The 2014 Australian Open has proved to be the most
interesting in many years, resulting with two first time winners.
Yesterday’s ladies final between Li Na and Dominika
Cibulkova was an intriguing match, and had Cibulkova sneaked the first set
tiebreak, it could have well have been a surprise victory. But in the end Li’s greater experience and
incredible shot making ability saw her take the 2nd set 6:0. The victory speech was probably the best part
of the night, classic Li Na and as BBC commentator Jonathon Overend said, a
post tennis career of stand-up comedy would not look out of place!
Today’s mens final between Warwinka and Nadal proved just
as intriguing. The big question was
always going to be how Warwinka would deal with the nerves of being in his
first major final and play a guy who he never even took a set off in twelve
tries, a very tall order indeed.
But as the first set developed it was clear Warwinka was
ready to have a go at Nadal. What Warwinka had going for him was that he is a
vastly experienced player and was able to use that to his advantage even though
being in a major final was a new experience.
The interesting thing here is that Warwinka employed the
sort of tactics against Nadal which we haven’t seen for some years. Back in the mid to late 2000s Nadal always
had great trouble on hardcourts at slams losing to Blake, Youzhny and Del Potro
at the US Open, Fernando Gonzalez and Tsonga at the Australian Open. The memo was that when playing Nadal you went
for big shots, you used the backhand down the line, you went for big serves all
the time, you really attacked his 2nd serve with big returns; in essence you
played the big game with conviction and no letting up of intensity.
Until Nadal injured his back in the 2nd set, this is
exactly what Warwinka was doing in terms
of tactics and conviction. Warwinka was
hitting some really big 1st serves, and really bold 2nd serves on the line and
in the corners, really keeping Nadal off rhythm, something that was great to
see as this is a form of tennis that has been lost in the last five years or so.
After taking the first two sets, it almost turned into a
video nasty for Warwinka, the extensive treatment and pain killers kicked in which
allowed Nadal to move better in the 3rd set, slowing his serve down to get it
in. Warwinka’s level dropped alarmingly as he grappled with how to deal with
the situation, taking too much pace off his shots meant him conceding the 3rd
set. But I always felt that with
Warwinka serving first in the 4th set, he had to hold serve and he would
break Nadal’s serve. He didn’t handle it
too well the first time he got the break but got the job done when serving for
the title.
It was a fitting way to end the Australian, perhaps the
most intriguing grand slam tournament for many years with none of the big
players winning the mens event, and with Li’s triumph in the womens event, a
winner from Asia Pacific! We also have to go back to 2008 when Djokovic and Sharapova
won the Australian Open to find two first time winners at the event.
This sets up the rest of the 2014 tennis
season beautifully.
