Five storylines to follow through Australian Open 2016
Five storylines to follow through Australian Open 2016
1/5
Tennis officials were in damage control mode ahead of Day 1 of the Australian Open 2016. What should have been a celebration to mark the beginning of the new tennis season turned into a catastrophe with allegations of fixing leveled against 16 players ranked in the top 50 from the past decade. The scale of the scandal was fully understood by the sporting world when World No. 1 Djokovic said, I was not approached directly. I was approached through people that were working with me at that time. 17-time Grand Slam winner Roger Federer has called for making public the names of players that have at any stage been part of match fixing in tennis. While nobody has yet been named, there are bound to be some jangled nerves among the players participating in this year's Open.
2/5
Lleyton Hewitt may have not progressed passed the Round of 16 at a Grand Slam in seven years, but the 34-year-old will be at the cynosure of Aussie eyes this year. Though an era of Australian domination of world tennis, with Hewitt and Pat Rafter at its forefront, ended over a decade ago, Hewitt’s last outing is a chance for home fans to salute his 17-year pro career. The real Aussie challenge is expected to arrive from the likes of Thanasi Kokkinakis, Nick Kyrgios and Bernard Tomic.The trio may not make it to the final four, but the possibility of them knocking out a big name cannot be ruled out. This young group of tennis stars is quickly improving and could usher in a new era for Australian tennis and what place would be better to begin than Melbourne Park.
3/5
Rafael Nadal's form and fitness have come under immense scrutiny of late. Coming into the tournament as the No. 5 seed, the Spaniard's aura has diminished greatly due to his constant failures in 2015. Ahead of the Australian Open Nadal told reporters that he was confident and finding joy on the court again. A fit and in-form Nadal is the need of the hour in men's tennis to pose a serious challenge to Djokovic's stranglehold over the game. Many believe the Mallorcan’s best years are behind him, with years of gruesome baseline rallies taking a toll on his body. While that may be partly true, Nadal's tenacity and bravado is still good enough to trouble the best in the business. At this year's Australian Open, Nadal's colleagues will be well aware of his show in Flushing Meadows in 2013 when he returned from a seven-month injury layoff.
4/5
Andy Murray's four trips to the final of the Australian Open have ended in disappointment. The Scot has been one of the star performers in Melbourne in the last six years. The 28-year-old has showcased some of this best tennis at the year's first major in recent years, only to be denied by Federer or Djokovic. The hard courts suit Murray's game and this year he enters the tournament as the world's second best tennis player. Interestingly, Murray might exit the Open midway should his wife Kim go into labor. Assuming he plays the full tournament, neutrals would be rooting for Murray in his bid to break the finals jinx this year.
5/5
