Five Low Moments From the 2015 Australian Open

Previously, the Spin counted down the 11 greatest moments (mostly outside the lines) from this year's Australian Open. Here, notably fewer, are some low-rent episodes Down Under.

1. Probably not the most well-advised post ever, from the tweeting fingers of Ivo Karlovic after Serena Williams won her 19th major singles title:

2. There was no love lost in the handshake at net between Maria Sharapova and Eugenie Bouchard after the former's 6-3, 6-2 quarterfinal victory.

Here's the pair in happier times:

3. About Bouchard: Twirlgate was no Deflategate. There was less to it, though it passed not as quickly as it started, and not soon enough. Yes, a male presenter asked Genie to twirl after a decisive win she scored. Indeed, it was awkward. But the word "sexist" is thrown around way too easily and brainlessly nowadays.

Let's move on, shall we?

4. Protestors took to the court during the men's singles final, mostly to make a nuisance, as hardly anyone will recall (or barely knew) just what their cause was. This is outrageous in light of Monica Sele's stabbing nearly 22 years ago and the short-lived incidents on courts since then, and at Grand Slams. Consider this:

5. And here's the one that will rattle around in a few minds for some time: Kim Sears delivered some choice words in the midst of a hotly contested semifinal match between her intended, Andy Murray, and Tomas Berdych, who now has ex-Murray aide Dani Vallverdu in his camp.

Yes, her language was uncouth. And it's true that so many let fly such words in the heat of it all. Even so, coaches, significant others, and anyone else in players' boxes have to know by now that they're under close watch and scrutiny by the public and the media. (I mean, the man who invented instant replay died recently.) The media did not manufacture Sears's sentence, Mr. Murray.

Amelie Mauresmo spoke to the in-the-moment frustration regarding Murray and his camp with the French press (read: not coffee): "It was tough for Andy to see Dani [in the box] working with someone else so soon following when they broke up. Especially a match like this."

Still, it's Murray who parted with Vallverdu, and the latter can't be expected to sit out a season. He gets to work if he finds work with another.

While that instance of colorful language may have been poor form in the eyes of some, one had to love her sartorial response to it at the Aussie Open men's final.

Redemption, Sears.

What did you find to be the low points of this Happy Slam? Says here they were wonderfully few and far between.

Got a tip or a point to make? Hit me on Twitter at @jonscott9