Key Takeaways From The Australian Open So Far

As we attain the top of the Australian Open’s first week, there are some indicators of what’s to return within the close to and distant future. Now that collectively, gamers have some substantial expertise of the 2022 season, and with a couple of tournaments beneath their belts, what does the event of the ATP tour appear to be?

The primary is that Daniil Medvedev leads the sector. Whereas he has but to take the #1 rating, Medvedev has proved dominant up to now in his singles efforts. After an preliminary loss to Ugo Humbert within the round-robin stage of the ATP Cup, he beat Alex de Minaur, Matteo Berrettini and Felix Auger-Aliassime.

On the Australian Open, he achieved bruising straight-set victories over Henri Laaksonen and Botic van de Zandschulp. Solely in opposition to Nick Kyrgios within the third spherical has Medvedev dropped a set.

Medvedev’s unorthodox takeback (which is extraordinarily quick) make his groundstroke reactions fast and environment friendly, serving to take away time from his opponents. Particularly on arduous courts, his flat model of hitting makes for penetrative photographs that hold low and skid by means of the court docket, that means even common rally balls are tough to return. That is notably the case for gamers who’re used to buying and selling looping topspin photographs.

He’s eager to go for winners on his serve, with aces down the “T” and out-wide. Medvedev additionally has a powerful attain, which aids court docket protection beneath difficult conditions, chasing down a ball throughout the baseline or working in direction of the online. He additionally likes to play with variation, with drop photographs, spin and the occasional improvised shot that catches opponents abruptly.

Mixed with the regular improve in consistency through the years since turning professional in 2014, Medvedev has matured into one of many deadliest gamers to face on tour. He’s undoubtedly the favorite to win the Open this yr, including a second grand slam to his tally.

The second level to notice is that the “new three” of Medvedev, Alexander Zverev and Stefanos Tsitsipas kind a gaggle of gamers progressively changing the massive three. The Greek can be enjoying properly in Australia.

In his most up-to-date match in opposition to Benoit Paire, Tsitsipas’s return of service seems to have considerably improved, hitting near his opponent’s toes and going for winners early on within the rally. Dangerous and beforehand unreliable photographs now appear extra constant, the place acute angles from his one-handed backhand or inside-in forehand winners are hitting their mark.

Tsitsipas additionally appears to be like extra mentally settled at grand slam occasions, with no hesitation to shut out some extent and taking half-volleys on the baseline with little error.

For years, commentators and analysts had been searching for a second that meant the top to the hegemony of the massive three. Maybe one thing akin to Roger Federer’s toppling of Pete Sampras at Wimbledon in 2001 was anticipated as a altering of the guard second.

By now, it’s clear that this has not occurred. As a substitute of a sudden alteration in dominance, tennis is experiencing a gradual transition, the place youthful abilities of Medvedev, Zverev and Tsitsipas are actually rising in key grand slam matches.

Nadal stays a tour de pressure of the sport, nonetheless deep into the Australian Open draw, and nonetheless with a major probability of profitable the match. Conspicuous by his absence, Djokovic would have defended his title with all his expertise and consistency.

Vaccine and border politics have stopped Djokovic from competing right here in Melbourne, not a relative decline in his world-class sport.

Nonetheless, the brand new three have all made appearances in grand slam finals. The Russian beat Djokovic within the 2021 US Open ultimate, and Tsitsipas took Djokovic to 5 units within the Roland Garros ultimate final yr.

Mixed with their rising share of profession titles (Medvedev 13; Zverev 19; Tsitsipas 7) and maintain of the quantity 2, 3 and 4 rankings, this yr will seemingly see the additional defeat of the massive three. 

Apart from the upper-echelons of the sport, the third level is that success seems divided between the very younger and tour veterans.

The staying-power of Marin Čilić is very related, on condition that his victory over Andrey Rublev makes him the seventh lively participant to succeed in the fourth spherical of a grand slam 25 instances, alongside Federer, Nadal, Djokovic, Murray and Wawrinka. Gaël Monfils has already been mentioned as one other skilled hand persevering with to be a distinguished pressure on tour.

On the opposite finish of the age vary, Jannik Sinner is making big features yr on yr. Sinner has loved a meteoric rise, from being ranked exterior the highest 100 initially of 2019 to being ranked inside the highest 50 in 2020, and now holds a quantity 10 rating on the Australian Open.

A tall participant with lengthy legs and arms strikes exceptionally properly and stays bodily agile when altering course. Booming groundstrokes and noteworthy consistency in his backhand imply he has excelled at clay and arduous court docket tournaments, profitable the latest of his 5 titles on the 2021 Antwerp Masters. 

His matches in Australia have proven his mature disposition on the court docket, celebrating when the event calls for however hardly ever displaying indicators of psychological misery or anger at tough patches in efficiency.

In the course of the third spherical in opposition to Japan’s Taro Daniel, Sinner’s calm manner allowed him to make use of his highly effective groundstrokes however not overshoot or go for an excessive amount of. This deadly mixture of ball velocity and cognitive management has preserved Sinner’s possibilities of working deep right into a grand slam and portends to extra appreciable success sooner or later.

Tennis is in gradual flux. On the Australian Open, Medvedev, not Djokovic, has taken centre-stage. The Russian appears to be driving excessive on a string of well-executed grand slam matches following his US Open victory. 

Whereas the massive three nonetheless make appearances at majors, their participation in essential matches is starting to be phased out by the brand new three. Whereas a couple of veterans of the tour could make powerful opponents, youthful abilities like Sinner pave the way in which for upcoming hopes of serious victory.

What tendencies can you notice on the Australian Open? Can Medvedev win a slam down-under? And the way prominently will the massive three characteristic this yr? Let me know within the feedback.