The Great Unknown Down Under
Only 5 tournaments each for the men and women before the 1st Grand Slam of the
season (the only one in Asia-Pacific) gets underway, which means there is little
time for players to get into the swing of things, switch to top gear after the
lay-off in December and play through 2 grinding weeks of tennis halfway around
the world. Players who had used the off-season to train - like Agassi, whose
game defies all his 33 years - stand better chances at the tournament. And it'd
be just as telling of those who had taken in one too many glasses of champagne
during the holiday season - even if they had all the talent in the world.
With plenty of marquee names missing from the Australian Open, the draw, even without the historical unpredictability of Open (see Thomas Johansson) has become one of the most open in recent years. Who, then, could possibly be crowned champion Down Under? UrbanWire gives you the lowdown.
Men
1. Andy Roddick
After a breakout 2003 , which saw him capture his first Grand Slam, the US Open;
silence critics; and get his own reality show - all in the span of 9 months,
Roddick is poised to begin his 2004 campaign on a high. Forget his recent second-round
loss in Doha, with that arsenal of a serve, huge, huge forehand, and coach Brad
Gilbert behind the number 1 seed, Roddick's almost a sure bet to go all the
way to the semis, where he'll meet defending champion Agassi. Just keep your
eyes peeled for his tough first-round match where he's drawn Fernando Gonzalez
- the Chilean with the biggest forehand in the game.
Odds of winning: 9/10
2. Roger Federer
Here is arguably the best player towards the end of last season, having swept
the field of the world's elite players at the season-ending Masters Cup in Houston.
The immense talent tainted by a Slam-less record is no more. Federer, the great
Swiss hope after Martina Hingis, has mastered the science of dominating when
the field of players gets white-hot after reigning at last year's Wimbledon
. His serve-and-volley game is all-too reminiscent of Pete Sampras and we will
have to wait to find out if he will be able to rack up those Slams like Pistol
Pete did. But expect his mastery of the men's field to continue at Melbourne
Park, least up until the quarters.
Odds of winning: 8.5/10
3. Juan Carlos Ferrero
Possessing a cracking forehand; solid groundstrokes; and reaching the finals
of the 2003 US Open by beating Agassi, Ferrero has all but dispelled the myth
that Spaniards can only play well on clay. The 2003 French Open champion is
equally adept on hard courts and the slightly slower and higher bounce afforded
by the Rebound Ace surface will play to his advantage. Expect him to improve
on his quarterfinal showing last season.
Odds of winning: 7/10
4. Andre Agassi
If anyone in tennis is ageless at all, he is the one: Having outlasted all his
contemporaries and playing good enough tennis to win at the majors after 16
years.
Yet one can't help but ask the burning question, "Will this be the year
Agassi finally retires?" Known for his intensive off-season physical training,
the father of 2 has always come into the Australian Open primed for the sweltering
heat, outlasting and outplaying younger opponents. The defending champ, his
absence in 2002 notwithstanding, has won every match at Melbourne Park dating
back to 2000.
Odds of winning: He's our pick.
5. Guillermo Coria
Together with compatriot David Nalbandian, Coria has put Argentina on the tennis map. The 1.75m right-hander reached only the 4th round here last year, but has since made massive strides in his ranking after a breakthrough 2003. Only 22, Coria has yet to win a Glam Slam title and it may take a couple more years before he becomes a force to be reckoned with on the Rebound Ace. Couple a recent abdominal injury, which saw him pull out of the Auckland Open, with the depth of the men's field today, his chances of lifting the trophy on the 2nd weekend are slim.
Odds of winning: 6.5/10
6. Lleyton Hewitt
It's odd to ever call Lleyton Hewitt a dark horse, given he was once ranked number 1 for as many as 75 consecutive weeks and will be playing in his home Slam. But the native of Adelaide had a mediocre 2003 season, resulting in his ranking plummeting to 16. Of late, however, it seems the tenacious, fist-pumping Hewitt-of-old has returned. His beating of Fererro to steer Australia to the Davis Cup win in late November was a sign he had returned to form. The 15th seed has never fared well at home but expect him to take out a couple of the higher seeds en route to the 4th round, the furthest he's ever reached. Or perhaps the newly-engaged Hewitt can find newfound motivation to go further this year?
Odds of winning: 8/10
7. Marat Safin
It seems a long time ago when Safin had the world at his feet, where as an unfancied
finalist, he swept Pete Sampras in straight sets to win the 2000 US Open. Since
then, he has fallen short of those giddy heights although he's arguably one
of the most gifted men on the tour. The Russian was the overwhelming favourite
at the 2002 finals, only to lose inexplicably to Thomas Johansson. This time
around, Safin has an uphill battle as his ranking of 66 (due to an injured left
wrist which hampered him for most of 2003) means he is unseeded and could meet
12th seeded Nicolas Massu as early as the 2nd round.. However, if there's anyone
capable of beating incredible odds, it's Safin. Temperamental but incredibly
gifted, the former world number 1 may just pull off a couple of major upsets
if he gets past week 1.
Odds of winning: 7.5/10
All male players' pictures taken from www.atptennis.com
Women
1. Justine Henin-Hardenne
The most outstanding female player of 2003, Henin-Hardenne's proven size isn't
everything in tennis. One of the hardest workers on or off the women's tour,
she's improved both her physical game and mental fortitude, now being able to
hold her own against physically more imposing players and close out big matches.
Given that and a women's field depleted by injuries, it'd hardly be surprising
to see the Belgian number 1, regarded by many as possessing the most natural
and fluid backhand on the women's tour, string together her 3rd Grand Slam in
as many outings.
Odds of winning: 9/10
2. Kim Clijsters
Together with fellow Belgian Henin-Hardenne, Clijsters is one of the few players who can stand shoulder to shoulder with the power and athleticism of the Williams sisters in a baseline slugfest. A 1st Grand Slam title is long due for her and she certainly has the talent to do so. But the 2nd seed is nursing left ankle and Achilles tendon injuries coming in to this year's tournament. And her fragile psyche at the Grand Slam stage on many an occasion leaves doubt she will finally win at a major - for now at least.
Odds of winning: 7.5/10
3. Venus Williams
Her last Grand Slam event was last year's Wimbledon, where she lost to younger
sibling Serena (http://www.serena-williams.org/) in the finals after sustaining
an abdominal injury. Returning from a substantial lay-off where she has seen
her ranking slide down to 11, Venus is back in business and looking to make
up for lost time. Owing to an exception to the seeding policy by the organisers,
Venus is seeded 3rd. . That, coupled with lil' sister's absence, means Venus
stands a very good chance of making it to week 2, if not the finals.
Odds of winning: 8.5/10
4. Amelie Mauresmo
The Frenchwoman reached the Australian Open final as an unseeded player way
back in 1999 where she lost to Martina Hingis. She hasn't been able to go better
ever since and this year may not be any different. She'll bring all of her 1.75m,
69kg frame blessed with prodigious strength and athleticism, to make a good
showing. We don't expect her to fall before the quarters but after that, how
this tournament ends for her may just depend on her wandering mind.
Odds of winning: 7/10
5. Lindsay Davenport
Davenport will be the first to admit she's seen better days but one can hardly
write her off. She's gotten off to an impressive start in 2004, winning the
Hopman Cup for the US with partner James Blake, and looks to have finally shaken
off a nagging knee injury which plagued her for most of 2003. With a women's
field considerably weakened by several withdrawals, Davenport is one of the
favourites to win, with her deep groundstrokes and experience - she's the only
woman in this year's draw to have won the tournament before. The only caveat:
She pulled out of the adidas International semifinals in Sydney last week after
injuring her shoulder, leaving her less than 100% for the Australian.
Odds of winning: 8/10
6. Daniela Hantuchova
Little less than a year ago, life was good for Hantuchova. The Slovak was ranked a career high of 5, and in reaching the quarters at the Australian Open, achieved her best result yet. Then, all went awry. Her form slid drastically as she appeared very visibly thinner, and murmurs that she had developed an eating disorder grew as she dropped to 18 in the rankings Able to hit off her fore-and-backhand with ease, coupled with a penchant for hard work, Hantuchova hasn't quite played up to her potential. But as the 1st Grand Slam gets underway, the winner of the 2002 WTA Tour Most Improved Player of the Year should see herself get through the earlier rounds where after, she could do better than her 15th seeding.
Odds of winning: 6.5/10
7. Maria Sharapova
The youngest and loudest member of the Russian babe brigade, 16-year-old Sharapova
made her Grand Slam debut at Melbourne Park last year but was promptly knocked
out in the 1st round. Since then, she's improved her ranking exponentially and
finished 2003 on a career high of 31. An impressive debut considering she was
permitted to enter a limited number of tournaments due to the WTA age limitations.
Based on her ascent, this 28th seed Russian's time as a Grand Slam winner will
come, but for now, expect a few big-name scalps along the way as Sharapova's
star shines brighter and brighter.
Odds of winning: 6/10
All female players' pictures taken from www.wtatour.com
Catch the Australian Open on Starhub (http://www.starhub.com/) Channel 22 SuperSports from Jan 19.