This is a little late but I have a few thoughts on the the Australian Open.
Men's - What a great result for Stanislas Wawrinka to bust out of Federer's shadow and claim his first Grand Slam title. He had never even won a set of Rafa before the Aussie final and he held his nerve and won after letting his concentration lapse in the third set. Rafa tweaked his back, but even before that Stan was crushing the ball and moving extremely well. I do not think that this is the start of the Wawrinka era of men's tennis, because I do not think that the will win another major, but it is always good to see hard work rewarded on the big stage.
Women's - Honestly, I would not have Li NA even as a dark horse pick. After losing the final twice, I did not think she had it in her. But, it was inspiring to see another player over 30 pulling off a win like that. She was tenacious in her preparation and her desire to win was incredible. She also had the funniest winner's speech that I can remember.
In other news this week Michael Russell, Detroit native, has made it to his third career semi-final on the big tour, in Memphis. Yesterday he beat former #1 Lleyton Hewitt. He has to play Nishikori this afternoon to try to get his first tour final at the ago of 35. Nishikori is on the cusp of becoming a great player and working his way into the Top 10. He got to #11 recently, but then fell back due to some injuries. He is the #1 seed in Memphis, which is the first time he has entered any ATP event as the top seed. He seems to be handing that extra pressure well. It is great to see a Japanese male player doing well. I have visited Japan many times and it is a very sport-crazy country. Japanese women have faired well over the years, but a good Japanese male player comes along about once every 20 years. It could be because the same hand/eye coordination that is required to hit a tennis ball comes in handy when playing baseball, which is a far more popular sport in Japan. Anyway, I am looking forward to following the match online.
