An Australian Open that began in a heatwave and contained seismic shocks aplenty ended with Stanislas Wawrinka defeating Rafael Nadal to further undermine the superiority of the so-called big four in men’s tennis.
In reaching the final after missing last year’s tournament, Nadal has cemented his world No. 1 ranking and will be hard to shift from the summit, but below him, the landscape is changing.
Novak Djokovic, whose bid for a fourth consecutive Australian Open title was thwarted by the inspired Wawrinka, remains No. 2, but both Andy Murray and Roger Federer are falling, to No. 6 and No. 8 respectively.
There are mitigating factors in Murray’s case because he missed the final third of last year because of a back surgery, which, as proved in his loss to Federer, will require time before he regains his former strength.
Federer, who played beautifully to reach the semis, was outplayed by Nadal and the suspicion remains that while still majestic at his best, his chances of adding to his record 17 Grand Slam titles are receding.
Wawrinka’s wonderful two weeks in Melbourne have propelled him to third in the rankings, making him Switzerland’s No. 1 after a career spent in Federer’s shadow.
At No. 4 is burly Argentine Juan Martin del Potro, who before Wawrinka’s defeat of Nadal was the last player to muscle into the Grand Slam winners’ club dominated for the past decade by Federer, Nadal, Djokovic and more recently Murray.
The women’s game has also been given a shake-up these past two weeks, with Serena Williams surprisingly beaten by a rejuvenated Ana Ivanovic, Maria Sharapova losing to Dominika Cibulkova and Victoria Azarenka going out Agnieszka Radwanska.
China’s Li Na is not exactly a new kid on the block, but in winning her second Grand Slam title could well have an eye on the No. 1 ranking this year, should Williams fall below the incredible standards she set last year.
Canada’s Eugenie Bouchard, who reached the semi-finals in Australia, will lead the challenge from the next generation.
The Australian Open, far from being a predictable romp for the favorites, has breathed new life into the sport and the months ahead promise to be engrossing as the heavyweights try to stand their ground under fire from multiple directions.
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