Aussie Open marks a changing of the guard
THE first Slam of 2019 will be remembered before it has begun – for the fact that it heralds the dawning of a new era, with one of the old guard – British great, Andy Murray, announcing his retirement and world No 2, Rafa Nadal, also battling the rising tide of injury, hinting at his own.
Melbourne has never been a happy hunting ground for Murray, a five times runner-up at the Australian, so better to bow out bravely on hard courts Down Under, than later on the green grass of Wimbledon, so synonymous with Murray’s greatest triumphs.
His pain in making this announcement was palpable and by virtue of being born in an impossible era, boasting arguably the greatest players ever, his entire career has been an uphill battle and one in which he has prevailed admirably, with a tally of two Olympic Golds, three Grand Slam titles – including sought after Wimbledon, World No1 status, a World Tour title and the Davis Cup for Britain.
He deserves that knighthood, when it arrives…
His glued together at the knee, old rival, Nadal, meanwhile, seems less emotional about his, not yet official, but imminent retirement: “Life has great things, not only tennis, so that doesn’t scare me – to think about that day is realistic..”
Very realistic when you are in the same side of the Australian draw as Roger Federer and Stefanos Tsitsipas, whom John Mcenroe has just touted as one of the three young guns, together with Karen Khachanov and Alexander Zverev, likely to break through and win a Major this year, although the likeliest, on the back of his World Tour title, Zverev, has already injured himself while practising this week.
Of course ex-champion Federer and defending champion Novak Djokovic would have to be rampant favourites, both chasing their seventh Australian Open trophy, from opposite sides of the draw, of which the Serb has benefited by not having to face Federer or Nadal until the final.
Federer has to contend with the dangerous Tsitsipas in the fourth round, Cilic in the quarters and Nadal in the semis.
The Swiss maestro is further incentivised by potentially clocking up his 100th singles title at this event and is looking much sharper around the net in the wake of his recent Hopman Cup win.
Women’s No 1 Simona Halep has never looked entirely comfortable wearing the crown, despite procuring her first ever Grand Slam last year and the fates have not smiled on her either in the draw, with a formidable line-up starting with Ostepa Kaneki.
If she survives that, the next onslaught will be from both Williams sisters – first Venus, then Serena, thus an early exit could be on the cards and one of 10 other women could steal the Romanian’s coveted spot, not least of all the latter, aiming for a remarkable eighth title.
Chaos reigns in the Australian camp, with a fight raging between former No 1 Leyton Hewitt and young gun, Thanasi Kokkinakis, left out of the Davis Cup semis against Belgium, when Hewitt selected John Millman, the man who caused a major upset by eliminating Federer at the 2018 US Open, over and above Kokkinakis.
To make matters worse none of the Australian men have cracked a good draw: Nick Kyrgios, fast discovering the pitfalls of dropping out of the top seeding, has to face lethal serving Canadian, Milos Raonic, in the first round – definitely the match to watch.
However given Kyrgios, as unpredictable as he is incorrigible, has beaten Federer, Nadal and Djokovic, on occasion, during his rollercoaster career, he might capitalise on this opportunity to redeem himself in front of a home crowd. Alex De Minnaur has Nadal to look forward to in the third round and only Ashleigh Barty in the women’s draw has a more promising path to the final, being on the opposite side of the Williams duo and having demolished Halep in Sydney.
Federer has divulged he doesn’t remember most of his three-set matches, but that he will never forget who he has played in a five-setter.
So get ready to unlock your own memory bank in anticipation of clashes that go the whole nine yards…