Recapping the 2014 Australian Open

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.