Australian Open Overview
Roger Federer and Justine Henin Aiming for Grand Start at Grand Slam
2008's first Grand Slam tennis event sets much like those of 2007, with Federer and Henin the heavy favorites.
There already has been some tennis played this year, but the Australian Open (AO) is the true beginning of professional tennis in 2008…or any other year for that matter. Should anything unusual be expected in the year’s first Grand Slam? Since upsets are quite usual in Grand Slams, the answer is, “No!”
Federer a Question; Henin Ready
Men’s world No.1 Roger Federer’s health is a question mark, but his ouster before the final still would be extremely unusual. Women’s world No.1, Justine Henin, appears to be healthy given her wins over No.2 seed Svetlana Kuznetsova and No.4 seed Ana Ivanovic in her tune up at the Medibank International in Sydney this past week.
Can Nalbandian Unseat Federer?
The men’s draw has minimal intrigue beyond Federer’s health. Can Novak Djokovic (3) regain the form that vaulted him into the same stratosphere as Federer (1) and Rafael Nadal (2) in 2007? Can the young Americans who made significant strides in ‘07, Sam Query and John Isner, step up in a Grand Slam? Can David Nalbandian (10), who has gone 12-1 in his last three events, including wins over Federer, Nadal, and Djokovic, possibly continue his domination of the world’s top players?
French a Force in 2008
It will be interesting to see whether the French players, who recently emerged as legitimate rivals to the legion of Latin players from Spain and Argentina, can reinforce their rise in 2008, beginning with the AO. Both the French and the Spaniards have nine players in the ATP’s top 50 and the Argentines have six.
French players such as Richard Gaasquet (8), Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, and Nicolas Mahut have beaucoup talent, but can they match the grit of Nadal, Ferrer (5), Carlos Moya (16) and amigos? Argentines Nalbandian, Juan Ignacio Chela (18) and Juan Martin Del Potro should have something to say about which national group reigns supreme in 2008.
Sharapova Back in Mix
The women’s WTA Tour in years past has been relatively predictable beyond the top ten players, but such is no longer the case given the depth of the women's field. Maria Sharapova (5) fell victim to the rise of Serbs Ana Ivanovic (4) and Jelena Jankovic (3) in 2007, dropping to her lowest ranking in three years, but showed in the season-ending Tour Championships that she may be ready to challenge for at least the No.2 spot in the world in ‘08.
Kuznetsova a Solid No.2
The Williams sisters made a comeback in ’07, climbing back into the top ten from their lowest year-end rankings in a decade (95th for Serena and 48th for Venus). But will the elder stateswomen of the WTA top-ten remain healthy in '08, and do they have enough left to unseat Justine Henin? Svetlana Kuznetsova rose to her highest ranking in ’07, moving into Sharapova’s vacated world No.2 spot, holding off the Serbs, the Williams sisters, and top-ten newcomers Anna Chakvetadze (6) and Marion Bartoli (10), and second time top-tenner Daniela Hantuchova (9).
Vaidisova & Golovin Challenging
Nicole Vaidisova (12) and Tatiana Golovin (13) knocked mightily on the door of the top-ten in 2007, but fell just short. Their efforts in the women’s draw at the 2008 Australian Open will offer a clue as to whether they will gain entry during ‘08’s campaign.
Watch the Australian Open for Answers
As is the case at the beginning of each season, there are lots of questions on both the ATP and WTA tours, and the Australian Open is the first real opportunity to see those answers taking shape. If you’d like to develop your own answers by watching the AO, tennis-warehouse.com has listed the entire schedule of TV coverage.
