Australian Open 2010: Final Thoughts
1. Federer is king. Australian Open organizers made sure that they highlighted that fact during the trophy ceremony. It seems funny now that just a year ago, tennis experts have been corroborating on their funeral planning of Federer’s reign in men’s tennis, eagerly appointing new names, even beyond the next-in-line Nadal. How his sweet 16 win must be really sweet for the guy.
2. Justine Henin is back. She may not be ready to defeat a player of Serena’s caliber at this time, but give her a few more months when she fully get her old groove back. I think she’ll be ready by the French Open in June, and expect her to be one the entire field would most likely fear the most.
3. Maria Sharapova needs to bounce back, fast. There’s no question about Maria’s commitment to the game and her champion spirit, but as the other women are getting better and better, and with the return of the Belgians, she needs to make a statement in the Grand Slams soon. At least that’s what Nike is expecting her to do, I would dare suggest.
4. Another Andy stole hearts with loss. In last year’s Wimbledon, Andy Roddick won many more fans by his courageous fight for the title, and more so by his heart-wrenching loss. This year, at Melbourne, Andy Murray wasn’t able to control his tears while accepting the runner-up plate. The fans understood, and felt his pain.
5. The Australian Open set a high standard for the rest of the year. The tennis was at a very high level, both for the men and the women – there were plenty of five setters and three setters, respectively. It was high on quality and high on drama. Here’s hoping the remaining 3 can live up to this one.
totally agreed! can’t wait to see the top form of justine.