The first week of the tennis season is over, and it was a busy beginning to the new year with three ATP 250 events played. The tennis review looks back at the ten highlights, and a couple of lowlights, of the week.
1. Roger Federer reached 1000 wins in Brisbane.
And he won the title, too. His 83rd no less. The world No. 2 beat the world No. 8 Milos Raonic in three sets. The tournament was book-ended with tough wins for Federer who just got past John Millman in his opening round and was pushed all the way by Raonic in the final. In the middle, he thrashed James Duckworth and then Grigor Dimitrov for the loss of five games in all.
The title will have many an article announcing Federer the favorite for the Australian Open title. Especially after Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal’s early losses in Doha. Beware though. This was an ATP 250 event, basically a fourth tier status tournament, and Federer had to win four best of three matches instead of the seven best of five needed for a slam. He also faced opponents against whom he has winning head to heads against or matches up well with.
The jury is still out on whether or not Federer will win slam No. 18 but not on his legacy though. Reaching the 1000 career win milestone puts him up there with Connors and Lendl on career longevity and with Connors record ( 1, 253) now in sight, expect Federer to stay around and rack up many more ATP 250 and 500 titles.
2. David Ferrer returned to winning ways in Doha.
The smile on Ferrer’s face after winning the title was heartwarming. He had overcome a tough semi against Ivo Karlovic in the semis and beat an in form Tomas Berdych in straights, saving three set points in the second set to win his first final after four losses in championship matches in a row.
Ferrer started the match off the stronger of the two, breaking Berdych immediately and holding serve to take the set. In the second, as Berdych got better and better, even holding set points, Ferrer stayed strong and managed to break Berdych at 5-5 to then serve out for the match and take it 6-4, 7-5.
After suffering a disappointing 2014, Ferrer gets the new season off to the best possible start and he will go into the Australian Open under the radar and full of confidence.
3. Kei Nishikori and Milos Raonic gave us a taster of things to come.
Their semi final in Brisbane was easily the best match of the week. These two, aged 25 and 23, are going to be battling each other in the later stage of Majors for some years and their contrast of styles and ever improving games make every match an attractive one.
Raonic was the one to take this match. His hard work in the off season was evident in his much improved movement and shotmaking. That is one of the most encouraging things about Raonic and Nishikori- they continually evolve into more complete players. For Raonic, that evolution would mean making a slam final (his best showing is a semi), and for Nishikori, who played some great tennis in Brisbane, that would mean becoming a slam champion. It has to happen one day for both of them. The question is can it happen in just over a fortnight in Melbourne?
4. Tomas Berdych and Danny Vallverdu got off to a great start.
Berdych played arguably the best tennis of anyone this week, and the effect of new coach Danny Vallverduwas evident. The Czech displayed his brand of clean hitting tennis, the best in the game, with more creativity than ever before.
There is still some work to do though on the mental side of things, and in particular, shot selection. Berdych had three set points in the second set but blew two of them on returns of serve and the final one on an over ambitious drop shot at the net when he had the time and the whole court to do what he does best- smack the short ball for a clean winner.
The loss might serve as a good wake up call though. Berdych has talked keenly of his dream of winning a slam, and the clock is ticking. He has a week to work on his return on big points, and on staying true to his big clean hitting game. If he can iron out some kinks over the next week and in his early Melbourne matches, those missed set points could serve to be something of a hit and take him back to the semis in Melbourne where he can try his luck again at the business end of a slam.
5. Novak Djokovic was troubled once more by a big server.
Djokovic was beaten by Ivo Karlovic in Doha. The match went to two tiebreak sets and a 6-4 third set, and the best returner in the game was foiled by the best server.
Djokovic now trails Karlovic 1-2. He has suffered other losses to big servers- Isner has beaten him at two ATP 1000 events in 2012 and 2013, and Sam Querrey beat him in his career best year in 2011. Djokovic rarely loses to players ranked outside of the big four, or as far below him as those players have been.
It means little in the Majors though. Best of three is one thing, best of five something else, especially against someone as fit as Djokovic. The Doha loss won’t bother him, just push him even further to practice that return. Watch out the big servers in Melborune.
6. Borna Coric said the right thing, but in the wrong way.
Coric’s words that at his best he was like Djokovic and at his worst he was like Murray were not exactly untrue in sentiment, but were clumsily worded, a fact which could be excused by English not being his native language.
The fact is Djokovic is a better version of Murray- see seven majors to two and three year end No. 1 finishes to not a single week at No. 1. Their matches are often torrid affairs as one double handed backhand seeks to outdo the other over and over again and points end on errors rather than winners or one of their lungs give out. Djokovic leads that head to head 15-8 over his rival, who is seven days older than him, because he is, when it comes down to it, the better player of the two.
Coric is right to want to aspire his game to Djokovic at its best, and in many ways, his comment was a backhanded compliment to Murray.
Coric was quickly reprimanded and made to apologise in perfect English on his site.
7. Rafael Nadal is rusty as a bike left out in a storm.
His loss to 127th tanked Berrer was another rusty display since his comeback last October. It is hard to see him doing much in Melbourne in his current form, and how that will affect the rest of his season remains to be seen.
2014 was not a good year for the Spaniard, relatively speaking (he still won a slam and made a slam final), and if 2015 starts off badly, considering how much the chasing pack are improving, 2015 could be the start of the Spaniard’s, who won his first major close to a decade ago, decline.
8. Juan Martin Del Potro announced his come back.
It has been a year coming. The wrist injury has healed, and one of the most popular players is going to be back on tour. Laid back with a crushing forehand, the Argentine adds a a rare mix of spark and charm to the ATP circuit and will be warmly welcomed in Sydney,
9. Aljaz Bedene made the Chennia final.
Ranked 156, Bedene reached the final, saving four match points against Roberto Bautiusta Agut in the semi-finals to become the first qualifier to make the finals of the event. He lost to Wawrinka in straight sets in the championship match, his first, and, if his attractive game is anything to go by, hopefully not his last.
10. Marin Cilic withdrew from the Australian Open
Sad to see Cilic withdrawing. How a new slam champ handles the next slam is always intriguing (last year the sight of Wawrinka being blown out in the French Open first round had a macabre watchability), but we will have to wait until Paris to see how Cilic copes going into a slam as one of only eight Major champions in the draw. Or nine if someone joins Cilic in the recent first time slam winners club in Melbourne.
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