The Aussie open is as good a sports season opener as any. It's a two horse race with the old dog trying to taste that winning feeling that was his for granted only a couple of years ago (pardon my equine/canine equivalence). Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz are so odds on favorites to see each other on the opposite side on the famed net on Rod Laver arena that a Novak victory would be considered an upset (speaking of nets, the red lights there to call the ball out are cute). It's a thing both of the beauty and incredibility of sport. If the Serb does not land his 25th this year, it might well be his last hurrah at the courts where he has found the most success. He starts in the same half as Sinner and of the two young guns, he seems more likely to beat the Spaniard than the Italian. He will likely need to beat both of them to lift the Norman Brookes Challenge cup for an unprecedented eleventh time. The shoe is on the other foot now compared to the times where an aspirant to the throne needed to get past two of the fab three to be crowned champion. Carlitos has a slightly higher motivation to be the last man standing on the third Sunday as he would complete his career grand slam and be the youngest ever to do so at under 23 years. It would be an achievement that few 22 year olds in the world of sport can boast of. Jannik has already won the title twice but that will certainly not dim his intensity one bit. If there is someone who can match Djokovic's consistency and power of yore, its him.
While the men's game predictions are easier to make, there is one wildcard that deserves mention. Joao Fonseca is a 19 year old tyro coming into his own and if he can make past the first couple of rounds, i can see him challenging the usual suspects. Not since the lovable "Guga" Kuerten burnt through the red dirt in Paris has a Brazilian generated such interest. A win for him will certainly make the top of men's tennis more intriguing.
Stan Wawrinka will bid good bye to tennis at the end of this season. He will leave his second to none backhand down the line one hander for the connoisseurs as his lasting memory. Stan won three grand slams when the big trio were at their peak. To me, he should have been spoken in the same vein as Andy with the same number of slams but his silent grace went under the radar. That he was Swiss and in the shadow of a lone start didn't help his cause/ He delighted with his precise power when in full flow and getting a wild card to the tourney he won in 2014 is a fitting tribute to a player who could blow the best off the court on his day. Here's wishing one last deep run for "Stan the man".
The women's draw is always a bit more difficult to predict but with Aryna Sabalenka, there is always a strong favorite. She will look forward to strike out the loss in last year's final and the only thing really standing in her way is her propensity to have nervous break downs towards the business end of big matches. Swiatek typically started in the Pole position before the Belarussian strode onto the scene and if she finds her accuracy, it could be an interesting battle. There are always a few wild cards on the women's side that tear up the script and land an unlikely slam. Would Mirra Andreeva be the one to shine this year? Onto two weeks of hard court fun in the land of oz.
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