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Australian Open
The Australian Open has firmly established itself as a unique and significant entity among the four major slams in our sport. In addition to its world-renowned Rod Laver Arena and grounds complex, and the wonderful hospitality and low-key "nothing bothers us" attitude all Aussies exude, The Australian Open offers an excitement and sense of beginning no other slam can claim. This is the 1st slam of the year, and not withstanding a few lead-up events, the 1st real tournament of the year. The Aussie Open is held after a month-long off season, during which no events take place. Like opening day of baseball, or Week 1 of the NFL, this event is widely anticipated by players, spectators and media. Even more so because the next Grand Slam, the French Open is four months away.
Contenders (those who think they have a shot at top 10 in the world) come in physically prepared, but wondering what the new year will bring. Will I maintain the form and momentum I built up last year, and keep my mental edge? Others wonder: Will my hard training and recent encouraging practice results lead to improved match performance? Will this be my year? Everyone is jockeying for position and hopeful for what the new year promises. We are not sure what to expect, and the tournament is usually full of surprises.
Despite today's unprecedented parity in tennis (especially on the men's side), two constants remained at The Open: Justin Henin Hardine and Roger Federer. In my mind, both are firmly established at the top of the pecking order. Forget the rankings. Your ranking is not what intimidates your opponent. It's your recent level of play. Justine has now won 3 of the last 4 slams, displaying a resolve and ability to handle the pressure of being on top. Whether players who are not currently competing can get back to the top remains to be seen, but Justine no longer seems intimidated by anyone. She exudes the confidence of a #1 player. She also is my favorite female player to watch - ferocious and fearless in how she strikes the ball. Justine, for the moment, has Kim Clijster's number.
Roger Federer. Wow. I am awestruck. Does anyone realize just how good this guy is? While I wouldn't presume at this point to compare his career to that of Pete Sampras, or even Andre, when he is on, Federer's level of play is unlike any I have ever seen... EVER. Bold statement, yes, but I stand by it. Roger owns every shot in the book. He makes every shot look effortless. He runs like a gazelle. His passing shots are the best I have ever seen by a person over 6 feet tall And his serve, when he is on? Forget it. This guy was meant to play tennis. Graceful and elegant, he beats you with little apparent effort. Roger makes the game look easy. The last person to do this was Pete Sampras. Comparisons? You betcha. While many players currently are perched near the top of the men's game, and can beat each other on any given day, none has the ability at this point to take his game to the level Roger does when he gets in that rarified air. Can he remain there?
The surprises? For the women, Annalise Maresemo is slowly but surely steadying her attacking game, making fewer unforced errors and playing more consistent tennis on a daily basis. Lisa Raymond and Patti Schnyder also had good runs here and appear poised to ascend the WTA ranking ladder. For the men, the story is Marat Safin. Our talented, moody, party-going, womanizing Russian friend has finally decided to take his tennis game seriuosly. With superb conditioning and body strength, a greatly improved backhand and a mental toughness we have never seen from Marat, he is back, better than ever. Marat made an improbable run to the Aussie finals, entering the tournament ranked only 86th, and coming off a string a 1st round losses. But he entered the tournament with a conviction that he belongs at the top. For Marat fans like myself, his game and personality are much needed on the circuit. Welcome back Marat. This time around, I don't think you'll be leaving the limelight too soon.
I would be fed to the wolves if I did not mention our two Americans, Andy Roddick and Andre Aggasi. I mean no disprepect to Andy when I say that Federer is better. Andy's climb to the top echelon is noteworthy. He has done a great job harnessing his talent, embracing a hard work ethic, and not getting caught up in all the hype. He made a good choice for a coach as well. Definitely star material. Roddick, along with Nalbandian and Ferraro, will chase Federer relentlessly, and will do their best to make is stay at the top uneasy. They are all contenders. In the next batch, look for Hewitt to mount a comeback, and keep an eye on Coria, especially on clay. If Safin continues to play like he did at the Austrailian, count him in as well. I think it is well worth noting that 14 different countries are represented in the top 20 ATP rankings. Truly a global sport with incredible depth and talent.
And a special plaudit for Aggasi, whom I believe is in twilight of his career. How fitting would it be for Andre to win one more Slam? While I don't think Andre can compete on a week in week out basis for #1, he picks his spots as well as anyone, and is as dangerous as they come. Even when he loses, he is still a winner; his effort, level of play, sportsmanship and reverence for the game make him so. Watching the ovation the crowd gave him after he lost to Safin, I think we all sense that we might soon be losing one of the greatest of all time. What an exciting year we have ahead of us. Stay tuned.