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Ajla Tomljanovic and Nick Kyrgios of Australia during their first round mixed doubles match against Sania Mirza of India and Ivan Dodig of Croatia during day six of the 2016 Australian Open at Melbourne Park on January 23, 2016 in Melbourne, Australia.

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Week 3-4 Roundup (AO)

Weeks 3 and 4 of the 2016 were all about our very own Aussie Open. 

Nearly all of the Australians in the top 500 took part in some way, whether through qualifying or in the main draw, and results were mixed.

Compared to last year, Nick Kyrgios under-performed, losing significant points and therefore sliding down the rankings, firmly out of the seedings.  He’ll hopefully rebuild his ranking before the next slam with good results at smaller tournaments (which he historically hasn’t given much attention to), in order to get back into the 32, or even higher.

Bernie consolidated his result from last year, again going out in the fourth round, so neither gained or lost points. However, other plays improved their results from 2015 and overtook him, putting his current live ranking around 20. However a win at his next tournament, the 250 in Quito, which has an admittedly soft field, would put him back in 16th. 

Other impressive performances included John Millman’s best ever appearance at a slam, with a confidence boosting run to the 3rd round, and Omar Jasika’s exciting win in his first ever slam appearance. 

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Nick-splosion

This time last year, we witnessed Nick Kyrgios overcome Andreas Seppi in an epic 5-setter to advance to the quarterfinals of the Australian Open. 

Unfortunately, the script didn't read quite the same on Friday, as Nick started slowly and eventually fell in 4 sets to 6th seed, and composed professional, Tomas Berdych.

This was quite in contrast to Nick, who, while not behaving badly (on the Nick scale), was agitated at times and easily distracted, even by music that would be commonplace in the 'NBA-style' atmosphere that he appears to so desire.

What was apparent was his disappointment at losing relatively early in the tournament.  He described it as 'heartbreaking', and felt that he had "let people down". I think that Australia, as a collective, did seem quite disappointed by the NK exit, all quietly hoping that he would produce such impressive results that there would be ample reason to take him back into our arms. This wasn't the case, and I'm sure that he felt the taking away of that opportunity for 'redemption'.

He's immature, and he loves, yet struggles to cope with the spotlight.  I'd say that's about 50% his personality - the volatile unpredictability will always add that edge to his game, whether it serves to detract or take him to a new level. However, amassing a team that knows his mindset well, and how to influence it, is essential in adding asmuch stability to his mentality as is possible.

An interesting comment that Thanasi Kokkinakis made to the media after Nicks R3 match:

"He looks at me, I'm trying to calm him down, but it's not easy. I'm trying to be calm and his brothers' going psycho next to me, just giving him so much energy."

Nick's brother does seem to have many of the same character traits as Hilmy himself, and is often with him for big matches.  As Thanasi highlighted, having such a strong personality essentially egging him on can really only exacerbate Nick's behaviour. The presence of a coach or other mentor with the ability to help Nick stay calmer at these moments, and perhaps a bit of toning down from Christos, could do him a world of good.

After the early, but expected exits of Sam Groth and the retiring Lleyton Hewitt; Bernard Tomic and John Millman were the last two Aussies in the round of 32, besides Nick, and they happened to play each other.  It was John's deepest run at a slam to date, and he put up a good fight against Bernie, taking the second set to a tiebreak, but ultimately Bernie's superior shot-making and consistent serve allowed him to close out the match relatively easily.

Bernie now has the momentous task of beating Andy Murray to face, if he wants to advance to the quarterfinals, but he may have some extra motivation after a hilarious exchange with Roger Federer, who he evidently isn't as awestruck by as some of his peers:

Earlier in January, when asked about Bernie's goal of making the top 10 in 2016, Federer responded with -

"The year is not just one month long or one week long. It's 52 weeks. It's every day. That (is what) he's been struggling to show, to be quite honest. Many seasons now in a row we have seen or heard that top 10 is the goal, and he's missed out on it by a long shot. I think before speaking so highly, maybe it's good to take it to the next level, whatever that is. We shall see."

Very true, Rog, but still a bit insulting. I mean he worked for more than a month last year. Never having possessed a PR filter, Bernie fired some truth bullets right back, with -

"He has his predictions. I think he's also far away from Djokovic as well if he wants to say that. If he believes I'm very far away from the top 10, I also believe my prediction that he's nowhere near Novak's tennis right now."

Ooh, burn. Now beat Andy and 'take it to the next level', so people take you seriously, Bernardus.

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Bernard Tomic, in his match against Denis Istomin in the first round of the Australian Open, 2016.

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You broke it, you fix it

Mainstream Aussie media is unnecessarily exacerbating the "bad boy" image of our tennis players.

We all know what it feels like to be labelled. Whether it's a cultural stereotype, the limitation of a perceived 'cliche' or a stigma attached to past mistakes, labels have no real use except to narrow external perceptions, and in many cases, limit how we view ourselves.

The media, so ingrained in all aspects of our lives, plays a massive role in what we hear, and subsequently think, which can be a vastly positive or negative force. In a country like Australia, our sportspeople so often are the subjects of labelling by the media. There simply aren't enough of them to dilute the spotlight, and with weekly headlines a must, somebody has to cop the flack.

Unfortunately, this burden all too often falls upon the shoulders of Bernard Tomic and Nick Kyrgios. Yes, they've done some really idiotic things. Yes, they've created a kind of image problem for Australian tennis. But funnily enough, overdramatised rants about their supposed wrongdoing on the front page of our major newspapers only worsens and prolongs the problem.

The most recent example of this, is of course, Bernard Tomic's infamous retirement from the Sydney International, a few days before the beginning of the Australian Open. Bernie's never been equipped with more subtlety than he knows what to do with, compounded by his upbringing in the rather brash presence of his father, John Tomic. He's unfailingly honest, and refreshingly so, but this doesn't always go down well. Down a set a 0-3 in the second, a nd after having controversially discussed his options with umpire Mohammed Layhani, he retired, seemingly happy enough. When facing media, he cited illness (food poisoning) and fatigue as his motives, as well as the potential physical burden of having to play two matches in a day.

Now, Lleyton Hewitt has backed up Bernard's claim to illness, but he shouldn't really have needed to. In the end, it's up to the player. They decide if they are willing to risk potentially worsening their physical condition immediately prior to a major tournament, in order to potentially win a much smaller one.

Instead of being handled with some degree of objectivity and understanding, many media outlets went with the "Tomic the Tank Engine" line and labelled Bernie's reasoning as mere 'excuses'. Bernard will be the first to admit that as a younger player, he lacked maturity, and did not always play matches to the best of his ability. Any tennis fan that watched him on a regularity consistent basis in 2015 will be able to say that he was putting in effort. Huge amounts of it, in fact. He no longer can be accused of 'tanking', as he's obviously reached a point where he strives to achieve his best in every match.  

However, who do the media appeal to? Well at this time of year, it's the annual, casual tennis fan, ready to watch the Australian Open for two weeks before switching off again, and primed for a healthy dose of Aussie bashing so that everyone can complain about our national 'let-downs' in unison. It's really great for community-building.

Of course, there are exceptions. There have been some fantastic pieces written that present only the facts, or present multiple perspectives. But the fact is, an article expressing concern over Serena's retirement from the Hopman Cup, full of Sympathy and concern, doesn't quite make sense when alongside the character bashing given to Bernard Tomic on the next page.

Even Bernard can see that his "bad reputation cost [him]". Reputations can be changed, with a change in behaviour. Bernard has changed, you can't not see that. So why does his "bad boy" image persist? Because some people in the media exploit it to get their ratings up.  If it continues indefinitely, who knows, he might just go back to not really caring about tennis, and that would be a devastating waste of a rarely seen talent.

In the mean time, he'll go on trying to convince the judgmental, oft uniformed ‘opinions’ of Australia that he’s not really that bad. It’ll be a long road, because there sure are a lot of pieces of his broken image to pick up.

The real question is, who broke it?

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DRAW-ing Conclusions

I sat in a high school mathematics lecture yesterday, supposedly preparing myself for the challenges of learning new concepts, and the intimidation resulting from being surrounded by people who were obviously a lot more prepared than I was.  

Funnily enough, I wasn’t the least bit concerned about maths.

Wasn’t even listening.

What was I concerning myself with, you may ask. Well, of course, the draw that would set the stage for my favourite two weeks of the year. I actually ended up blowing $15 of mobile data (whoops….) scrolling through twitter for updates (in place of writing notes about the oh-so imperative ‘imaginary number plane’).

I was quite pleased, overall, with where the Aussie boys slotted in to the 128 man strong field. As expected, there are many challenges in their paths to success (and by that I don’t mean winning the thing – did you see Doha?) but a few good results are certainly possible.

The relevant sections of the draw look like this:

Jo-Wilfried Tsonga (FRA) [9] vs  Marcos Baghdatis (CYP)Omar Jasika (AUS) vs Illya Marchenko (UKR) Possible R3: vs Paire, Andujar Top seed in quarter: Djokovic [1]

Nick Kyrgios (AUS) [29] vs Pablo Carreno Busta (ESP Yoshihito Nishioka (JPN) vs Pablo Cuevas (URU) Possible R3: Berdych [6] Top seed in quarter: Federer [3]

David Ferrer (ESP) [8] vs Qualifier James Duckworth (AUS) vs Lleyton Hewitt (AUS) Possible R3: Johnson [31] Top seed in quarter: Murray [2]

Thomaz Bellucci (BRA) vs Jordan Thompson (AUS) Aljaz Bedene (GBR) vs Steve Johnson (USA) [31] Possible R3: Ferrer [8] Top seed in quarter: Murray [2]

Matthew Ebden (AUS) vs Marcel Granollers (ESP) Jerzy Janowicz (POL) vs John Isner (USA) [10] Possible R3: Lopez [18] Top seed in quarter: Murray [2]

Bernard Tomic (AUS) [16] vs Denis Istomin (UZB) Simone Bolelli (ITA) vs Brian Baker (USA) Possible R3: Fognini [20] Top seed in quarter: Murray [2]

John Millman (AUS) vs Diego Schwartzman (ARG) Gilles Muller (LUX) vs Fabio Fognini (ITA) [20] Possible R3: Tomic [16] Top seed in quarter: Murray [2]

Adrian Mannarino (FRA) vs Sam Groth (AUS) Alexander Zverev (GER) vs Andy Murray (GBR) [2] Possible R3: Sousa [32] Top seed in quarter: Murray [2]

Funny that, 7/9 are in the same quarter. Why does this always happen….. But anyway, on to realistic chances and so forth.

Kyrgios: I expect Nick to make the fourth round or better this year.  He has a favourable draw, likely meeting Berdych in the third round, who he has the ability to overpower, and Federer being someone who he has already beaten once. The Berdych match would be a bit of an unknown entity, but it’s hard to see Nick passing on the opportunity to play one of his idols in a huge spectacle on RLA – these are the moments he apparently plays for. Admittedly, an on form Fed in best of 5 sets sounds as if it would be pushing the upper limits of Nick’s capabilities, but this could be (if it arises) another match that is heavily influenced simply by how Nick approaches it.  If he fully commits himself to winning, and believeing that he possesses the tools to win, he will. 

Tomic: Before I discuss Bernie’s draw, I’ll obviously have to go off on a quick tangent – i.e. his much publicised exit/’ditching’ of Sydney, previously thought of as one of his ‘favourite tournaments’. The situation was this:

Rain delays play on Thursday, causing Tomic to potentially have to play two full matches on Friday to make the final. Bernie couldn’t make points until the final. He saw his draw just before taking the court, and deemed it very favourable. He played the first set without complaint regarding illness or injury, and had a very obvious exchange with umpire and buddy Mohammed Lahyani, in which he said that he just wanted to be in Melbourne, and didn’t care about the match. Bernie (i.e TomictheTankEngine) retires down a set and 0-3 after showing an obvious lack of serious intent in the first. He seems very jovial and has a good laugh as he makes his way off court.

It was humorous to see that later, in his press conference, he tacked on to his reasoning that he’d had a ‘late night’ and was suffering from some supposed food poisoning, apparently a belated attempt to reduce the flack that he’ already started receiving from the public. I do think that this was a practical decision for Bernie, in terms of being ready for AO, but he could have gone about it oh-so-much better. Firstly, there was no need to play Sydney if he saw making the final as a disadvantage to his preparations.  It’s common practice to have a week off before Grand Slams, and he could have easily withdrawn under the guise of some illness after achieving his seeding goal at Brisbane. The second best option would have been to withdraw from his match against Gabashvilli the night before, upon hearing of the change in scheduling, still more respectable than his hit and giggle run-around on KRA.

However, I wouldn’t really expect anything else from Bernie, when presented with a situation like this. He’s always been one to go big or go home, or both, in this scenario.  When he does something distasteful, he usually manages to do it so that literally everyone hears about it, and the bells of “What an awful bunch of delinquents” resume their clanging in the media, and conversations of the very casual Australian tennis fan.

Also, don’t you just love how unconcerned he is with PR? Like this guy just says what he thinks:

“I would love to lie and say yes, I work harder, but really I don’t”

“I think going to the gym for twenty minutes, that’s enough”

So do I, Bern.

So what’s going to happen? Well, he’d hope he doesn’t get bundled out in the first round. That’d be at bit awkward, wouldn’t it…

Oops, I’ve rambled on about the ever-intriguing BT for a bit long. As for his draw, he’s right, it is relatively favourable. However a first-round clash with Denis Istomin isn’t the best, he’s a quality player who won’t let Bernie walk all over him, and if the match goes on for too long, who knows what’ll happen.  Bernie’s prospects here at the AO will almost certainly reach their impenetrable ceiling in a 4th round clash with Andy Murray – who realistically would out-run and out-class him (unless Kim Sears gives Bernie a helping hand). I mean, he might be able to beat Murray if he doesn’t actually have to play him.  Maybe.

Hewitt: Sometimes these draws seem to fall almost perfectly in place, and that’s certainly the case with Rusty’s R1 matchup.  I mean, what could be better – A clash against a fellow Aussie, but a beatable one, that will hopefully have a bit of length and drama about it, in most likely a primetime-slot. Sure, he probably would fall to Ferrer in the second round if he made it there, but even that wouldn’t be the worst way to go out, veteran to veteran, as was his epic match against Nieminen at Wimbledon.

Groth: Watching Grothy’s matches in Brisbane and Sydney, he certainly doesn’t seem to have an abundance of confidence, which would have given him a boost at the AO. His first round clash against Mannarino is winnable, but not if he continues his recent form trajectory, as Adrian is a quality opponent. As an unseeded player, Sam probably couldn’t expect much, but a possible second round clash against Murray is pretty bad luck (Over to you, Kim).

Millman: John Millman, a steady improver in 2015, opens against Schwartzman of Argentina, a tough task.  They’ve never played each other before, so hopefully John can put his name on the board first in the H2H. Millman also has found himself in the ‘Aussie Quarter’, and could face Bernie in R3 if he could also beat Muller (in good form) or the ever unpredictable Fognini.

Ebden: Matt draws Marcel Granollers (no. 84) I the first round, with their H2H split at 1-1. Both spend some of their time on the Challenger circuit, but Marcel has appeared to be more consistent leading into the tournament.

Duckworth: In the somewhat overdue but nevertheless sad play that is Rusty’s final appearance, James has unluckily been cast as the villain. At 23, Duckworth is a player that could really benefit from some MD matches, but I’m sure that a match against Rusty in the first round presents an immense psychological obstacle, as well as physical. If he managed to beat him, it really would be impressive, because the focus required to dismiss a Lleyton who knows that this is his very, very, last opportunity, and a crowd that would be almost entirely against him, would make a win a mighty feat.

Thompson: Thompson faces Brazilian Thomaz Bellucci,  ranked no.37 and in reasonable form. Jordan is another youngster, at 21, so will hopefully be able to gain valuable experience, being in the grand slam environment, if nothing else. Playing Tomic in Sydney last week, he showed glimpses of a very strong game, and the closeness of the match belied the one-sided scoreline.

Jasika: Watching Jasika at Kooyong, which yes, I know was just an exhibition, I don’t think that he’s at the level to advance in the AO this year. He’s definitely got some talent, but his power and shot-making hasn’t quite begun to cancel out the disadvantage of his stature, which he is understandably still adjusting to, given his age. However, as far as opportunities go, a first round match against Illya Marchenko certainly is one, and he may well prove me wrong and win his first GS MD match.

Matches to watch: Over the first few days, there should be some very interesting matches to watch, Aussie or otherwise. A few of the ones that I’ll be keeping an eye on:

Tomic – Istomin   How will Bernie fare in BO5 with his apparently (marginally) improved fitness?

Duckworth-Hewitt Does Duckworth have the mental game to send Rusty packing?

Fritz- After a good run through qualifying, can the talented teenager make an impact?

Murray-Zverev Can Sascha catch the Muzz unawares?

Muller-Fognini Don’t bet on this one, you’ll lose

Crawford-Kovinic Sarah’s suddenly on the big stage, but is her game any more than hard-hittting?

Gavrilova-Hradecka Dasha had nothing to lose last year, now she has to consistently win matches like this.

Williams-Giorgi ‘120% fit’ Serena draws arguably the most dangerous unseeded player.

If you want to keep up with all the action, I recommend some tennis podcasts. My favourites: http://thetennispodcast.libsyn.com/ http://nochallengesremaining.podbean.com/

P.S.  I think there’s a comments thingo now, so feel free to tell me how wrong I am. About everything.

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Nifty stats Create your own infographics

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AO Preview

Finally, after a year of 3 am wake ups to watch the Aussies battle it out in some far corner of the world, tennis is back in Melbourne, at its best. 

This year, the Open is as special as it has ever been for Australians, we get to see Lleyton Hewitt take the court, in his record 20th AO appearance, for one last shot against the world’s best, before he retires.

So, who’s in red hot form coming in, who’s trying to make a comeback, and who’s our best chance to take out the title...

Nick Kyrgios

Hisense... some rowdy “Fanatics”..... a player totally unprepared for the cyclone that is Kyrgios on the big stage.  And that’s just the first round. Nick loves playing at home, and performs at his best at the AO. This is where we get to see a new level of grit and desperation, where he wants to win every bit as much as the crowd wills him to. Nick is probably our best chance at the Open this year, which the occasional (two weeks a year) tennis critic may not be happy about. He seems to have the fitness to back up after hard matches over the period of a Slam, and hopefully the firepower to take down a few big names.

Last year - Nick was still in most people’s good books, with a QF appearance in which his lost to his regular conqueror and good friend Andy Murray. I do believe that aspects of his game have improved since last year, and his shot selection is slowly becoming more reasonable. Nick’s volleying has improved, and his serve continued to grow more powerful (just as he appeared to add a cm or two).

This year - Nick will enter the battle field unsure of just how the public feels about him. He needs to put this aside, and just focus on his tennis. he would hope to put in a consecutive QF appearance, or improve on his previous results to reach a SF or F. If Nick remains in the right frame of mind across the two weeks, I really believe that he can make the final (as long as he gets drawn in the opposite half to Djokovic).

Bernard Tomic

Bernie was having a great controversy-free streak until about 24 hours ago, but hopefully that’ll just float on by (and hopefully he can recognize that what he did was inappropriate). For Bernie, confidence is key. Unlike Nick, he doesn’t really have an infinite reserve of it, but gains confidence in his abilities from his recent results, which have been pretty good. 

Last year - Bernie made the fourth round last year, beating Kamke, Kohlschreiber, Groth and eventually losing to 7th seed Berdych in straights. In the past, around the fourth round mark was where Bernie started to look very fatigued and worn out, struggling to maintain motivation in his match. Hopefully the improvements that have already been made to his fitness and movement will prolong his run this year.

This year -  Bernie definitely has the game and ‘tennis brain’ to win some matches at the AO, but the real question in my mind that could prevent him from reaching the second week is his fitness. He’s chosen to play in Sydney this week, with a good chance of going very deep, and as he has admitted that his fitness and endurance is still very much a work in progress, he may struggle to back up for a long stint at the AO after playing so much tennis.  In fact, it might be the best scenario if he just loses in the second round in Sydney. However, winning a title in Sydney may also give him just the mental boost he needs to take apart the competition.

Sam Groth

Grothy, Newcombe medal winner, part-time local footy player, server of bombs and crowd favourite has had his best year to date in 2015, and would love to start 2016 on an even better note. 

Last year - Groth made the 3rd round, his best result to date, downing Filip Kraijinovic and then Thanasi Kokkinakis in an awesome 5-setter. He then lost to Tomic in the third round (why did they all have to play each other) to end his campaign.

This year - Groth is once again a direct MD entrant, and will be hoping to reach the top 50 with a good run here. I think that if playing at his best, he could beat his previous result and make the 4th round, with a favourable draw.

Lleyton Hewitt

One last hurrah, a record 20th appearance, an intense preseason, it all adds up to a momentous occasion when Lleyton takes to the court this year.  Whoever he plays, in whichever round will be scared, and rightly so. He may not have the leg speed he once did, but his fight is as strong as ever, and his hands and mind just as sharp. Rusty’s listed as a doubles alternate with Groth, but they’ll surely receive a wildcard. Surely.

Last year - In 2015, he lost to Benjamin Becker in the second round, in yet another characteristic five-set epic.

This year - Whether he makes it to the first round or the final, the Australian public, and in fact the world, will be celebrating the giant that is Rusty for the entire tournament.  I’m sure that his match/es will be epic, and he definitely won’t go out with a whimper.

John Millman

John Millman has been hovering around the world’s top 100 for a while, but has solidified his place inside it for the time being, obtaining a direct entry through some great performances in 2015.

Last year - Millman had a disappointing loss in the first round to Leonardo Mayer, then 26th seed, in straight sets.

This year - he has a great opportunity to win some matches, in a year when he can bypass quallies. At his best, Millman can trouble a lot of players in the Top 100, so hopefully he’ll turn it on and make the most of his good form.

Matthew Ebden

As of yet, Matthew Ebden is not in the main draw of the AO, currently sitting as 2nd alternate.  This would normally indicate that he’d play AO quallies this week, with a view to making the MD, but instead he is registered to play in the Canberra challenger. This might mean that he knows something we don’t (i.e. that a wildcard could be coming his way...)

Last year - Matthew lost in the first round of qualifying to German Matthis Bachlnger, a disappointing result.

This year - Unless he manages to get himself into quallies out of the blue, Matthew will be either missing the AO all together or a wild card entry. Hopefully he would really make use of a wildcard entry to try and get into the second round, a great opportunity seeing as he would not be carrying the extra physical burden of three qualifying matches before he reached the MD.

J.P Smith

Smith, currently ranked 129, is entered in the quallies for AO this year.

Last year - He advanced to the second round of qualifying with a win over now top-100 teen Alexander Zverev, before losing to compatriot Omar Jasika in the second Q round.

This year - J.P would hope to win his three qualifying matches and put himself into the MD.

James Duckworth

As a result of his fantastic win in the Tennis Australia Wildcard Playoff, in which he reached the final and then was awarded the wildcard as Ben Mitchell forfeited to attend the birth of his child, James will feature in the main draw this year. 

Last year - This will be his fifth consecutive main draw appearance, winning his first round match last year, and then losing to Gasquet in straights in the second.

This year - Reasonable ambitions for Duckworth this year would probably be to win his first round match, but with a favorable draw, he could certainly go deeper. 

Luke Saville

Having undergone a bit of a rankings slide in 2015 to ATP 188, Luke will have to win his way into the AO MD this year.

Last year - Upon recieveing a Tennis Australia wildcard, Luke fell in the first round to American Tim Smyczek.

This year - Luke would want to kickstart his 2016 season with a consecutive AO MD appearance, which would require him to win 3 qualifying matches.

Ben Mitchell

Ben found himself in somewhat of a unique situation in December last year, where he had two rather major events that happened to clash.  One was the final of the AO MD wildcard playoff, the result of his run of form over the latter part of 2015.  The other was the birth of his daughter with partner Lois. Understandably, Ben chose to attend the latter, giving Duckworth the wildcard and putting Ben in a familiar place this week: quallies.

Last year - The 2016 AO was a fruitless one for Ben, where he lost on the first round of qualifying to Ilya Marchenko.

This year - Unless a last minute wildcard comes his way (he’s certainly a contender for one), Ben will be playing quallies again. However, I think that he’s much better placed to win through this year, and seems as motivated and fit as ever.

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Australia win the Hopman Cup!

Last time it happened, Nick Kyrgios was 3 and Daria Gavrilova was 4.

Now, 17 years later, Australia has finally put their names back on the winners board, with Australia Green taking out the title in a 2-0 win against Ukraine’s Alexander Dolgopolov and Elina Svitolina.

Gavrilova beat Svitolina in a hard fought two sets (64 76(6)), including a clutch performance in the second set tiebreak in which she came from 1-6 down to seal it 8-6.

Kyrgios downed Alexander Dolgopolov (63 64) to remain undefeated throughout his campaign, with conquests including his first ever defeat of Andy Murray. Nick described their win as “the perfect way to start the year. I’m riding a lot of confidence”.

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Week 1 Roundup

Week 1 of the 2016 ATP tour involved a number of Australian players competing in ATP 250 and Challenger events.

Some of the notable results included Bernie Tomic’s run to the Brisbane Semifinals, beating Kei Nishikori, and Oliver Anderson (ranked outside the top 800) qualifying for his first ATP level event in Brisbane, aged 17.

The points that Bernie gained in his semi-final appearance have seen him rise to a new career high of 17, and thus secure a top 16 seed (after Gasquet’s withdrawal) at the Australian Open.  This means that he is protected from facing the top 8 seeds until the 4th round, hopefully setting him up for a deep run at his home slam. 

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Lleyton Hewitt, in his match against Alexander Dolgopolov (Czech Republic) at the Hopman Cup 2016.

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Bernard Tomic, in his match against Radek Stephanek at the Brisbane International 2016.

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2016: A new horizon

The 2015 season was a year of trials and tribulation for Aussie tennis, a year in which our representatives graced the center stage of international sports media for all too often the wrong reasons. 

However, amongst the controversy and condemnation, there were some fantastic displays of talent, resolve and vast improvement, giving us fans another small glimpse into a possible future in which Australia is once again a superpower of the ATP tour.

So what needs to happen for this transformation of culture and results to take place?

Thanasi Kokkinakis

Less frustration, more preparation 

What worked last year?

2015 was Thanasi’s first full year on the circuit, and playing a lot more matches did help him to mature and improve his concentration. Thanasi’s demeanour on and off the court was largely exemplary, and the way he handled conflict, involving him or involving Tennis Australia as a whole, was an example to all. Even labelled as the ‘poster boy of Australian tennis’ by Pat Rafter, Kokkinakis proved in 2015 that he has the mental resolve and level-headedness to cope with whatever is thrown at him, a quality he will surely need as he goes to make a comeback after his recent shoulder surgery. 

What didn’t work? A full year on the ATP circuit is undoubtedly mentally and physically draining, and this showed as Thanasi’s form trailed off in the second half of the year. His physical fitness has certainly not yet reached its peak, and he may need to address his preparation in order to be competitive in longer matches and adverse conditions. A particularly disappointing result of this was his first round exit in the US Open, in which he was convincingly beating Richard Gasquet until severe cramps began to set in, an effect of the heat. Thanasi was clearly frustrated, and this may have been a major blow to his mindset leading into his last few tournaments of the year, evident in a few less than par performances.

What needs to happen in 2016? Thanasi was ready for a big pre-season, and an attempt to make inroads on a heightened level of fitness and aerobic endurance, but unfortunately, his shoulder injury has set him back. The opportunity gained for points in the first couple of months of 2016 will undoubtedly make his position in the top 100 more precarious, but this may provide him with a source of motivation to really take control of his results and make a major breakthrough. Thanasi’s involvement in Davis Cup, though time consuming, will surely also be a major factor in sustaining his enthusiasm and positive mindset throughout the year, as long as he can keep himself separate from any incidents pertaining to 2015’s ‘bad-boys’. In a purely on-court sense, I’d like to see him improve his network and overhead balls, all too often he seems to position himself well for a volley or smash that could finish the point, and either miss it or give his opponent a good chance to stay in the rally.  Thanasi’s serve, although powerful, also needs to become more consistent in order for him to gain easy games from it.

Sam Groth

Less slapstick, more breadsticks

What worked last year? There was a noticeable shift in attitude from Sam in 2015, and for the first time, I saw a professional who was playing for his career and to pursue excellence in the sport, rather than someone who was just a little blasé. In a season that culminated in his receiving of the Newcombe Medal, Sam was a pillar of the Australian tennis cohort, inspiring others with his passion and dedication to furthering our national tennis profile and results. Sam’s performances in Davis Cup singles and doubles, alongside Rusty, were so enjoyable to watch, because there was absolutely no doubt as to his total investment in what his team was doing, and his rampant desire to help his teammates get to the top.

What didn’t work? Like Thanasi, Sam Groth also suffered from inconsistency in 2015, showing glimpses of a powerful game style in a display that was otherwise on par, but nothing special. Sam seemed to lack the focus to go as deep in tournaments as his level of play would suggest is possible, and if he managed to turn this trend around, his ranking may rise to more of what is suggested by his abilities,  which is in my opinion around 30-40.

What needs to happen in 2016? Sam is now a mature, seasoned professional, and this must shine through in all his tournaments in 2016 if he hopes to get to a new level. He no longer has the leeway that may be awarded to Kokkinakis and Kyrgios to be somewhat inconsistent, but must draw upon Hewitt’s ‘fighting spirit”and pour his all into every. single. point. Sam’s best surface is probably grass, and so he must capitalise on his booming serve at the All England Club, and continue to develop powerful and more accurate ground strokes in order to ensure his game is multi-faceted.

Nick Kyrgios

Less fire, more desire

What worked last year? When talking about successful aspects of Nick’s 2015, we are fairly restricted to those directly pertaining to his physical game. There is no doubt that Nick is supremely talented, and although he professes that he does not truly love the sport, he has been born with a game of power, speed and ingenuity that will leave him well placed to rise to the top of the world rankings. In 2015, Nick beat Federer at the Mutua Madrid Open in a closely fought match, a fantastic win that appeared to do as much for his self-belief and motivation as it did for external perceptions of him. Nick’s fitness has also continued to improve, and in matches such as his win over Seppi at the AO he showed a resolve that will get him far when drawn upon.  

What didn’t work? The immense desire shown by Nick in the majority of his Grand Slam matches in 2015 as unfortunately not mirrored in lesser tournaments.  His love of entertaining and the big stage appeared to help him in those matches, but in their absence, on a quiet court in the midst of ATP 250 or 500 tournaments, his resolve and will to win seems to be all too frequently lacking. At times, it could even be said that he appeared bored, which inevitably breeds frustration and annoyance. As Nick was learning to manage this juxtaposition of bright lights and small-time slogs, the media were clinging on to his every breath, step and of course, word. To be frank, he acted like a complete idiot at times, and I’m pretty sure that as he looks back on the year, he’ll see that. He admits that he’s a very emotional person, and won’t change, but the scrutiny of the media only prevents him from trying to turn things around, as he must feel that the whole of Australia sees him as this irresponsible, unlikeable ‘bad boy’ rather than the champion of our nation that he’d surely like to be.

What needs to happen in 2016? If Nick wants to be that champion, he must find alternate ways to deal with his anger on court, and disregard the uneducated, uncompassionate opinions that will undoubtedly surface from members of the public, and continue to play his way, while respecting the age-old traditions of the sport. It may be helpful for him to speak more to the Australian media, although it seems counter-intuitive, but the more he is humanised in the eyes of the Australian public, the less unnecessary attacks on his character will surface. In terms of his game, the main change that could be implemented is a more conservative shot selection at times, instead of always going for the wild and unpredictable in order to potentially hit winners. This could be achieved more quickly with the guidance of a coach that he respects, a prospect which he seems open to, but is not actively seeking.

Bernard Tomic

Less partying, more…. tennis?

What worked last year? Bernie never fails to give me a laugh, he is one of the most interesting characters in sport, in my humble opinion.  On court, an often stone faced, focused competitor, and off it an animated, hard hitting and excitable young man. Although it hasn’t been publicised that much, a lot worked for Bernie last year.  In a year, he climbed from 73 to 18 in the world rankings, a fantastic feat, and especially in the second half, appeared more focused and dedicated to improving himself than ever before. Bernie’s unusual style of play continued to befuddle and take apart the games of his opponents, and he even showed a peak level of play that could match it with the very best in his first set against Djokovic at the Shanghai Masters. A second consecutive title at Bogota was obtained amidst many layers of controversy surrounding his relationship with Pat Rafter and Tennis Australia, which may or may not have been resolved, depending on how you read his return to the Davis Cup team but exclusion from Newcombe medal nominations. Unlike Nick, Bernie seemed to deal with the drama really well, and his results and subsequent rankings continued to improve. A ‘model of consistency’ certainly wasn’t a term applied to the Bernard Tomic of a few years ago, but it certainly could be applied to his 2015 season.

What didn’t work? So when you’re a model of consistency, something of a trusty Toyota Hilux, what do you do next? Well, you become a Ferrari.  It’s this extra burst of power and speed that Bernie has been lacking in, and which has limited his ability to stay in long matches and go deep in major tournaments.  Bernie’s fitness is somewhat lacking, a fact that he has admitted in one of his many candid press conferences, and it is holding him back from staying with the top players and breaking into the top 10. There were a few fadeouts and early retirements from matches that were compounded by a very, very full 2015 schedule. He won matches, so he played more matches, a strategy which has its pros and cons. I think that more of a balance between solid training blocks and tournaments would have set him up for better results, but that can easily be altered in years to come.

What needs to happen in 2016? Bernie should try to steer clear of anything that will land him on the front page this year.  Except winning, he’s welcome to do that. In all seriousness, I hope that Bernie continues to play Davis Cup for Australia this year, and hopefully Rio, because I think that the team environment has a really positive effect on him, as someone who has been on the center-stage of an individual sport for so much of his life. Bernie should continue to work on his movement, rather than continually relying on his fantastic control of the raquethead to get balls into play, and continue to set high goals for himself, because a crack at year-end top 10 is certainly possible.

2016, it’s going to be a good one, I can feel it. We have the players, and they have the ability, so it’s time for a breakthrough. Hopefully this year will be devoid of injury and controversy, allowing our players a clear run at bettering themselves, and achieving their goals.

[aussietennis-blog]

ATP Brisbane 250

3rd - 10th January 2016

The new year is upon us, as is the start of the tennis calendar (finally), and we begin at home, for the Brisbane International. The draw for the Aussies entered is as follows:

Tomic vs. Mahut

Groth vs. Chung

Duckworth vs. Thiem

Mitchell vs. Q

Patrick-Smith vs. Kudla

A nice looking draw for the Australians, hopefully setting up some deep runs. Groth says that "everyday [he's] getting more confident on [his] foot" and Mitchell is looking to capitalise on a late wildcard (due to Kokkinakis' withdrawal) and a fantastic run of form.

Tomic is also in with a shot in the first week of the year, after by all reports having put in a solid body of work in the off season with the aim of improving his fitness and movement.

Hopefully the Brisbane International will be a great week of preparation for the imminent AO, and maybe even the site of some great ranking gains.