Why the 2017 Australian Open isn't just about Serena Williams and Angelique Kerber
It's far from a two horse race, making this the most exciting women's event in years
Saturday 21 January 2017 12:14, UK
Roger-Rafa, Andy-Novak, Federer-Djokovic: for so long, the men's game has been dominated by mesmerising rivalries. The women's game, in comparison, has been a procession for one of the game's greatest athletes: Serena Williams.
Bar the occasional slip up, the 22-time major champion has powered her way into the record books, as gracious and charming an ambassador off the court as she is a fearsome competitor on it.
Last year, however, offered a glimpse of a post-Serena tour. She's suddenly beatable - as attested by the trophy cabinets of Garbine Murguruza and Angelique Kerber - a tantalising prospect for those who have for so long knocked upon the door of Grand Slam greatness. Throw in the absence of Madison Keys, Petra Kvitova, Victoria Azarenka, and Maria Sharapova, and the 105th Australian Open is one of the most unpredictable tournaments we've seen in years.
Williams entered just eight events in 2016 - reaching five finals, winning two of them, and spending 186 consecutive weeks as world No 1.
There were warning signs, however - the losses to Kerber and Murguruza were her first consecutive major final losses ever, and she was clearly devastated to crash out in the third round in Rio to rising star Elina Svitolina. An inauspicious season opener, falling to compatriot Madison Brengle in the second round in Auckland, has done nothing to allay those concerns.
Of course, just because Williams looks 'beatable' doesn’t mean anyone will be able to do it. She remains an imperious force, and has won 88 per cent of her 84 matches upon these blue courts.
Her return from a persistent shoulder injury hasn't gone smoothly, but - as Annabel Croft notes - the second seed remains the one to beat:
"It's always hard not to say that she's the favourite when you've got a woman with 22 Grand Slam titles, but it does feel like every time she loses it's not a big as a surprise as it used to be, and that's natural because of her age.
"What's keeping her motivated is that she is now so close to taking the overall record for the Open era - her biggest focus will be to try and overtake Steffi Graf and I think that's a massive incentive which will be at the back of her mind."
If anyone can derail her quest to lift the Daphne Akhurst Memorial Cup for the seventh time, it is the defending champion Kerber. This will be her first Grand Slam as world No 1 and top seed, and she will hope for a smoother start this year than last, when she faced match point against 64th ranked Misaki Doi before going on to secure her maiden major title.
The German boasts a complete game, but - just like Britain’s Jo Konta - it’s the result of ceaseless toil, Croft observes:
"She's a prime example of someone who has worked for everything that she's got because it hasn't come easy for her. She doesn't have a huge serve but she's clever with the way she uses it - it's well-placed and really effective. A lot of what she brings out on the court is attitude and graft, running down everything and playing the extra ball.
"I think she's changed her attitude as well. In the past she used to let her emotions boil over whereas now she keeps it under control and stays in the moment during matches."
And yet, this season cannot be written off as a two-horse race, and there are three types of contender to look out for at this year’s tournament, outside of the two big names:
The ‘best nevers’
So named because they are fantastic players, capable of beating both Kerber and Williams, and yet have never won a slam. Third and fourth seeds Agnieszka Radwanska and Simona Halep have utterly different games: the Pole is known as 'The Magician' for her jaw-dropping guile and shot making, the Romanian a feisty pocket rocket, happily slugging it out from the baseline against players half a foot taller than her.
Radwanska was a semi-finalist in Melbourne last year, and has reached the quarter-finals in five of her last six appearances here. She's scarcely slipped from the world top 10 since 2010, but has a tendency to be bundled from the court against the tour's big hitters.
Halep has been one of the game's most exciting prospects for some time now, and there's mounting pressure for her to realise this potential. She's struggled in Melbourne historically, reaching the quarters just twice, and is prone to crumbling in crucial matches. The Romanian has recently started to work with Australian Darren Cahill, whose charges have included Lleyton Hewitt and Andre Agassi, suggesting she might benefit from some home crowd support this year.
The comeback queens
Last year's event was dominated by a player who had never progressed beyond the quarter-final of a Grand Slam, but the 105th Australian Open could well be won with experience, as these players return to their bests from the WTA wilderness.
Svetlana Kuznetsova recorded the most consistent season of her career in 2016, opening with a title in Sydney, reaching the semi-finals in Singapore, and beating Serena in between for good measure. The former world No 2 has clawed her way from 72nd back into the top 10. An exciting prospect, and always exciting to watch; she loves a three set epic.
Croft flags up Dominika Cibulkova, WTA Comeback Player of the Year last season, who operates a high-risk, high-energy game, as another individual rediscovering form:
"She's another one to keep an eye on. She's extremely popular over in Australia, and has come back from really nasty injuries to finish the year on a high."
The young guns
As Croft notes, "there is a huge opportunity in the women's game" at present, with "quite a few of these names who are in the background, but are so tough to beat."
Among them are 19-year-old Daria Kasatkina, who ousted Kerber at the Sydney International in straight sets, and took Garbine Murguruza to match point in Brisbane. Croft is swift to praise this "very talented and very gritty" 22nd seed, who will be looking to reach her first Grand Slam quarter-final.
Elina Svitolina, eleventh seed in Melbourne, took a series of notable scalps in 2016: Kerber, Murguruza, Sabine Lisicki, and Serena herself in Rio. She's joined in the main draw by the prodigious talent of Czech Katerina Siniakova - "I hear a lot of people talking about her", Croft notes - who's reached three WTA finals at the tender age of 20. Her doubles accolades make for impressive reading already - a three-time junior Grand Slam champion, and reaching the semi-finals at Roland Garros last year. A second week prospect, without doubt.
Leading this youthful charge is fifth seed Karolina Pliskova, the highest ranked player under the age of 25, who has already lifted silverware in Australia this season in Brisbane. Pliskova, top of the WTA ace rankings last season, possesses a lethal serve at odds with her elegant groundstrokes and icy composure. She has the Grand Slam pedigree she was lacking this time last year, having reached the final at Flushing Meadows, and looks likely to be one of the last ones standing this time around.
Check out Johanna Konta's progress and our game-by-game updates from Andy Murray's matches at the 2017 Australian Open by following our blog on skysports.com/tennis, our app for mobile devices and iPad or our Twitter account @skysportstennis.
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