THE AUSTRALIAN OPEN (2)

I started this blog four years ago with a post on the Australian Open, so it's appropriate that I go back to it.

First, I have to admit that I was wrong about Andy Murray. After losing to Federer in that final, I predicted that he would never win a Grand Slam; but he has since won two, a U.S. Open and Wimbledon last year. I still can't warm to him, in the way I can to Federer or Djokovic, but the boy's done good, as they say.

Federer had a good tournament, despite being almost an old man at 32. Last year was, by his high standards, a bit of a disaster, as he was plagued by a series of niggling back problems. However, he is now back injury-free, with a new racket and a new coach in Stefan Edberg, another supremely elegant player and my hero from the 1980's/early 1990's. The combination was clearly on display, as he demolished both Jo-Wilfred Tsonga, his nemesis of the past couple years, in the last 16, and Murray in the quarter finals. But he then ran into Rafael Nadal, probably the player that has always given Federer the most problems, his heavily topspun forehand putting pressure on Federer's backhand. Nadal played at his best, and Federer didn't, so the result was pretty predictable.

With Federer, Murray and (in the other half of the draw) Djokovic out of the way, Nadal was the overwhelming favourite to win. But that didn't take account of Stanislaw Wawrinka, the Swiss conqueror of Djokovic in the quarter finals. At 28, Wrawinka is a late developer, who has improved markedly in the past year or two, and who possesses both a powerful serve and the best one-handed backhand in the game. In the first set, he played beautifully, literally blowing Nadal off the court (not an easy thing to do). Nadal then tweaked his back; and although that made Wrawinka nervous, he eventually came through to win in four sets. Remarkably, this was only the second time since January 2005 that a men's Grand Slam winner had not been one of the big four of Federer, Nadal, Djokovic, and Murray.

In the women's competition, all of the top seeds stumbled against lesser opposition. This allowed my favourite Li Na to win her second Grand Slam title after her French Open victory a couple of years ago. In an age when top women's tennis players are very young, it was refreshing to see a 31-year old take the trophy.  

Walter Blotscher