TENNIS.com - 2009 Australian Open - Our Picks: 2009 Australian Open

Our Picks: 2009 Australian Open

The editors of TENNIS Magazine and TENNIS.com weigh in with their predictions on who will be victorious at 2009 Australian Open.

TENNIS Editors	Men's Picks	Women's Picks	Comments
James Martin Editor-in-Chief	Roger Federer	Jelena Jankovic	Roger Federer: The conventional wisdom is that the in-form Andy Murray will win his first Slam at this year’s Australian Open. I’d love to see it, but to win the title he’ll likely have to beat Rafael Nadal in the semifinals and Federer in the final. He couldn’t do it at the 2008 U.S. Open, and I don’t think he can do it here. And for those who’ll point to Murray’s wins over Nadal and Federer earlier this month, well, don’t put too much stock in an exhibition. Federer, meanwhile, has a decent draw as his main competition, Novak Djokovic, is not playing well. Of course, Federer will have to watch out for young guns Juan Martin Del Potro and Marin Cilic, but he should come through and, in the end, tie Pete Sampras’ Grand Slam record. Jelena Jankovic: The most consistent player on the women’s tour has an easy draw to the semifinals. There, she’ll likely meet either Dinara Safina or Ana Ivanovic, tough but winnable matches. Her final-round opponent would likely be Venus Williams, Serena Williams, or Elena Dementieva. I like Jankovic’s chances of beating any of these players to win the first Grand Slam of her career.
Steve Tignor Executive Editor	Roger Federer	Venus Williams	Roger Federer: He’s not as old as you think. Venus Williams: She’s keeps getting better, and has never won here.
Sarah Unke Managing Editor	Rafael Nadal	Elena Dementieva	Rafael Nadal: New season, new look, but the same old Rafa will show up at the Australian Open. It’s never been his best major (meaning he’s never made the final), but after getting over the non-clay Grand Slam hump at Wimbledon last year, his Aussie outlook is looking brighter. He has former finalist Fernando Gonzalez and hometown favorite Lleyton Hewitt in his quarter, and could face Andy Murray in the semifinals, but if there’s anyone who can slog through in the blazing Down Under summer, it’s Nadal. Elena Dementieva: As for the women, I know what you’re thinking: Dementieva peaked early again, winning two warm-ups in a row. She’ll just make another Grand Slam semifinal and choke. But it doesn’t have to be that way. The Russian, long picked as one of the best players never to have won a major, had some major breakthroughs in 2008, winning Olympic gold and reaching the semifinals of the year’s last two Slams. No doubt she has tough competition with Venus and Serena Williams in her half of the draw, but last week in Sydney she squashed Serena 6-3, 6-1. At 27, it’s now or never for Dementieva. I’m going with now.
Peter Bodo Senior Editor	Andy Murray	Serena Williams	Andy Murray: He’s been doing everything right so he’s earned the vote of confidence. Serena Williams: The southern hemisphere seems to bring the best out of her.
Jon Levey Senior Editor	Andy Murray	Serena Williams	Andy Murray: I generally shy away from the vogue pick, but Murray seems primed for his first Grand Slam title. Like Djokovic last year, Murray just comes off the experience of falling one match short at the U.S. Open, which is a growing pain for many a future champion. Plus, nobody is playing better ball at the moment than the Brit. Unless he and Nadal leave everything on the court in the semis, Murray is the choice. Serena Williams: Yes, another boring pick. Serena has won in Australia the last three odd-numbered years. And while that means very little, there’s nobody else in the women’s field who truly believes it’s her title to lose. Still, the draw feels wide open and it wouldn’t surprise me if somebody from the second tier, like a Caroline Wozniacki, rises up to win the title.
Tom Perrotta Senior Editor	Roger Federer	Venus Williams	Roger Federer: Murray, Schmurray. The Great Scot will have his day, but it’s time for Federer to tie Sampras. Last year in Melbourne, Federer had mononucleosis. I’m more inclined to remember how he looked in 2007: Thoroughly unbeatable. This surface is perfect for him and he doesn’t mind the heat a bit. By the end of week two, he’ll be fresher than the rest. (Bonus Pick: Rafael Nadal reaches the final, but loses to Federer in four sets.) Venus Williams: She’s never won the Australian Open. Really. Really? How is it possible? It’s time for one of the greatest players of her generation (really, any generation) to right a wrong and take home a trophy Down Under. (Bonus Pick: Caroline Wozniacki, the 18-year-old upstart from Denmark, reaches her first major final, but wins only five games against Venus.)
Sarah Thurmond Associate Editor	Roger Federer	Elena Dementieva	Roger Federer: Maybe I’m going out on a limb by making Federer my choice to win the A.O. But I have a feeling he’s been laying low recently for a reason. Kind of like The Bride in Kill Bill: Vol. 1. Federer will emerge from whatever coma he’s been in lately, and will exact revenge on all the players who have been beating up on him. That means payback, Nadal, Djokovic, Murray. This year, Federer is healthy and ready to fight. Elena Dementieva: Dementieva is on a roll with two back-to-back tournament wins. Question is: Has she peaked too soon? The Williams sisters could meet in the semifinals. Serena is prepped after toughing out a couple competitive three setters; Venus, on the other hand, has had no preparation. I don’t see her being fit enough to handle the heat down under. Jelena Jankovic, the No. 1 seed, also had hardly any match preparation. She’s fitter than ever but she still has a concentration problem in big events. So, I’m going to go with an “E” for effort. Dementieva is the one most deserving. It’s her time.
David Rosenberg Photo Editor	Novak Djokovic	Victoria Azarenka	Novak Djokovic: The defending champion will have the pressure off him this Slam, with all eyes on Andy Murray, Roger Federer, and Rafael Nadal. Victoria Azarenka: Why not? She would play Serena Williams early in the event, when Serena is most vulnerable. From there, Azarenka will ride that high all the way through the final.
Abigail Lorge Managing Editor, TENNIS.com	Roger Federer	Venus Williams	Roger Federer: I know Rafa Nadal is the world’s top player, Novak Djokovic is the defending champ, and Andy Murray is the odds-on favorite. But Federer is the only one of the Big Four I don’t see losing. Though he no longer has an aura of invincibility, he is a three-time champ on the cusp of making history. I think he ties Pete Sampras’ record here. Venus Williams: As tempted as I am to go the way of The Sarahs, as Unke and Thurmond are known around the office, I can’t pull the trigger with Dementieva; her draw is too tough, with both Williamses in her half. Instead, I’m picking Venus to win her first Australian Open at 28. She finished 2008 with impressive wins in Zurich and at the season-ending championships in Doha, and I think she’ll start this season with her eighth career major title, which would move her past Evonne Goolagong on the all-time list.
Ed McGrogan Assistant Editor, TENNIS.com	Andy Murray	Jelena Jankovic	Andy Murray: For the first time in a long time at a Grand Slam, the match I’m hoping to see at the end isn’t Roger Federer versus Rafael Nadal. Rather, it’s Federer versus his newest pest, Murray. And I think that’s what will happen, since both appear to be sharper than Nadal and Novak Djokovic at the moment. As for who wins it all, it’s awfully tough to pick against Murray, based on his current form, but it’s just as hard to pick against a 13-time Grand Slam champion. I wouldn’t be surprised if either wins, but I’ll lean towards Murray, ever so slightly, in the end. Jelena Jankovic: Like Murray, Jankovic also hasn’t won a Grand Slam title. That is often cited as a barrier to be overcome at a major tournament, but I see it as greater motivation. Jankovic’s half of the draw is the easiest of the two – she’ll avoid both Williams sisters as well as the piping hot Elena Dementieva – and I think she will finally justify her world No. 1 ranking with a win in Melbourne.