Alexander Zverev stunned World No. 1 Novak Djokovic on Sunday with a 6-4, 6-3 victory in which he played near flawless tennis. The 21 year old served noticed (literally) that he belongs in the top of the men's game as he captured the biggest title of his young career.
Despite the fact that Djokovic had yet to drop a set all week in London including a decisive 6-4, 6-1 victory over Zverev in round robin play, it was the German who was in total control of the match that counted the most.
Zverev served regularly at the 140mph mark or higher and with incredible precision against one of the best returners that the men's game has ever seen. His ground strokes were punishing and he played with just the right amount of aggression to deny Djokovic any opportunity to control the match on his terms.
There's little that remains for the now World No. 4 to accomplish on the ATP World Tour other than to translate that success in one of the four Grand Slam events. Many expected that to happen in 2018 but instead Zverev finished in the third round of the Australian Open, Wimbledon and the US Open and managed a quarterfinal showing at Roland Garros - the first of his career at a major.
We'll have to wait a couple of months now to see if he can take the success he has experienced in the Tour finals and turn it into something tangible at a major, but his victory could be sign that big things are soon to happen for him. Being ten years younger than Djokovic, and even more so than Nadal and Federer bodes well for Zverev's long term potential. While other talented players like Grigor Dimitrov and Milos Raonic - among others - have seen a good chunk of their professional careers overshadowed by the Big Three, Zverev and his Next Gen crew will undoubtedly play the bulk of theirs once those legends have retired. Even if Zverev does not hoist his first Slam in 2019, he has given notice that his moment is coming given his strong finish to this year.
It should likely come as no surprise that Novak Djokovic and Alexander Zverev are the last two men standing at the season-ending Nitto ATP World Tour Finals in London. The resurgent World No. 1 from Serbia has been on fire since capturing Wimbledon back in July while the 21 year old German represents the future of the sport and already sits at an impressive No. 5 in the rankings.
Heading into the event, Djokovic was considered the heavy favorite and for good reason. In ten previous entries, he has walked-away with the title an impressive five times. This week at the O2 Arena, he has yet to drop a set in his four victories over John Isner (6-3, 6-4), Zverev (6-4, 6-1), Marin Cilic (7-6, 6-2) and Kevin Anderson in the semifinals on Saturday by a dominating scoreline of 6-2, 6-2.
Having a win already this week over Zverev also bodes well towards capturing his sixth title in London and Djokovic holds a 2-1 career head-to-head record against his Sunday opponent as well. They faced one another a short while ago in Shanghai with Djokovic untroubled during a quick 6-2, 6-1 semifinal win.
For Zverev to have a chance on Sunday he will have to produce a flawless performance from the service line and hope that his shots have the same impact they had in his 7-5, 7-6 semifinal victory over Roger Federer. Zverev was asked after the match who he would prefer to face in the final and his answer doesn't inspire much confidence when he replied, "I mean I played Novak a few days ago where it didn't go too well for me. I don't hope he'll lose but you know - there's a slight preference maybe in opponents. But it's the finals so I'm just happy to be here."
For someone who is viewed as one of the future heirs to the "Big Four" of Djokovic, Federer, Nadal and Murray, Alexander Zverev is going to have to elevate his game at some point to prove his critics that he indeed will take their place one day. A victory against Djokovic in London would certainly be a step in that direction.
With the final Grand Slam of 2018 fast approaching, it remains to be seen if someone unexpected can challenge for the US Open. The first three majors of the year have gone to the usual suspects - Roger Federer at the Australian Open, Rafael Nadal (comme d'habitude) at the French Open and a resurgent Novak Djokovic recently at Wimbledon. What are the chances that those all-time greats can be bested in New York?
Let's take a look at some of the next-tier of contenders.
Alexander Zverev
The leader of the so-called "Next Gen" on the ATP World Tour, the German has yet to translate the success that has propelled him to No. 4 in the world to the Grand Slam level. A disappointing showing at the Masters 1000s in Toronto and Cincinnati don't lend to much optimism however the young talent has recently brought Ivan Le
ndl into his team. Having an eight-time major champion in one's corner can't hurt. The fact that Lendl didn't win his first Slam until the age of 24 will probably also help this partnership thrive.
Kevin Anderson
The 6'8'' South African proved at Wimbledon that his finalist showing last year at Flushing Meadows was no fluke. He has found a consistent top-ten level in his game and is a class act both in victory and defeat. His confidence is now as powerful as his booming serve and he truly believes he belongs at the top of the men's game. Anderson is an opponent that nobody relishes playing at the moment.
Marin Cilic
Let's not forget that Cilic is one of the few players outside of the "Big Four" who has one a Grand Slam in the past 15 years. The 2014 US Open champion has had decent results lately making the quarterfinals in Toronto and the semifinals in Cincinnati and clearly enjoys playing in New York. He made the finals of the Australian Open at the start of the season and should not be overlooked on the other hard court Slam of 2018.
Stan Wawrinka
It has taken the three-time Slam champion a little longer than expected to start posting favorable results since coming back from a knee injury to start the year. He missed the US Open last year but has won there in 2016 and also has semifinal showings from 2013 and 2015. He fell to Roger Federer in the quarterfinals in Cincinnati recently but put-up a brave challenge before going down 6-7, 7-6, 6-2.
Juan Martin Del Potro
There are few players who are more likeable on the ATP World Tour than the affable Del Potro. Nine years since his lone Grand Slam title here in New York, the Argentinian has rebuilt his game after multiple wrist surgeries and is back to displaying the ferocious game that we hoped he was still capable of showing us. A solid 2018 including the semifinals at Roland Garros and quarterfinals of Wimbledon are proof that he can handle the best-of-five set grind. His maiden Masters 1000 title back in March in Indian Wells was also a huge moment that reveals his prowess on the hard courts as well.
Check back with us often over the next two weeks as well for regular updates and analysis from the US Open. Whether is it Djokovic, Nadal, Federer or one of the above mentioned players, we will have you covered throughout the final Grand Slam for 2018.
No. 2 seed and defending champion at the Rogers Cup Sascha Zverev took some time to speak with me following his 6-4, 6-4 second round win in Toronto on Wednesday. We spoke about the changes in conditions From DC, the oddity of defending a title in a different city and of course his rapport with Yorkshire journalist Jonathan Pinfield.
Q: Happy with how your first match here in Toronto played out today?
A: I mean obviously it’s a big change from playing in Washington when it was much hotter there and more humid. The ball on the courts is different and the courts here are way faster so I had to make some adjustments but I’m happy to get the straight sets win against someone who’s been playing well here.
Q: Is it somewhat strange to be the defending champion in a different city than where you won this event last summer?
A: I’ve never won a match in Toronto and here I am the defending champion. It’s strange but it’s still nice because it means that you won a Masters and I’ll do everything I can to defend my title.
Q: How do you pace yourself through this stretch of hard court events in DC, Toronto, and Cincy in preparation for the US Open?
A: I don’t pace myself! I want to win every match I play and that’s never going to change.
Q: Earlier this year you had a nice exchange with a certain reporter from Yorkshire. How did that rapport help you at all in between your matches and what did it mean to you?
A: There’s other things that helped me but it was great having some fun. In England I think the Queen of England heard it and a lot of other people, so it was great for the reporter actually. I was happy to have that. I was happy to have this kind of small talk with him after every match, so it was great fun.
Here are the two audio clips of my interview with Yorkshire tennis enthusiast and Alexander Zverev's favorite reporter Jonathan Pinfield from this year's French Open. My thanks to him for taking a moment out of his already very busy schedule this week to talk to us about his blossoming bromance with the World No. 3, the unique accent he carries with him and his thoughts about how us Canadians speak as well!
With the exception of his straight-sets victory in the first round, No. 2 seed Alexander Zverev had been playing with fire all week at the French Open. Three consecutive five set matches tested his followers confidence in his game and also clearly pushed his body past its limit as well. On Tuesday he was defeated by 7th seeded Dominic Thiem 6-4, 6-2, 6-1 after he suffered an injury to his left hamstring that would hamper his ability to serve and navigate his way around the clay on court Phillippe-Chatrier.
With Rafael Nadal the clear-cut favorite on the other side of the draw it likely wouldn't have mattered even if Zverev had advanced to the finals. At a mere 21 years of age he will certainly have many more future opportunities and is bound to end his career one day with multiple Grand Slam titles given his immense talent level. Still the result is a disappointment considering his No. 2 seeding and the fact that he had played so well on the red clay in Europe over the past two months. He made the semi-finals in Monte Carlo, lost the finals in Rome to Nadal and won the events in Munich and Madrid to establish himself as a bonafide contender in Paris.
One aspect of Zverev's 2018 French Open experience that garnered a lot of attention off the court was his friendly banter in his press conferences with Yorkshire tennis reporter Jonathan Pinfield. Covering the event for Live Sports FM in the UK, Pinfield brought out the best in Zverev - even after his quarterfinal defeat at the hands of Thiem. Zverev himself admitted during his final meeting with the media that, “I think you’re the only person in the World who can make me smile right now”
Overall the week should be seen as a step in the right direction for Zverev. While he still awaits his first major Grand Slam breakthrough, he did manage to advance to the quarterfinals of one of tennis' biggest tournaments for the first time in his career. He also won three matches that went the distance to help improve his previous record in five set matches that had stood at a meager 3-4 before the event began.
While some are quick to criticize Zverev, he is not the only promising tennis player to fail to attain Grand Slam success at a young age. Sure, Boris Becker and Bjorn Borg, among others, captured their first at the age of 18 or younger, but others needed a bit more time to let their games and their maturity season. Andre Agassi was 22 when he triumphed at Wimbledon, Ivan Lendl took the first of his eight Slams at age 24 and perhaps the greatest tennis player that ever lived - Roger Federer - was nearly 22 when he won his maiden major championship at Wimbledon in 2003. In short, there is still time for Zverev - someone who also happens to play at a time when the sport is still being dominated by two over-thirty legends in Federer and Nadal.
The next step for Zverev will be to overcome his injury and begin preparations for Wimbledon at the start of July. His all-surface game means that potential success at a Grand Slam is not just limited to the red clay in Paris. That fact should bode well when he finally does break through that barrier and begins to create a legacy that I'm sure there is a good chance will eventually see his name mentioned along with some of the greatest the sport has ever seen.
Any tennis fans who have been following the French Open over the past week have undoubtedly heard by now the charming voice of a certain tennis reporter from Yorkshire. The rapport Jonathan Pinfield has established with World No. 3 Alexander Zverev has captured the tennis world (both inside and outside of Yorkshire!) by storm and become one of the feel-good stories from the tournament this year. Here is my interview from yesterday with Jonathan where we discuss his experiences so far in Paris.
Q: So tell us Jon, is it true that you and Sasha Zverev will be partnering in doubles this year at Wimbledon?
A: Well we’ve exchanged one or two rallies so far in the press conferences, but we’re keeping it strictly professional and I’m not quite sure whether my backhand would hold up to be honest, but yeah really enjoying it at Roland Garros. I think it’s fair to say that Sasha is keeping everyone entertained both on the court and off the court.
Q: Well both of you are for that matter Jon. Tell me how did that one question after his first match lead into this current blossoming bromance between the two of you?
A: Well I think everyone by now knows I’m from Yorkshire. I’ve been told I have quite a strong accent so I have been making the conscious effort to speak quite slowly and deliberately. So when I got the opportunity to ask Sasha at the first news conference if he thought that Roland Garros could be a turning point in his Grand Slam career he looked at me slightly quizzically, started chuckling and said, “I love your accent, but I haven’t got a clue what you’re saying.” So it was at that point I realized that something had clearly been lost in translation. I’d like to think that from that point onwards we’ve been able to communicate by speaking the universal language of love and I think whatever has been lost in translation we’re trying to make up for now.
Q: I certainly think you’re achieving that. Are you taken aback, are you surprised by the reaction on social media by this relationships you guys are sort of forming?
A: Absolutely yes, because obviously we had a brief moment in the initial press conference where we had a bit of banter and a bit of good humored chat, but you come out of the news conference and from that point you don’t think anything of it whatsoever, you just got on to the next news story. You think quite fondly of the little exchange you’ve had and then you’re focusing on what’s going to happen next. But yeah, in a way that things have unfolded have certainly caught me by surprise and I’m sure everyone else who has followed it.
Q: What’s the reaction like back home from friends, family and other media members in your hometown?
A: Well I think everyone’s saying keeping flying the flag for Yorkshire. Lots of people have heard of Yorkshire, some haven’t, but one or two people have said that Sasha has certainly put Yorkshire on the map. And I understand now that there are calls for him to become an honorary Yorkshire-man so who knows, he could become the first honorary Yorkshire man to go deep into a Grand Slam.
Q: Tell me, have you had any other good reactions from players this week? Is this a usual thing for you week-in and week-out with your wonderful accent being recognized?
A: Well I got the opportunity to interview one of the players today who said that I’m the man, so he won his match today and I told him that he was the man. I’ll save his blushes, I won’t tell who that was, but that was a wonderful compliment.
Q: How long have you been covering the sport for Jon and do you play tennis yourself?
A: I don’t actually get a chance to do much reporting. There’s a team of about 30 of us at Live Sports FM. Unfortunately for me, but fortunately for our listeners, I think my colleagues are a lot more talented than I am so I’m usually back at the office organizing other people. The trip to Roland Garros was a bit of a treat to myself to be honest just to get out of the office for two weeks and experience some great tennis. Yeah I’d love to get on the court, I think you can probably guess what happens is that Wimbledon is on once a year and what us Brits do is we get our racquets out for about two weeks of the year dodging the showers to try to hit a few tennis balls. Then once Wimbledon is over and the weather changes we hide the racquets somewhere and then we’ve got to try and find them a year later. I’d love to think I can play tennis but I play it pretty poorly I must admit.
Q: Well you’ll have to find some more time to get out yourself and I would imagine that after this week’s performance by yourself on the job you’ll be getting a few more calls to attend some tennis tournaments in the future and I know we’d all enjoy that. Tell me, what do you think of Zverev’s chances in his quarterfinal match if you could objectively look at that as he tries to capture his first Grand Slam.
A: Well honestly they’re both young players at similar stages in their careers I’d say. Dominic has got a bit more experience on the ATP Tour and is a bit more measured and calm. I think Sasha has a lot of natural talent and it’s just a question if whether he can just curb those aspects of his personality that actually trip him up. I think a lot of people’s heads are thinking that it might trip up Sasha on this one but I think a lot of hearts are hoping that he can do it. But I must admit I’ve got a foot in both camps. I wouldn’t like to say who’s going to win that one it could be very close indeed.
Q: What have Zverev’s responses to you this week in press revealed to you about his personality? Has it surprised you his reaction to your questions and sort of opened the door to allow us to get to know him a little bit better?
A: Yeah I think one criticism of him so far has been sometimes he does come across as quite self-confident. He does a lot of news conferences, he gets asked a lot of the same questions and so he’s not someone who is always going to give you a stock response and what journalists like are quite long detailed answers to questions even if they’re not very well formed. So, I think yeah, we try to keep him on his toes, he’s certainly kept us on our toes, but just judging by the reaction to some of what’s happened on social media – not just the interactions with me – but his performances off the court, on the court, I think people are warming to him and seeing different aspects of his personality and that can only be good for him. I think that self-assured confidence that he’s got isn’t going to change dramatically and as you know any top flight tennis player has got to believe in himself to get the performances.
Q: Absolutely and I think we have to credit you as well Jon for helping get some of that out and certainly looking forward to your next press conference with him. I’ll end it on this one, since we started talking about accents - that beings yours – what’s your reaction to our Canadian accent as I know you’ve been doing a little press with some other Canadian reporters this week. How do we compare?
A: I think it’s very warm, very friendly and very open. And I think all the Canadian colleagues of yours that I’ve met at Roland Garros have helped by being very supportive towards me, very kind, very considerate and seem to also have a good rapport with the players as well. I’m a bit biased, I think that Yorkshire is the best accent in the world, but if I didn’t have a Yorkshire accent and had to learn a new one I’d definitely go for Canadian.
Q: Well thank you for sharing yours with us today Jon. You’re more than just your accent for sure, you’ve asked some great tennis questions this week and we look forward to more throughout this week in Paris and beyond as well. Thanks for taking the time.
A: Really appreciate your support as well Mike and everyone who has been in touch, thank you very much, been a pleasure.
And in case you missed it, here is the first exchange between Pinfield and Zverev :
In a sport that is so often dominated by talk of what a player has done in the past or what they might do in the future, it must come as a relief for 21 year old Alexander Zverev that he can at the very least enjoy the present after his 6-4, 6-4 victory in the Mutua Madrid Open finals Sunday against Dominic Thiem. The two players came into the match tied for the ATP World Tour lead in victories in 2018 with 25 apiece but it was the 3rd ranked German who prevailed for this third career Masters 1000 title. The victory makes him one of just five active players who hold that many Masters level championships. The others are notable greats Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer, Novak Djokovic and Andy Murray. Pretty impressive company to say the least.
While Zverev is a can't-miss future star for the sport, much has been made about his lack of success thus far in his career at the Grand Slam level. His best result to-date was a fourth round finish at last year's Wimbledon. He has yet to make it to a quarterfinal at a major and has routinely lost early to players that he should undoubtedly be beating.
Despite all the criticism, Zverev is a player that nobody wants to face at Roland Garros in two weeks time. He is a young talent who is poised for a breakthrough at the Slam level and with two of his three Masters shields coming on clay, there is no reason to think that can't happen in Paris. Those slagging Zverev's record in Grand Slam competition should take a moment to reflect on other greats whose rise in the sport came a little later than expected. Ivan Lendl didn't win the first of his eight Slams until he was 24, Andre Agassi until 22 and both Jimmy Connors and Roger Federer at 21 - the same age that Zverev just turned a few weeks ago. Federer in particular was labelled as a can't-miss prospect yet in the seven majors that led-up to his first triumph at Wimbledon in 2003 he failed to advance past the fourth round of play. Thankfully for Federer, social media did not exist back then otherwise he surely would have been receiving the kind of scathing comments that Zverev gets from his critics.
On Sunday in Madrid, Zverev came in as the slight underdog against the red-hot Dominic Thiem. Three years older, Thiem came into the match with a 4-1 head-to-head advantage over his opponent. Thiem also recently ended the incredible streak of 50 consecutive sets won on clay by the King of the surface - Rafael Nadal. Interestingly enough, Nadal's streak began following his surprising loss to Thiem about a year ago in Rome. Following the win over Nadal this year in Madrid however, Thiem was unable to continue the same level of play in the final against Zverev. Thiem was broken to start both the first and second sets and in return was unable to break the Zverev serve that had remarkably been held throughout the entire event. Zverev's serving coupled with confident play at the net allowed him to control the entire match that unfortunately failed to live-up to the hype. He won 16 of 17 first serve points in the final set and displayed an unwaivering resolve as he approached the finish line in Madrid.
As the French Open is now only two weeks away, Nadal is still the overwhelming favorite. Having his consecutive match streak broken prior to the start of his most dominant Slam is likely a blessing in disguise for the Spaniard. He no longer has to face the added pressure and questions surrounding the remarkable streak. With a career record of 79-2 in Paris, who might be capable of handing Nadal loss No. 3? After Zverev's big win in Madrid, there is no reason to think that person can't be him.
By: Ben Lewis Sportscaster, Sportsnet 590 the Fan, Co-host of the Southpaw Slice tennis podcast
Photo with permission: Jimmie48 Tennis Photography
As the first tennis Grand Slam season has dawned upon us, there are a handful of compelling story-lines to peak our interest.
At age 31, Rafael Nadal arrives in Melbourne as the oldest world number 1 in the history of the tour. 36 year-old Roger Federer enters as the Australian Open defending champion, and perennial early tournament favourite, and Novak Djokovic is back following a six month layoff to his most prestigious event (6 time Aussie Open champ).
Despite an absence of Andy Murray and Kei Nishikori, the men's field is bustling with many contenders and dangerous players capable of deep runs in the tournament.
Here are five players to follow closely:
Nick Kyrgios Ranking: 17 Country: Australia Career titles: 4 Best Grand Slam Result: 2015 Australian Open QF, 2014 Wimbledon QF
Kyrgios is a 22 year-old, mercurial, volatile personality who can be an absolute superstar when tennis is peaking his interest. While the Australian has had lukewarm receptions from home crowds in the past, he entered the 2018 season looking exceptionally motivated, winning a hard-court title in Brisbane.
He’s in the top half of the draw, and could face a potential rematch with Grigor Dimitrov, a player he knocked-off in 3 sets just over a week ago.
Kyrgios has all the physical tools on a tennis court to become a Grand Slam champion, the bigger question is if he has the mental resilience to sustain high-level play for two weeks.
Juan Martin del Potro Ranking: 10 Country: Argentina Career titles: 20 Best Grand Slam Result: 2009 US Open Champion
The gentle giant from Argentina coped with a string of injury plagued years, with a pair of wrist surgeries, but after completing a mostly healthy 2017, DelPo looks poised to take things one step further.
DelPo was the only player last season to win a match over Roger Federer at a Grand Slam event, beating him in a U.S. Open quarterfinal. Once again, he’s lurking in Federer’s quarter, along with other dangerous players like David Goffin, Milos Raonic and Tomas Berdych.
Possessing one of the world’s most powerful forehands, if del Potro is striking early, he could quickly bust open a draw, and make a deep run.
Kevin Anderson Ranking: 11 Country: South Africa Career titles: 3 Best GS result: 2017 US Open Finalist
The South African may not get bonus points for style and flair on the court, but K-Ando is simply all business when it comes to winning tennis matches. His penchant for work ethic paid off handsomely in 2017, where he reached his first ever Grand Slam final at Flushing Meadows.
Anderson opened 2018 equally strong, winning an exhibition in Abu Dhabi at the Mubadala Classic, and reaching the finals of the Tate Open in India.
With his experience and confidence continuing to build, and his booming serve, expect Anderson to be one of the toughest outs, and a potential quarterfinalist.
Alexander Zverev Ranking: 4 Country: Germany Career titles: 6 Best GS result: 4th Round Wimbledon, 2017
Forget calling him one of the best young players on tour, Sascha Zverev is simply one of the world’s best, hands down. The tall, wiry German earn 5 ATP titles in 2017 including two Masters 1000s in Rome and Montreal, and he enters Australia as the fourth-ranked player.
The only thing missing from Zverev’s gaudy resume is a run at a Grand Slam, and some of that last season was bad fortune. He went toe-to-toe with Rafael Nadal in a third round, five-set loss at the Aussie last year, and he also fell to Milos Raonic in a fourth round tilt that went the distance at Wimbledon.
If the stars align (which I think they will), Novak Djokovic and Sascha Zverev could meet in the round of 16. It will be a matchup of perhaps the best two-handed backhands in tennis today, with the youngster having an opportunity to dethrone a legend at his best event.
David Goffin Ranking: 7 Country: Belgium Career titles: 4 Best GS result: 2017 Australian Open QF, 2016 French Open QF
David Goffin has been one of the tour’s most under the radar talents for the past couple of seasons. At 5'11, 150 pounds, his slight frame may not look intimidating on the court, but the Belgian possesses plenty of weapons to beat any of the world's best. His quick strike groundstrokes can plant opponents on their back foot easily, while his lateral movement is off the charts.
Goffin scored the best win of his career at the London ATP Finals in November, a three-set upset victory over Federer, before falling to Grigor Dimitrov for the title.
After a solid break, he should be fit, confident and poised to carry that memory to Australia. A potential rematch with Federer could be looming in the quarterfinals.
FIRST ROUND MATCHES TO WATCH
Alex de Minaur vs. Tomas Berdych
A native of Australia, 18 year-old Alex de Minaur is on a spectacular, Shapovalov-like run to open his 2018 campaign.
He opened the season with an upset victory over Milos Raonic and carried that to a semifinal appearance in Brisbane. The following week he made his first ATP final in Sydney. Come Monday his ranking will have jumped 81 spots to 127.
He gets a stern test against veteran Tomas Berdych, who opened his season with a win at the Tie Break Tens exhibition.
Prediction: Berdych in 4 sets
David Ferrer vs. Andrey Rublev
It's a classic teacher vs. pupil matchup. A former world number three, 35 year-old David Ferrer still has the desire and work ethic to drive him to match wins, and he’s coming off a semifinal appearance in Auckland.
Andrey Rublev is a next-Gen Russian star who made a quarterfinal run at the U.S. Open last season.
Prediction: Ferrer in 5 sets
Mischa Zverev vs. Hyeon Chung
Often over-shadowed by his younger brother, Mischa Zverev quietly had an excellent 2017 season, going old-school with his serve and volley approach. He had a stunning upset victory over Andy Murray at the tournament last season.
Hyeon Chung is another exceptional young talent, he finished 2017 with a title at the Next-Gen Finals and will look to dictate rallies from the baseline.
The Australian Open draw was released on Thursday for both the men's and women's singles draws in Melbourne. For the men, 36 year old Roger Federer is the defending champion and will be considered the favorite among many with the match-status and conditioning of Djokovic, Nadal and Wawrinka all unknown as they return from injuries.
Let's take a look at the main contenders on the ATP side of things. Have a glance at your leisure at LeoVegas Sports as well for their take on the favorites in the first Grand Slam of the year.
Isn't it something that this year a 36 year old Roger Federer is considered the favorite for the first Grand Slam of the season. A year ago he was almost five years removed from his last major triumph. Then he went on a rampage winning in Melbourne, the two Masters 1000 titles in Indian Wells and Miami as well as Wimbledon after having skipped the entire clay court season.
This year he is the only stable one amongst the "Big Four" with Andy Murray having withdrawn after surgery on his troublesome hip and with Novak Djokovic, Rafa Nadal and Stan Wawrinka still having yet to prove themselves as 100% fit after injury issues.
Nadal holds the top seed and has the easiest draw of the big names mentioned above. He opens against Victor Estrella Burgos and doesn't seem to have any noticeable threats until a potential fourth round match with American John Isner and Marin Cilic as his projected quarterfinal opponent. The top quarter is really wide open aside from those players and we should see several surprising names still alive into the third round.
The second quarter gets a little more tricky with third seed Grigor Dimitrov having to likely face either Jo-Wilfried Tsonga or Nick Kyrgios in the fourth round. A Dimitrov/Kyrgios affair would be a re-match of their recent semifinal at the Brisbane International that Kyrgios emerged victorious from en route to the title. Kyrgios is going to win Grand Slams at some point in his career I have almost no-doubt. With the established talents on the ATP World Tour still getting over their injuries, could this be the Slam for Kyrgios to have his breakthrough? Kevin Anderson and Jack Sock are my picks for the final quarterfinalist spot in this section of the draw but neither is expected to make-it much further. Anderson took advantage (and good for him) of a nice draw at the final Slam of 2017 in New York, but I don't see that story playing out again here for the South African.
In the third quarter of the draw, Novak Djokovic would normally be considered the overwhelming favorite to advance. However, the former World No. 1 and 12 time Slam champion has not played a competitive match since Wimbledon due to an elbow injury that shelved the rest of his season in 2017. Djokovic was back on the court this past week at the Kooyong Classic exhibition event and displayed a new service motion that clearly is the result of his recovery from surgery. How this will impact his ability to hold serve remains to be seen and he could just as easily win the tournament or bow out early due to his inactivity. Let's not forget though that the Aussie Open accounts for half of Djokovic's Grand Slam career totals.
The Serb opens against American Donald Young and has a potentially tricky second round match against Gael Monfils looming. Monfils started his 2018 campaign in the best possible way as he picked up the title in Qatar. That being said, Monfils has come up a discouraging 0-14 against Djokovic in ATP sanctioned events during his career. A fourth round match against Alexander Zverev would be fun to watch, although Zverev might first have to get past his older brother Mischa the 32nd seed. Also in this quadrant is 5th seeded Dominic Thiem - whom Djokovic just defeated in Kooyong - as well as another former Slam winner in Melbourne, Stan Wawrinka. Currently seeded 9th due to his own injury absence from the tour since Wimbledon, Wawrinka has been very low-key in the days ahead of the tournament and it still remains to be seen whether or not he will be fit enough to play.
Federer meanwhile is the No. 2 seed and the defending champ finds himself with a decent starting draw in the final quarter of the tournament but things will quickly get intense for the 36 year old legend. He went 4-0 in singles play and 4-0 in mixed doubles with Belinda Bencic at the Hopman Cup to start the year. The only set he lost in singles was the opener in his final match against Alexander Zverev that he recovered to win 6-7(4), 6-0, 6-2. In terms of seeded players at the Aussie Open, Federer could run into Richard Gasquet in the third round and then 2016 Wimbledon foe Milos Raonic in the fourth. Gasquet has not challenged Fed in the past 8 matches they have played and the Swiss star leads their head-to-head by a staggering margin of 16-2. While Raonic did indeed deny Federer the chance to face Andy Murray in the 2016 Wimbledon finals, the Canadian has struggled with injuries since then and did not look sharp in his opening round loss to Alex de Minaur in Brisbane a week ago. In terms of quarterfinal opposition, Federer has the likes of David Goffin, Juan Martin Del Potro and Tomas Berdych as likely candidates to challenge him. Goffin has a nice draw until the fourth round while Del Potro is likely the player Federer would least choose to face in this section given their past history. Federer narrowly leads their past nine encounters by a margin of 5-4.
Check back with us throughout the two week even that begins Monday January 15th for recaps, analysis and plenty of pictures as well. You can also follow us on Twitter for more timely updates. Regardless of who wins it is certainly an entertaining period for the sport as we get to see all the big names kick-off the first Grand Slam of the year.