2017 Australian Open Preview
In the world of tennis, the Australian Open is the first major stop of the new year. Players on both the men’s and women’s side will converge on Melbourne aiming for Grand Slam glory after a lengthy layoff.
Will Serena regain her number one ranking from Angelique Kerber on the women’s side? Will Andy Murray prove he is the true number one in the world? Who will be the sport’s new blood on the Tour this year looking to make their mark? These and many other questions will be answered starting in Melbourne, Jan. 16-29 as the Australian Open will crown the first major champions of 2017.
The men’s side of the draw
Contenders
Andy Murray
Andy Murray enters 2017 in an unfamiliar position, as the number one ranked player in the world. Murray enjoyed a fantastic campaign in 2016 that saw him reach new heights in his career, a second Wimbledon title, a triumph at the end of the year ATP Finals and the year-end number one ranking. Murray now shifts from the hunter to the hunted and that will begin with the Australian swing to start the year. He has been a Melbourne finalist five times, yet has never lifted the trophy, as he will be out to claim the fourth Grand Slam of his career and continue to try and hold off Novak Djokovic and others from jumping him in the rankings.
Milos Raonic
The big-serving Canadian enjoyed the best year of his young career in 2016, reaching his first Grand Slam final, finishing the year ranked third in the world. Originally known for his big serves, Milos Raonic has continued to add new wrinkles to his game, and that was evident this past year, as he was more comfortable from the baseline and at the net, skill sets that he needs to keep improving if he wants to take his game to the next level. That balance helped him reach the Australian Open semifinals, defeating Roger Federer, Stan Wawrinka and Gael Monfils on the way to the final four. He eventually lost to Andy Murray after leading two-sets-to-one, but an injury limited his movement in the final two sets. That loss wouldn’t stop him from having an excellent 2016 season, which included a trip to the Wimbledon finals. Raonic called the loss to Murray in the Aussie semifinals the most heartbreaking of his career, and you can bet that he has not forgotten it and will be motivated to build on that in his 2017 run in Melbourne.
Novak Djokovic
Much like Murray, Novak Djokovic enters 2017 in an unfamiliar position. The Serb lost his grip on the world’s top ranking, a distinction he held since June 2014. But there may be an ironic sense of relief for Djokovic this year who, as his former coach Boris Becker, indicated by saying that there may have been a lack of motivation for him following the French Open last year, the fourth of four straight Grand Slam titles. He now has a clear goal: Get back to number one in the world. We should see a recharged and refocused Djokovic this year, and he will begin that by shooting for his seventh career Melbourne title.
Pretenders
Tomas Berdych
Tomas Berdych is a tough player to figure out. The tools and gifts are evident to even the novice tennis fan: A huge serve, big forehand and great movement. But he has never really put it completely together to break through at a Grand Slam. He did reach the semifinals in Melbourne in 2014 and 2015, and lost to Roger Federer in the quarterfinals in 2016. His 2016 season was very mundane; posting a record of 39-20 and winning just one title. His best showing was reaching the Wimbledon semifinals before losing to the eventual champion Andy Murray, and he didn’t play in the U.S. Open due to appendicitis. With inconsistent match play and a tough time against some of the top players, Berdych could be an early out in Melbourne.
Kei Nishikori
Kei Nishikori has been a staple in the top 10 for a couple of years now since his run to the U.S. Open final back in 2014, but nagging injuries have limited his consistency at the Grand Slams since that Flushing Meadows run. Nishikori has reached the quarterfinals in Melbourne in back to back seasons, but that streak may come to an end in January. He has one of the best return games on the tour and is a relentless worker, so he will not be an easy out for anyone, but that elusive Grand Slam title will continue to elude him at 2017’s first major championship.
Stan Wawrinka
The winner of the most recent Grand Slam at the U.S. Open, Stan Wawrinka made his breakthrough at the Australian Open three years ago. He enters 2017 as the fourth ranked player in the world and always seems to play his best tennis on the biggest stage. But it is his consistency that still holds him back, and that was evident in his play following his Flushing Meadows triumph as he went just 7-6 in his five tournaments after the U.S. Open, including winning just one of his three matches at the ATP World Tour Finals. He was bounced from the first round of the French Open after winning his first Grand Slam title at the Australian Open and lost in the Wimbledon quarterfinals after winning the 2015 French Open, and another quick exit could be in store for Wawrinka in Melbourne.
Sleepers
Nick Kyrgios
The player many people love to hate, Nick Kyrgios is undoubtedly one of the most gifted players on tour, and the Aussie hopes to have the backing of his home crowd in 2017’s first Grand Slam. The talent is undeniable, but Kyrgios’ issues stem from consistency, or a lack thereof. The 21-year-old has been accused of tanking matches, most recently at the Shanghai Rolex Masters, but Kyrgios could put it together for a two-week stretch in Melbourne to finally silence some of his sharpest critics.
Jack Sock
An American man has not won a Grand Slam title since Andy Roddick won the 2003 U.S. Open, and many people believe that Jack Sock could be the man to snap that streak. He has struggled at the Australian Open, only reaching the second round in his two main draw appearances in Melbourne, but 2017 has the makings of a breakout season for the Nebraska native. He has one of the sharpest forehands in the game and can get easy points on his serve. If the 24-year old can limit his errors and play consistent and smart tennis, his power and talent will translate perfectly to the fast Australian Open courts, and could make his deepest Grand Slam run yet.
Marin Cilic
Marin Cilic may be the least talked about top 10 player in the world, but he has the Grand Slam pedigree to do damage in Melbourne. The 2014 U.S. Open champion’s power game is perfectly suited for the hard-courts at the Australian Open. His best showing was a semifinal result at the 2010 Australian Open, but he has struggled in Melbourne since, including a disappointing third-round exit a year ago. Cilic performed well at the ATP Finals and fought hard while representing Croatia in the Davis Cup final towards the end of 2016, and after recharging his batteries, should be ready for a deep run in Melbourne.
Women’s Singles
Contenders
Angelique Kerber
The German took over the number one ranking in the world at the U.S. Open and had a remarkable 2016 season overall, winning two Grand Slam titles, including the Australian Open, and earning the silver medal at the Olympic games in Rio. Her calm and steady presence makes her such a tough out, especially at the Grand Slams, and that was evident during her U.S. Open semifinal. She found out minutes before walking onto the court that she would be taking over the number one spot, but there was no complacency and she delivered a dominant straight-sets win over Caroline Wozniacki. Her even-keeled temperament, coupled with her rock-solid game, makes her the favorite in Melbourne, the tournament which began her breakthrough season a year ago.
Serena Williams
The year 2017 will no doubt be an important one for a very motivated Serena Williams. The American will start the year as the second ranked player in the world after losing her grip on the top ranking for the first time in nearly three years. She won her 22nd career Grand Slam title at Wimbledon, tying Steffi Graff’s Open Era record, but barely played any tennis following that win. Serena was upset by Elina Svitolina in the Round of 16 at the Olympics, and then fell in the semifinals at the U.S. Open, which turned out to be the last tournament of her season. A shoulder injury kept her out of the WTA Finals, but she should be recharged and healthy heading into 2017. Potentially playing with a chip on her shoulder, look for Serena Williams to bring her power game to the fast courts of the Australian Open and make a deep run in the year’s opening major tournament.
Simona Halep
Romanian Simona Halep had a great finish to the 2016 season and saw her ranking creep back up to fourth in the world to finish the season. The aggressive baseliner lost a shocker in the opening round of the Australian Open last year, falling to Shuai Zhang in the opening round, but she was still recovering from an Achilles injury, and also revealed a nose issue which required surgery. Injuries and a lack of match play gave way to an up and down start to the year, but she captured the Madrid title and went on to reach the Wimbledon quarterfinals. She won the title in Montreal and had a lot of momentum heading into the U.S. Open. While she lost a heartbreaking quarterfinal matchup to Serena Williams, her play in the second half of the year illustrated what the Romanian could do when healthy. Halep is a two-time quarterfinalist in Melbourne, but should have the best Melbourne showing of her career in 2017.
Pretenders
Karolina Pliskova
The big-serving Czech enjoyed the best run of her career towards the end of 2016. Karolina Pliskova won her biggest title at the Western and Southern Open in Cincinnati, beating Kerber in straight sets. She parlayed that into a run to the U.S. Open final, by far her best result at a major tournament, beating both Serena and Venus Williams in the process. That may have been an aberration though, as Pliskova has always struggled at the Grand Slams. Despite her run at the 2016 U.S. Open in Flushing Meadows, it is tough to imagine her stringing together victories like that down in Melbourne, where she can no longer sneak up on people after ending the year ranked sixth in the world.
Garbine Muguruza
Garbine Muguruza probably has some mixed feelings about 2016. The year saw the 23-year-old break through with her first Grand Slam title, a stunning victory over Serena Williams in the French Open final, but after that, Muguruza struggled. She posted a 13-11 record in her matches following her Roland Garros triumph, which includes the Olympics and WTA Finals, including shocking early losses at Wimbledon and the U.S. Open. The pressure of being a Grand Slam champion was something that weighed on her in the second half of the year, something she admitted following some losses, and while she still possess loads of talent, the Spaniard could get tripped up early in Melbourne.
Agnieszka Radwanska
Agnieszka Radwanska is one of the WTA Tour’s most popular players, as her crafty shot-making and creative moves on the court make her one of the most entertaining players in the world. She has been named the WTA Tour’s Fan Favorite award for six consecutive years, and won the WTA Shot of the Year Award four straight years, but she has yet to reach a Grand Slam final since her run to the Wimbledon final in 2012. The third-ranked Radwanska has reached the semifinals in Melbourne twice, including last year, but the fast courts Down Under may make for a difficult run for her in 2017. She has one of the slowest serves on Tour and has a hard time winning free points with her power. As the temperature rises in Australia, her track-every-ball-down style of play may be unsustainable for two weeks, and she could be on upset-alert early on.
Sleepers
Dominika Cibulkova
Slovakian Dominika Cibulkova may be the one player that none of the other top players want to face in a big match at a Grand Slam. She has a relentless energy and great ground strokes which make her a tough out, and she has the pedigree to make a deep run in Melbourne, as she has done so before when she reached the final in 2014. She enjoyed a resurgent 2016 campaign that saw her reach a career high ranking of eighth in the world. She qualified for the WTA Finals for the first time in her career, and went on to win the whole thing to earn the biggest title of her career. Cibulkova will carry her 2016 momentum into next season, and don’t be shocked to see her repeat her Melbourne success of a couple of years ago.
Belinda Bencic
It is hard to believe that Belinda Bencic is still just 19-years-old, but the Swiss teenager flew a bit under the radar last season. Bencic cracked the top 10 for the first time in her career, but injuries forced her to miss a lot of the clay-court season, causing her ranking to drop. The second half of the season was mainly for her to get back into match-form, and thus she played some up and down tennis. She finished the season ranked 43rd in the world, and you can bet she will be motivated to get back to where she belongs inside the top 20. Entering 2017 fully healthy, Bencic is a dark horse candidate to make a deep run at the Australian Open.
Johanna Konta
Great Britain’s Johanna Konta had the best year of her career in 2016, winning her first WTA title, reaching her first Grand Slam semifinal and breaking into the top 10, and she will look to ride that momentum into the new year. That semifinal was at the Australian Open and she took out top players such as Venus Williams and Ekaterina Makarova before falling to eventual champion Angelique Kerber. Because of her outstanding play, she was named the WTA’s Most Improved Player and she finished the year ranked 10th in the world. She announced she would be parting ways with her coaching team of Esteban Carril and Jose-Manuel Garcia, so it will be interesting to see how she opens up the season, but Konta has demonstrated the ability to have success at the Grand Slams, and that should continue at the 2017 Australian Open.
