE DICKSON’S TENNIS AWARDS 2017
BEST MEN’S MATCH
The five-set thriller between Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal in the Australian Open final not only set the tone for the season, but proved to be as good as it got. An honourable mention goes to Federer’s semi-final at the Miami Open against Nick Kyrgios, but in truth this was not a standout year in the volume of outstanding contests on the men’s tour.
BEST WOMEN’S MATCH
Maria Sharapova was controversially given a wildcard by (among others) the US Open, but kept her side of the bargain in her pulsating first-round defeat of second seed Simona Halep. Honourable mention for Jo Konta’s Wimbledon quarter-final against Halep and Sharapova v Genie Bouchard at the Madrid Open in May, which crackled with intensity (note to the men: being all chummy with your rivals is not always the best box office).
MYTH OF THE YEAR
That the strength in depth of professional tennis is more impressive than ever. This is often peddled by the players themselves, but it did not stand up to scrutiny this year, with the French Open, Wimbledon and US Open having a processiontype feel for the men’s champions. At the elite end, women’s tennis was more of a lottery than for decades, with the No 1 spot being passed around and Serena Williams winning the Australian Open while pregnant.
VILLAIN OF THE YEAR
2017 was the season when Ilie Nastase’s erratic behaviour, dating back to the 1970s, finally caught up with him. Romania’s Fed Cup captain lost the plot in the tie against Great Britain. His tirades against Jo Konta and Anne Keothavong were inexcusable, although it was notable that he did have friends who rallied to defend his broader reputation. A ban of sorts is in place.
BEST NEWCOMER
It was a contentious addition and put some noses out of joint, but the Ryder Cup-style Laver Cup in Prague made an impressive debut, with everything falling into place impeccably for its chief promoter, Mr Goldenballs himself, Federer. Whether it can establish itself is a different question altogether.
THE ENIGMA VARIATIONS
Australians Nick Kyrgios and Bernard Tomic continued having spats with authority and they wrestled with life on a tour that rewards the grinders, which they most definitely are not. Few have their talent, especially in the case of Kyrgios, or their ability to infuriate and perplex. Strangely, nobody was able to figure them out much more by the end of 2017.
QUIET ON HOME FRONT
A season when the best British players did little more, broadly speaking, than tread water. Bucking the trend was Cameron Norrie, the 22-year-old left-hander largely raised in New Zealand, who graduated after a stellar US college career and rose quickly to knock on the door of the top 100.
IS THERE A DOCTOR IN THE HOUSE?
The annual debate about whether the demands of the tour are excessive came early this year, brought forward from its usual October time to post-Wimbledon when a slew of top-20 players closed their seasons down early, including Andy Murray, Novak Djokovic and Stan Wawrinka. The calendar usually gets the blame, but simple age is a factor, and so is the tendency among players to overtrain.
TOMORROW’S WORLD
Next year it will be fascinating to see the returns (good health permitting) of Serena, Murray, Djokovic, Wawrinka, not to mention how Nadal and Federer fare without much of an off-season. Can Sharapova string significant victories together without meldonium? The odd rule change is in the air with Next Gen setting the tone: increased use of shot clocks, reduced warm-ups and a possible return to 16 seeds at Grand Slams are pushing their way up the agenda.