THETALKING POINTSAHEAD OFTHEYEAR’S FIRST SLAM

The first grand slam of the new season will see a number of fascinating storylines. Can the old stagers continue to get the better of the young pretenders or will this be the tournament where the torch is passed? Here, we pick out the three main talking points for the Australian Open. Serena Williams might have begun 2019 with no intention of looking back but her first competitive match since the tumultuous US Open final will take place at Melbourne Park and she would surely be better off confronting what happened in New York rather than continuing to shy away from talking about it. On the court, the 37-year-old will once again be among the favourites to equal Margaret Court’s all-time record of 24 slam singles titles in her fourth major tournament since childbirth. Her form at Flushing Meadows prior to being outplayed by Naomi Osaka indicated she is more than capable. Whatever happens, it is clear the Novak Djokovic who lost in straight sets to Chung Hyeon in Melbourne 12 months ago is a very different animal to the one who returns to his most successful grand slam. Back at world number one and, judging by his performances over the last three months of the 2018 season, back at the top of his game. The Serbian will be bidding for a third consecutive slam title and looks as hungry as ever to chase down the sport’s records. He has suffered surprising losses in his last three tournaments but has not been beaten at a slam since June. In Osaka, women’s tennis appears to have found a new superstar, and she will now have to cope with the pressure. Aryna Sabalenka is another 20-year-old rising fast and the big question for 2019 is whether male players of a similar age can at last make their mark. By beating Federer and Djokovic back to back to win the ATP Finals to close 2018, Alexander Zverev made a statement but he has so far under-performed at the slams. The likes of Karen Khachanov, Stefanos Tsitsipas and Daniil Medvedev have the talent, but can they seize the opportunity?