Australian Open 2013 Awards

What a fantastic tournament this year’s Australian Open has been. The first Grand Slam of the year has always provided tennis aficionados with a lot to cheer – riveting tennis, rising superstars, entertaining interviews and of course, a lot to talk about. This year was no different. I don’t remember the last time both the men’s and women’s reigning champions managed to defend their titles successfully. Another cool stat – the winners in both the men’s and women’s singles as well as the doubles are all ranked no.1 in the world. That should say something about the level of consistency on the tour.

Match of the tournament: Novak Djokovic vs Stanislas Wawrinka (Men’s Quarterfinal)

It was a match of epic proportions. The final scoreline read 1-6 7-5 6-4 6-7(5) 12-10, but what it did not tell was the almost superhuman level of tennis played and the athleticism on display. In a match that lasted a little over five hours, the Swiss and the Serb were locked in a battle from the baseline. Wawrinka played out of his skin but when it came to delivering the final punch, he took his foot off the accelerator and Djokovic has played too many of these matches now to know that you cannot afford to do that. The game is surely getting more muscular. Turning defensive shots into attacking ones has become the mantra now, with players chasing down every corner of the court and beyond. Here’s the match point – one of the many fantastic shots played.

Most underwhelming match: Novak Djokovic vs David Ferrer (Men’s Semifinal)

There is unanimous consensus on the tour and among tennis critics about David Ferrer’s top notch hard work and attitude. The Spaniard, aged 30, has been one of the top players on the tour for quite some time now, but he has never quite managed to get past the top four, especially in grand slams. The fact that Djokovic literally annihilated him in the semis despite coming off of an epic match either means that the world no.1 is the fittest man on earth or that Ferrer does not have the killer instinct – or perhaps both. We, the viewers, have been spoilt rotten with one dramatic match after the other in the latter stages of tournaments and hence, let’s just hope this was an aberration.

Most popular player: Li Na

The Chinese world no.5 and runner up at this year’s tournament is extremely likeable and is popular around the world. But this year, she won numerous more admirers – both for her much improved and aggressive game on court and her sense of humour off it. Some gems from her:

Q. It seemed like after the loss in 2011 you were a little more happy. After this one, a few more tears.

LI NA: Because I’m not falling down two years ago, right?

Q. Why do you think you fell down?

LI NA: Because I’m stupid.

Q. What do you think are the main differences between Azarenka and Sharapova?

LI NA: You mean in the games?

Q. Yes.

LI NA: I was a little bit worried.

Upset of the tournament: Sloane Stephens defeats Serena Williams

I think 99% of the pundits bet on Serena to win this year’s open. Many were even hopeful of the younger Williams sister completing a calendar grand slam. Alas, a young 19 year old American, who has been dubbed the next ‘Serena’ for reasons that do not seem very obvious to me, caused the upset of the tournament by beating the mighty Serena. Sloane Stephens is young, talented and has a charming personality. But these comparisons to Serena, done mostly on the basis of their similar heritages, do not sit well with me. I think Stephens needs to be more aggressive in her style of play to merit a comparison, not forgetting the fact that Williams’ colossal list of achievements put her on a very high pedestal. She and Laura Robson are definitely the future though, provided they stay fit and injury free.

Not the best but still better than the rest: Roger Federer

I am a massive Federer fan but even I am not oblivious to his declining skills. Given how physical the game has become, it will take a huge commitment from the 17 time grand slam champion to work on certain aspects of his game, especially on hard courts. He himself admitted after his semi final loss to Andy Murray that he is not fit. His performance was ordinary at best during the semis but he still pushed his much younger opponent to five sets. He also defeated Tsonga in the quarters in another five set encounter. Although there are several players who are waiting to make a giant kill such as Berdych, Tsonga and Del Potro, the fact that the top four, and especially Roger, have managed to raise their game makes the gap between the two even more evident. Come grass courts, Federer will still be a favourite.

Overhyped player of the tournament: Bernard Tomic

Granted that the young Aussie is talented, but without any significant accomplishments to his name, his remarks on his opponents come off a tad bit arrogant. There is nothing wrong in being confident, but there is a thin line between being sure of oneself and being too sure, and Tomic blurs those lines very effectively. I remember many people stating that his third round match against Federer would be very close – a result of getting caught up in all the hype. I Am sure that in the coming years, he will be a player to beat but the media needs to give him some time to reach there.

The couple of the tournament: Victoria Azarenka and RedFoo

Its a tree, its a mop…no its Redfoo!

Make room for some party because the LFMAO singer and the Belarusian world no.1 were the talk of Melbourne Park. Though there has been no official confirmation regarding their relationship, the latter’s constant presence at Azarenka’s matches (they even saw the men’s finals together) and videos of them goofing around are enough to start the rumour mills. Plus, it is hard to miss that hair!

Worst choke of the tournament: Sam Stosur

The veteran on WTA and local favorite has surprisingly never gone past the fourth round at the event. This year, she lost in three sets to Jie Zheng despite being 5-2 up in the third set. The local media was not very kind to her and the former US Open Champion needs to get back to winning ways to win back her fans.

This year’s Australian Open was the perfect start to the year. Will Djokovic continue to dominate or will the return of Nadal shake things up? Will the new and emerging stars live up to their potential? Either way, it promises to be an exciting year ahead for tennis.