Sports Then and Now

2007

Novak Djokovic lost the 2007 U.S. Open to Roger Federer

Remember the U.S. Open in 2007?

Remember how happy Novak Djokovic was and how happy he made the New York crowds with his impersonations of the top players like Maria Sharapova, Andy Roddick, Roger Federer and even Rafael Nadal?

While the guys growled, seemingly a little scratchy about his antics, Sharapova loved it and even sat in the Serb’s box with his parents!  Life was good then, Nole. Wasn’t it? Simple, but good.

Djokovic made it all the way to the finals, where he faced Federer down.  The Serb lost, of course.  Nerves.  Actually, he lost in straight sets, but the match was closer than it looked on paper.  That’s what everybody said, anyway.

After mixed reviews, Nole faded fast in the 2007 fall indoor season—tired no doubt from all that instant fame and the rocket-ride to the top of the men’s game at age 20.  He could barely hold up a racket during the Masters Championship in Shanghai.  Noticeably, he didn’t win a rubber.

Extreme fatigue.

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Roger Federer won the Australian Open a year ago, in 2010.

2011 Australian Open Analysis

The thought of Novak Djokovic’s mom once again pronouncing gleefully, “The King is dead!” might have been the ultimate capper on an already miserable 2011 Australian Open semifinal for Roger Federer fans.

That magical moment from the 2008 Australian Open still sends shivers of revulsion down the spines of a legion of the Maestro’s avid supporters.

While that did not happen this year, some other reactions to a Federer defeat never change.

After Federer suffered a similar straight set semifinal loss to Djokovic this past Thursday, the inevitable headlines leading articles hinting at the demise and death of an illustrious tennis career immediately followed.

Andrew Webster of The Daily Telegraph touched on the topic but wisely never made a definitive pronouncement of the end of Federer––just hinted at it.

Webster drew attention to Federer’s growing annoyance at Djokovic’s unending ball bounces before serving––noting that the Swiss finally complained about it.

This, the author pointed out, was just a surface tic, reflecting Federer’s true consternation at his own inability to keep his foot on Djokovic’s neck in the second set. Webster called it a “whinge.” In other words, in Australian parlance—he accused Federer of whining.

The author ended his heavily connoted death notice with the phrase “the king is dead;” but then backed away reminding his audience that we had all heard this before.

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The 2011 Australian Open final may feature Novak Djokovic and Andy Murray.

Their names roll off the tongue easily like Simon and Garfunkel, Abbott and Costello, Batman and Robin—Djokovic and Murray.

It is hard to say one name without adding the other.

They are linked inevitably as part of the current tennis landscape because they have existed as backups to the top two guys, Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal.

Like the ingenue treading the boards waiting backstage for a chance to take over the lead role, Novak Djokovic and Andy Murray, both age 23, have been waiting for their moment in the spotlight, learning their lines and practicing their art for over three years.

They have been ready to go, according to their fans and supporters, since 2007 or 2008.

But, so far, neither Roger Federer nor Rafael Nadal have been willing to step aside to allow the World No. 3 or World No. 4 the opportunity to take home the major award at one of the grand slam events.

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Caroline Wozniacki is flying high so far at the 2011 Australian Open.

There are clear favorites in each of the Australian Open women’s quarterfinals. It is hard to make strong winning cases for any of the underdogs and punters should be confident in backing the top three seeds to reach the last four, as they did in the last slam at the US Open.

Caroline Wozniacki and Kim Clijsters were two of those three who progressed into the semifinals at Flushing Meadows and they are deservedly strong favorites against Francesca Schiavone and Agnieszka Radwanksa.

Schiavone surely left too much on court in her record-breaking win over Svetlana Kuznetsova in round four, especially as Wozniacki has gradually improved in this event. She peaked too early in New York but seems to be coping with the pressure of top seeding better in Melbourne.

Clijsters was not at her dominant best against Ekaterina Makarova in round four, making 15 unforced errors in a first set that was decided by a tie break. Her inexperienced opponent fell away in the second set, but the number three seed is vulnerable against the top players if she delivers the same level of performance in the latter rounds. Read the rest of this entry →

Roger Federer won the Australian Open in 2010.

Winning this year’s Australian Open conceivably paves the way for a great year for Roger Federer, allowing him to win his fifth Australian Open title in 12 years of hard-fought competition in Melbourne Park.

Except for 2010, Federer’s most productive years came when he started the year by winning the Australian Open.

Federer has won six Wimbledon titles, five U.S. Open Championships, four Australian Open titles and one French Open Championship.

Currently, Federer holds 16 career grand slam singles titles, a record for male tennis players.

During each of the past eight years, Federer has won at least one grand slam title, winning his first in 2003 and his last in 2010.  Both years, he won only one major.

In 2004, Federer won three slams. In 2006 and 2007 Federer again won three of the four majors.

The act of winning in Melbourne re-focused Federer on his dream to win a career calendar year grand slam, like Aussie Rod Laver in 1969.

As he nears 30, Federer once again seeks to capitalize on his newfound confidence and zeal for the game by winning again in Australia.

The Swiss wishes to advance his current World No. 2 ranking.

Federer hopes to enhance his position during the remainder of 2011 when he has fewer ranking points to defend while Rafael Nadal, the current World No. 1, has many.

Year 1: Roger Federer in the 2000 Australian Open

Roger Federer entered men’s professional tennis as the No. 1 ranked junior in 1998.

The Swiss possessed enormous talent. The world waited for Federer to break through to become the champion they expected.

But like all good things, the Swiss needed to season his talent.

Federer first participated in the Australian Open in 2000, ranked World No. 66, after failing to qualify the previous year.

That year, the No. 1 seed at the Australian Open was Andre Agassi who did, in fact, win that year.

Federer entered unseeded in Melbourne in 2000.

In the first round, the Swiss defeated American Michael Chang 6-4, 6-4, 7-6.

Jan Kroslak of Slovakia was Federer’s opponent in the second round. The Swiss won that match 7-6, 6-2, 6-3.

In the third round, Federer faced Arnaud Clement, ranked World No. 49 at the time.

Federer lost that match to the Frenchman 6-1, 6-4, 6-3, ending his run at the Australian Open in his first year of competition down under.

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Serena Williams was the last Australian Open champ in 2010.

Most of the ladies crowned as champions of the Australian Open hailed primarily from Australia back in the early days of this prestigious tennis tournament.

Distance from European capitals and the United States kept the Australian Open a happening mainly for locals, although there were foreign winners from time to time.

Overall Australians have won 43 Australian Open titles, 33 during the Amateur Era and 10 during the Open Era. Their first championship came in 1922 and their last in 1978.

The Aussies are all hoping Samantha Stosur can add to their total by winning the championship in 2011. The time is now for a  native to win the trophy––it has been 33 years, after all.

With defending champion Serena Williams not playing in 2011 because of injury, this year is wide open for the ladies as they look to crown a new champion.

Female champions from the United States are second having won 22 Australian Open titles, 7 in the Amateur Era and 15 during the Open Era.

Half of the ladies in this Top Ten list are logically from Australia and many of them represent titles won during the Amateur Era which began back in 1922.

But all have outstanding results in the “Happy” Slam now held annually in Melbourne.

10. Australian Joan Hartigan Bathurst: Won in 1933, 1934, 1936 – 3 Finals, 3 Wins, 2 Consecutively.

Joan Hartigan Bathurst won three Australian Open titles in her career.

Australian Joan Hartigan-Bathurst played her first Australian Open Championship in 1931 and her last one in 1947. She won three championships during her long career.

Traveling outside of Australia, Hartigan-Bathurst also made the semifinals at Wimbledon twice. She never, however, traveled to play in the United States championships.

During her years playing on tennis courts around the world, Hartigan-Bathurst won three Australian Open titles, made the semifinals twice and the quarterfinals four times.

In 1933 Hartigan-Bathurst defeated Coral Buttsworth to win her first Australian Open title 6-4, 6-3.

The Aussie repeated as champion the following year defeating Margaret Molesworth 6-1, 6-4 in 1934.

Her next Australian Open Championship came in 1936 when Hartigan-Bathurst won over fellow Aussie Nancy Wynn Bolton 6-4, 6-4.

Overall she played in 10 Australian Open Championships, winning three times. Her win loss record was 48-7 giving Hartigan Bathurst a winning percentage of 87.27.

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