Has this Aussie Open lingered in your mind the way other majors usually do? I have to say, three days later, that it hasn’t for me. Maybe it’s the raw distance of the event from where I live, which even wall-to-wall TV coverage can’t completely close. Or, more likely, it’s the fact that, as compelling as the tournament was, it didn’t come with a twist at the end. We’ve seen Roger Federer and Serena Williams do this kind of thing plenty of times before.
So before the blue courts and koalas dissolve entirely, before the players and their hardcore fans move onto South America—now we can get to the real tennis season!—and before the rest of the world moves on entirely, I’ll pin some words onto a few of the tournament's less historic happenings and personages.
ESPN’s Finals Coverage
Former Tennis.com editor Kamakshi Tandon and I have always agreed that the one thing tennis fans never agree on is the relative quality of the sport's commentators. Everyone has their own wildly varying opinion on who they like and loathe in the booth. Along those lines, fans can also argue about ESPN’s choice of matches in the early rounds, and the amount of time spent at the desk rather than showing racquets hitting balls. What I’m amazed about in the comments on this blog is how much tennis fans seem to despise every aspect of ESPN's coverage. Some perspective is in order: It’s still a thousand times better and more comprehensive than the Aussie Open coverage we got when I was growing up—or, more literally, a hundred times better, since there’s about a hundred more hours of it. I wrote yesterday about how this tournament has been the sport’s greatest success story over the last two decades. The only reason any American knows that to be true is that ESPN travels there to show it to us. I know it's a monster corporation, but with its money and its hours of coverage, the network has been a big part of the tournament’s renaissance.
That doesn’t mean I don’t groan when I can’t see what I want, and I hit the mute button at least once an evening. But I thought ESPN was at its best during the finals. Dick Enberg was kept far from Roger Federer; Cahill was solid as always at courtside; Fowler added some insight into Murray’s problems with decisiveness; and I liked the special end-of-set analysis by Cahill and Gilbert. None of you are going to argue with that, right? A
Li Na
After Li's upset of Venus Williams in the quarterfinals, I wrote that the shot I would likely remember most from this tournament was her forehand winner on match point. And it’s true, the thought of her swinging through her demons is still inspiring. I like her backhand, too. A
Marin Cilic
Call him a player’s player. The quiet giant may not have a lot of marquee value, and he doesn’t own a stroke that I love to watch—his forehand is pretty loopy and busy, and seeing him reach up for a serve hurts my back—but he’s a walking lesson in how to handle your emotions on court. He tries his best, and if it doesn’t work he moves on. Maybe my new motto on court should be WWMD: What would Marin do? A
The Trophy Presentations
Part of the reason the ceremonies in Oz are so memorable is that they’re so well organized and produced. Having the players speak while facing directly into the camera at close range, with the lights in the stadium dimmed, rather than having them walk around with the mic, or take questions from the likes of Sue Barker, or pretend not to care about how much money they just won, makes all of the other Slams’ awards look hopelessly feckless and under-dramatized. A
Victoria Azarenka
We talked all tournament about how Justine Henin was going to bring scintillating tennis back to the WTA. But for a set and a half, Azarenka gave us all we needed. For most of her quarterfinal against Serena Williams, she was the player we thought she was going to be a year ago. Energized, athletic, harshly determined, with a beautiful killer backhand, she had the match in her hand but relaxed her grip for a point or two. It was enough to let Serena grab it back. Let’s hope it wasn’t enough to discourage Azarenka, who showed us there's been someone to watch on the women’s side all along. A-
Maria Kirilenko
I remember seeing her lose badly to Amelie Mauresmo years ago on the Grandstand at the U.S. Open. She was overpowered by a more athletic player, but I walked away impressed by Kirilenko’s mental approach. Even in the final game, when she was down something like 5-1, she played as if it were 3-3 in the third. All these years later, it was nice to see that fortitude rewarded with a big upset and a quarterfinal finish. A-
Martina Navratilova
She's not a Voice, like Dick Enberg, but to say that the Tennis Channel's lead analyst knows her tennis is a severe understatement. I'll say it anyway: Martina knows her tennis. A-
The Line Judge Who Called the Famous Foot Fault on Serena at the Open
Did you catch her, back on the baseline for the men’s final in Melbourne? Players should be happy to see her there: There’s no way they’re going to be called for crossing the line now. B+
John Isner
His continued success may be the surprise of the last 12 months; I really didn’t see him going this far, even with his serve. He must have a serious work ethic. Also surprising: I like watching him play. B+
Rafael Nadal
He got about halfway back to top form before the legs gave out again. That’s obviously a bad sign, but maybe worse was the fact that even when he was playing at a high level in their quarterfinal, Andy Murray still handled him. A men’s tour without Nadal around to keep Federer honest and at least semi-humble at the majors isn't a pleasant thought. If Federer can win Slams at will, every other smaller event that he doesn’t win will mean virtually nothing. B
Novak Djokovic
He once seemed so fierce and ambitious. Is he soft now, or too jumpy, vulnerable to nerves? I also wasn’t sure about the tweaks that he and Todd Martin seemed to have made to his game, especially on the serve. This was a dream draw; he should have just gone with what he does best. C+
Nikolay Davydenko
I said during the first week that Davydenko would eventually have to choose between being a character or a contender. Now it seems like the second option was never available. Upped half a grade for his press conference performances (though I don’t think they helped). Docked that same half a grade for his smiley handshake with Federer after their match. It was the same smile that Federer’s opponents gave him after he beat them at the French Open last year. It seemed to say, “the right guy won.” C
Kim Clijsters
Everyone has bad days, but Serena didn't let that keep her from scratching her way past Azarenka, and it didn't keep Henin from hanging around long enough for Kleybanova to self-destruct. D
Maria Sharapova
She bombed twice, once with her play and once with her dress. Advice for future Slam preparation: Spend at least as many minutes playing real warm-up matches as you do signing endorsement contracts. D
The Continued Presence of that Swiss-Flag-Colored Sign that Oh-So-Smugly Lectures Us, “Shhh. Quiet, Genius at Work” while Roger Federer is Playing or Warming Up
To paraphrase my fellow New Yorker Ratso Rizzo in Midnight Cowboy: “Hey, I’m talkin’ here, whether you like it or not.” F