#30: Fish vs. Hanescu
Although there were longer five set matches in the first round of the Open, I found this encounter to be one of the most entertaining. This was due, mostly, to the incredible serving power and percentages of both men. Both gave as much as they could in rallies, and both deserved a victory. In the end, Fish walked out on top 2-4, 4-6, 6-3, 7-5, 6-3. Could be seen as perhaps another unfortunate match-up so early in a tournament that promised a good run from both players. One heck of an underrated match.
#29: Bryan Brothers Make it Five
Mike and Bob sure know how to win. It's their 5th Australian Open Doubles crown in just six years, and their competition was no pushover, either. Veteran Indian doubles stars Bhupathi and Paes teamed up in a Grand Slam once more, only to be beaten convincingly by their younger counterparts 6-3, 6-4. A little part of me couldn't help but feel sorry, as it's the third finals loss at Melbourne for both halves of the Indian duo, over ten years. They were simply outclassed in every facet, and are still missing that one trophy in the Grand Slam cabinet.
#28: Jarmila Groth Captures our Attention
Born in Bratislava, Groth gained Australian citizenship in 2009, and the following year she achieved third round victories at both the French Open and Wimbledon. However, she faced a huge task in round one of the Australian Open against 21st seed Yanina Wickmayer. Fighting well, but beating herself in the end, Groth fell in three sets, visibly upset with herself. But her efforts moved her up to 31 in the world, and will undoubtedly break her six-year curse in Melbourne Park as a seeded player next year.
#27: Alicia Molik Manages One More Melbourne Second Round
Alicia Molik looked almost 7 years younger playing Italy's Roberta Vinci in the first round. The Australian was playing against a woman only two years younger than herself, but in the best form of her career. From nowhere, Molik pulled out all the stops to win 8-6 in a mammoth third set. Vintage form was on show for the Rod Laver Arena crowd, and they loved every minute of it. It didn't matter than Molik lost her next match to Petrova, she showed that she can still give it to the best well beyond her most memorable years.
#26: The First All-Swiss Quarter-Final
Stanislaus Wawrinka was carrying high expectations coming up against his slightly-more famous countryman, Roger Federer, after wiping Andy Roddick of the court in the previous round. Although Federer was all class in removing a clearly nervous Wawrinka from the tournament, this match earnt its place in this list simply through the expectations and hype it carried from Federer looking vulnerable at times during the tournament and Wawrinka looking flawless. The world number two showed why he'd won the tournament four times already by winning easily in straight sets, but credit to Wawrinka for perhaps making himself known to a wider audience.
#25: Juan Martin Del Potro Returns to Melbourne Park
The 2009 U.S. Open champion saw majority of 2010 from the sidelines, nursing a wrist injury which stopped him from defending his title. Needless to say, there was plenty of support for the giant Argentinian as he made his way to Australia. Although he lost in the second round of the Sydney International to Florian Mayer in the second round, signs looked good that he could trouble in Melbourne. But it wasn't going to happen, as Cypriot Marcos Baghdatis bundled him out in four sets in the second round. He'll be back.
#24: Henin vs. Kuznetsova
If there was anyone that looked as if they were capable of playing well above their seeding at the Open, it was Justine Henin. The eleventh seed was in great touch coming into the tournament, and looked capable of taking out any of the ten above if she continued her solid form. But Svetlana Kuznetsova had something to say about it, and took it to the Belgian, removing her in a close match 6-4, 7-6 - needing ten points to win the second set tiebreaker. The loss was made all the worse by Justine's announcement of her immediate retirement from professional tennis due to an elbow injury.
#23: Venus Williams' Wardrobe
Venus Williams looked more like a giant, gangrene infected honeycomb than a tennis player at this years open. It didn't take long for debates to rage about her new outfit. While Sharapova played it safe with orange & blue and Wozniacki with white and pink, Williams somehow thought that every colour in the visible spectrum sploshed together would not harm anyone's vision. I think even fellow countrywoman Bethanie Mattek-Sands would have walked away from this one.
#22: Wozniacki Gets In a Scuffle With A Roo, Or Perhaps Not
This is kind of painful writing about this one. Caroline Wozniacki decided that the best way to avoid the media labelling her as 'boring' was to conjure up a story about a nasty kangaroo that didn't take kindly to her presence in a park. It certainly worked. Instead, the media focused on how distracted she must have been to come up with an alternative story to real one - that she had a close encounter with a treadmill. No-one let the story drop throughout the tournament. Not the most run-of-the-mill Australian Open for the Dane, sometimes on the court, but mostly off of it.
#21: John Isner on the Losing End of a Marathon Match
In his third round encounter with Marin Cilic, John Isner had lost a fourth set tiebreaker to send the game to a fifth set. Surely somewhere in the back of Isner's head must have been memories of the last time he played a five set match, at Wimbledon last year. That one contained 138 games in the fifth set. That match went for 11 hours. It was the longest match in the history of tennis. As the score went past 6 all in the 5th in Melbourne, you almost hear the mix of pity and laughter from your living room. The result didn't go Isner's way, but the 9-7 5th set scoreline was a fitting finish to a fantastic match. John Isner deserves a holiday. Or two.
#20: The Fun of the Rally for Relief
Queensland suffered its worst floods ever seen in the weeks before the start of the tournament. Thousands of homes were destroyed and communities plunged into grief. Even the Pat Rafter Arena, which had hosted the Brisbane International just the week beforehand, resembled a swimming pool with a net. It didn't take long for suggestions to arise that a charity event be set up in Melbourne Park to raise funds to assist those affected. Much like last year's "Hit for Haiti," the "Rally for Relief" was a quickly organised exhibition match featuring some of the world's top players in the mens and womens game. Novak Djokovic and Andy Roddick were the real winners in a chaotic mix of tennis, providing comic relief throughout. Good times for a good cause.
#19: Andy Murray Destroys Jurgen Melzer
Only one match on the mens side of the draw can be considered a true annihilation. Fifth seed Andy Murray smashed eleventh seed Jurgen Melzer 6-3, 6-1, 6-1 in a match that stood to reaffirm Murray's Grand Slam credentials. The Austrian never had a chance against a player who was producing possibly the best tennis of his career. Although Murray managed to lose even less games against Spain's Garcia-Lopez, the class of player in Melzer made his fourth round match even more impressive. Murray earnt himself two breadsticks against one of the finest players on the ATP circuit. No easy feat for any player. Impressively, after this match Murray had won 68 games and given up only 22.
#18: Federer vs. Djokovic
No one saw it coming. No-one. Djokovic took the sixteen-time Grand Slam apart in straight sets 7-6, 7-5, 6-4. It wasn't as if Federer was playing dreadful tennis, albeit not his greatest. But when Federer made the mistakes, Djokovic went on the attack. His victory meant that it was the first time since 2003 that Federer had not held one of the Slams in his possession. It's not end for Federer, but it might be the start of the decline. Djokovic was unplayable, sending back anything and forcing a normally perfect Roger backhand in malfunction. Easily the biggest match in 2011 so far, in terms of shaking up the rankings. Djokovic is knocking on Federer's door, again.
#17: Petra Kvitova
She broke the hearts of the home fans by sending out remaining Aussie hope, Sam Stosur in straight sets in the third round. She then proved it was no fluke by coming from a set down to defeat Flavia Pennetta in the following round. The 25th seed eventually bowed out to world number two Vera Zvonareva, but gained a lot of attention along the way. Kvitova, age 20, turned heads before the tournament by winning the Brisbane International final 6-1 6-3 over Andrea Petkovic. Her victory there moved her to number 28 in the world. Scratch that number because she's now 18 after her Open efforts. Watch out.
#16: The One Game Match
Love her or hate her, Venus Williams fought what must be called the most painful victory seen for a while on the WTA Tour. Playing against Russia's Sandra Zahlavova in the second round, she looked sore in the deciding set, moving awkwardly in obvious discomfort. But she managed to find the winners and keep her own movement limited to take an inspired victory. In the following match against Petkovic, however, her pain looked to have increased tenfold. What followed the opening game was a very controversial move. Williams retired 0-1 down in the opening set. Needless to say, the crowd were not appreciative. Debate will likely continue on whether the move was sporting or not for quite some time.
#15: Monfils vs. de Bakker
A lengthy match. A bunch of brain snaps. A great comeback. A mildly controversial post-match press session. It was certainly a match full of everything you could ask for. de Bakker, with match point and two sets advantage, somehow lost the match in five sets - and quite quickly for that matter. So quickly, in fact, that Gael Monfils was quick to accuse the Dutchman of throwing away the fourth set deliberately in order to get set for a clean start in the fifth. Needless to say, the comments did go down well with the opposite camp. What was looking like the biggest upset of the opening round turned out to be a strong revival from the twelfth seed Frenchman.
#14: The Unbeatable Esther Vergeer
If you think Roger Federer is the most successful singles player of all time, then you'd be wrong. Esther Vergeer, from the Netherlands, developed paraplegia after an operation to fix blood hemorrhaging around her spinal cord. Didn't stop her from becoming one of the most dominant sports people on the planet. She hasn't lost a wheelchair singles match since 2003. Yes, thats eight years of being undefeated. Furthermore, she beat Australian Daniela di Toro in the final with double bagels. Once again you read correctly - that's 6-0, 6-0. If you want someone thats both successful and inspirational, look no further.
#13: Rafael Nadal Injury Causes An Unexpected Exit Against David Ferrer
Rafael Nadal suffered a hamstring injury in his quarter-final clash with countryman David Ferrer which saw him bow out in straight sets 4-6, 2-6, 3-6. It was unclear when Nadal started feeling the effects of the injury, but it was relatively early in the match, and that didn't help his cause in the long run. With his defeat went the dream of the 'Rafa Slam,' where Nadal was attempting to hold all four Grand Slams at once. However, nothing should be taken away from the David Ferrer game. Ferrer played his strokes very well, and would go on to challenge a confident Andy Murray, taking him to two tiebreakers, showing his worthiness of holding his world number seven ranking, if not, asking for more.
#12: Andrea Petkovic
Look out, here comes the Petko Dance! One of the biggest breaths of fresh air for the WTA Tour and tennis in general is the bubbly 23 year old German who's post match dancing and humorous online videos are winning her bunch of new fans. Petkovic just fell to an equally exciting Petra Kvitova in the Brisbane International final, and brought both her charm and impressive game down to Melbourne. She wiped out Maria Sharapova in the fourth round 6-2, 6-3 to book a meeting with eventual finalist Li Na, where she was defeated by the in form Na, but leaves the country able to hold her head high. Keep on dancing.
#11: Milos Raonic
He's Canadian, and my word he can serve. He's the qualifier that could. The hard-hitting Raonic played 6 matches to make the fourth round, having played through the three-round qualifying draw to make the main singles draw. He brushed aside 22nd seed Michael Llodra in straight sets in the second round, but that wasn't enough for him, so he beat world number 10 Mikhail Youzhny in four sets. He lost to eventual semi-finalist David Ferrer in the fourth round, but who cares? How much would you have bet that a qualifier would take out two seeded players at this years Open?
#10: Makarova Takes Out Ivanovic and Petrova
I predicted earlier in my blog that the best chance for an upset in the first round was for Makarova to defeat Serbia's Ana Ivanovic. It's nice to pick something right, for once. Ekaterina Makarova looks in great touch since taking her first Premier tournament in the middle of last year. And she knows how to put up a fight. She overcame Ivanovic 10-8 in the decider. The Russian would also remove Nadia Petrova from the tournament with an 8-6 win in the last set. Eventual champion Clijsters didnt have it all her way against her in the fourth round, and Makarova was by far the best female player at the tournament in terms of punching above their weight in the rankings.
#9: Clijsters Doubles Bagels Former Number One Safina
It's hard to see Dinara Safina making any impact on the WTA Tour despite having time to do so. I described her several weeks ago as being like a "yo-yo with the string waiting to be cut." The steely precision on the Clijsters game just might have been the decisive cut. Everyone expected tournament favourite Clijsters to walk away with the goods, but to walk away with two freshly baked Bagels from a former world number one? Hardly. The 6-0, 6-0 scoreline is arguably the most embarassing moment in Safina's professional career. She is the first former or current world number one in the history of tennis to be beaten by the dreaded scoreline in a Grand Slam. The Russian is in crisis mode and I have no idea what will snap her out of it.
#8: Tomic Comes of Age
Bernard Tomic didn't even need to walk on a tennis court to start debates across the Australian tennis community when he was granted a wildcard entry into the tournament, despite his 199 world ranking. The sole teenager in the top 200 managed to earn a spot in the tournament based on his previous form and his strong showing in the Sydney International qualifying draw. Despite the criticisms, Tomic made fantastic use of what he was given, taking it to players well above his ranking, including the man at the top Rafael Nadal. He defeated Chardy and Lopez to book the meeting with the world number one in the third round. He held a 4-0 lead in the 2nd set, but let it slip, giving the set away 7-5. Nonetheless, Tomic has proven he is ready to make a move on the ATP Tour.
#7: Alexandr Dolgopolov
And the winner of best pound-for-pound fighter of the Open goes to Ukranian Alexandr Dolgopolov, the man with the greatest ponytail since Pat Rafter. Here's some big hits for you. Down two sets to one against thirteenth seed and 2008 runner-up Jo Wilfred Tsonga he won the last two sets 6-1, 6-1 in style. In the following fourth round, he pulled off the upset of the tournament to remove Sweden's Robin Soderling - the world number 4 at the time. That's some big scalps for a man ranked 46 in the world. In the final 8, he played four very tight sets against eventual finalist, Britain's Andy Murray, before succumbing to his opponent. It's an amazing achievement for a man that has never won an ATP Tour final.
#6: Murray Falls Short for the Second Year Straight
Never before have I seen such emphasis placed on who didn't win than who did in a Grand Slam final. All talk was on whether Murray could finally break through in his third Slam final. The English media treatment of the situation was almsot comical to the point of being sad, where the angle was whether "Britain's" Andy Murray would win. Well it appears that, once again, "Scotland's" Andy Murray fell at the final hurdle. Novak Djokovic defeated Murray in a sorry excuse for a Grand Slam final, 6-4, 6-2, 6-3. Djokovic's solid defensive and much better serving percentages kept him on the front foot the entire match. But hey, remember folks, Ivan Lendl lost four finals before talking his first of eight Slams.
#5: Gilles Simon Almost Makes the Upset of the Decade
Oh how close it was. Frenchman and world number 34 Gilles Simon held his serve to make it 2-2 in the final set of the second round clash with Swiss legend Roger Federer. Things were looking good until Federer suddenly remembered who he was and upped the ante on Simon, breaking him at 3-2 and never looking back. Federer has never lost a Grand Slam when two sets ahead. When Simon won the third, not a soul was worried. When Simon won the fourth, people took notice. This was very different to the Alejandro Falla match at Wimbledon last year. It was the other way around, with Federer forced to defend his lead he had built early, a seemingly awkward position for him. Simon had won the Sydney International just the previous week, and it seemed as if his draw against Federer was a cruel injustice to his game, on the rise once more. But he made a game of it, and one to remember at that.
#4: Li Na
Li Na, the ninth seed Chinese, is a figure of fun and a figure hope for the future of the sport in Asia. She is my pick for player of the tournament this year. Na is similar to Germany's Petkovic, in that she carries a positive demeanor about herself, and her post-match interviews were downright funny. We've learnt that she's in it for the prize money and her husband's credit card (finally, someone is being honest). We've also learnt that her husband's snoring keeps her awake at night. But most importantly, we've learnt she can play tennis. She really put her name on the map by bowling over the seed above her, Vcitoria Azarenka, 6-3 6-3 in the fourth round. Then she beat fellow fun-girl Petkovic in straights, before making the comeback of her career against Caroline Wozniacki in the semi-final. Down a match point, Na played incredible tennis to rattle the world number one. When she took the first set of the final against Clijsters, people started to believe that perhaps the first Asian player in a Grand Slam final could go the extra step. Just maybe. In the end, the only thing that beat Li Na was experience. Now she's gained some for next time around, and she'll use it well.
#3: "Aussie" Kim's Victory and Acceptance Speech
On the other side of the net in that final was a Belgian mother looking to take home a slam that would generate massive amounts of joy from the home crowd, whose media had dubbed her 'Aussie' Kim due to her huge Australian support base. Her first words after winning the title were "I feel like you guys can call me Aussie Kim now because I won the title." Somehow I think we haven't heard the last of that 'Aussie' title next to her name. You could almost feel the love of Clijsters towards the crowd through her speech. This was almost like a home victory for her. Kim even thanked a lucky Melbourne dentist in her speech who helped her out with a chipped tooth before the start of the tournament. She has finally added the other hardcourt slam to her name, and might not be done yet. Just wait and see.
#2: Hewitt vs. Nalbandian
The gasps and the "oohs" were all too clear from the crowd during the Australian Open draw when they saw one non-seed/seed match-up that had the promise of dishing out seed vs. seed quality - Lleyton Hewitt vs. David Nalbandian. In the 2002 Wimbledon final rematch, people expected a bitter encounter in one of the greatest, sometimes unspoken of, rivalries in the sport. We got what we expected, and some. 3-6, 6-4, 3-6, 7-6, 9-7. Easily the best mens match of the tournament, and it's a shame it was in the opening round. Blow for blow they went until 1am local time, where Nalbandian broke at 7-all and then served out a thriller. Both men looked equally capable of winning the match, with a solid Hewitt forehand and the reliable Nalbandian backhand on show. An instant classic.
#1: "Schiova"
Move over John Isner and Nicholas Mahut because there is a new marathon duo in town! Francesca Schiavone and Svetlana Kuznetsova played what is arguably the greatest women's tennis match in history, with an epic third set battle which result in victory for 2010 French Open champ Schiavone, 16-14. The opening sets were bizarre in the Schiavone took te first 6-4, but bombed the 2nd 6-1. Yet, somehow, she found a way to bring herself into the match, and eventually take it. What makes this match just as impressive, if not more, than the Mahut/Isner epic, is that this match was decided in the late stages with weary, but passionate, baseline rallies - not through first serve percentages. I'm sure I'm not the only one thinking that if Schiavone had a full tank of energy left in her that she would have gotten past world number one Caroline Wozniacki in the quarter final. The fact that the Italian sixth seed took a set off Wozniacki, despite a turnover well under 48 hours, is a victory in itself. What a phenomenal Open this was for the WTA Tour.
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