End of an Era?January 06, 2015
A few months ago, Roger Federer was interviewed by ESPN. One of his answers had tennis fans wondered if they were about to witness the end of a great era. He couldn't imagined playing at Court 4 in the All England Club, he said.
Federer is currently competing in the Brisbane International. The Swiss reached the finals of the tournament last year, losing to Lleyton Hewitt. It would be the beginning of a great year, where he won five titles. He was also a finalist in the other five events. He may not have won a major title, which could have been his 18th, but it was still a season to remember.
Some believed that Federer, the winner of the 17 Grand Slam titles, would hang his racket after the 2016 Olympics. It's eighteen months away. His fans are optimistic that his chances are high. (His detractors would point out that he would still end up empty handed even if the draw was in his favour.) Rafael Nadal, who has an advantage in his head-to-head matches with Federer, is on another comeback trail. But he's taking it one step at a time. (He lost to Andy Murray in an exhibition match in Abu Dhabi last week.) Noval Djokovic, who finished last year's season at the top of the ATP singles rankings, is recuperating from fever. Whether or not it would affect his form during the Australian Open remains to be seen.
2014 saw three players winning their maiden Grand Slam title. It also marked the first time (since 1998) that there were eight different finalists in the four major events. Kei Nishikori, runner-up at the US Open, was seen as the leader of a younger generation that would challenge Dkojovic, Federer, Nadal, and Murray. There might be a changing of the guards at the end of the year.
Elsewhere:
Stanislas Wawinka began his defense of the Chennai Open. The tournament seemed to bring him good luck, as his victory last year turned into a groundbreaking season. (He won his first Grand Slam singles title in Melbourne and first ATP World Tour Masters 1000 in Monte Carlo). The 29-year-old admitted that last year would be hard to duplicate, but he was hungry for more success.
Serena Williams is the two-time defending champion in Brisbane, but she opts to participate in the Hopman Cup. She lifted the trophy in 2003 (with James Blake) and 2008 (with Mardy Fish). She and John Isner, her partner for this year's tourney, got off to a good start by winning over Italy's Flavia Pennetta and Fabio Fognini.
This year's ASB Classic will feature Caroline Wozniacki and Venus Williams. Both players are on a comeback trail. (The Dane reached the finals of the US Open last September, while the American was back in the Top 20 after a few years.) Both are opposite sides of the draw, which means they might meet in the finals. They have yet to win the Daphne Akhurst Memorial Cup, but that might change.
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