Across the Net 1.28.08: Changing the Game? Sharapova and Djokovic Triumph Down Under

Posted by ikabod Crane on 01.28.2008

Novak Djokovic wins his 1st Grand Slam title and Maria Sharapova wins her third. Do both of the new champions have designs on tennis’ top spots? You bet, and they may just get there.

Novak Djokovic won his first Grand Slam title in convincing fashion. He dropped only one set en route to this title and defeated players by the name of Lleyton Hewitt, David Ferrer and yes even Roger Federer with relative ease. In the final he took down Jo-Wilfried Tsonga 4-6, 6-4, 6-3, 7-6. The first set kept Djokovic from repeating Roger Federer's feat of winning the Australian Open without dropping a set, but that is a once in 25 year type of feat. The key turning point in the final match came when Djokovic was trailing 4-6, 1-2, 0-30 and came back to hold serve. If Tsonga breaks there, the match would have been his to lose, but Djokovic played well with his back against the wall. ‘

Djokovic had similar gut check moments as he broke Lleyton Hewitt and Roger Federer when each man served for the first set. Djokovic shook off a pair of late charges by David Ferrer and Roger Federer in the third set of his encounter with each man. Djokovic dominated when leading and proved to be resilient if his opposition started to make a dent on his game or took an early lead. His win versus Tsonga showed he could beat a quality opponent playing good tennis while also being the heavy favorite. In a sense, the pressure of beating top 10 players such as Ferrer and Federer is much less, than winning when the whole world expects a victory. Djokovic cleared major hurdles toward becoming a great champion in Melbourne.

Maria Sharapova is Back

Maria Sharapova broke onto the world stage with her 2004 Wimbledon victory. From there Sharapova's endorsement deals seemed to out perform her tour record. She was a top 5 player, but in 2006 Sharapova won the U.S. Open and looked as though she would be a clear cut years to come number one ranked player. 2007 did not cooperate as Sharapova was trounced by Serena Williams in Melbourne and Key Biscayne. Ivanovic smashed Sharapova as well at the French Open, and Venus Williams took her to task at Wimbledon. Sharapova looked physically unsure of herself due to a shoulder problem and her serve was a weakness. At 6'3" Sharapova should be able to serve many opponents off of the court, but a bum shoulder and loss of confidence turned her serve into a liability. Her early loss at the U.S. Open cemented that Sharapova was not having a good year.

Maria rebounded by reaching the WTA championship finals and pushing Justine Henin hard before falling in three tight sets. The Australian Open was a continuation of that progress. Sharapova bested Lindsey Davenport in the second round, crushed Justine Henin in the quarterfinal round, and brushed aside Jelena Jankovic in the semifinal round. In the championship, Ana Ivanovic was able to keep things somewhat close, but Sharapova won the battle and the war. Her iron will seems to have returned and the promise she shower at the U.S. Open may soon be fulfilled. If Sharapova plays at this level, she can easily win more major titles in 2008 and capture the number one ranking.

Federer vs. Nadal vs. Djokovic = Rough Parity?

Roger Federer has ruled tennis since January 2004 despite a stiff challenge from Rafael Nadal. At 26, Federer is not old, but the 21 year old Nadal and 20 year old Djokovic are obviously younger. In the past four Grand Slam events Federer has posted a 25-2 record, Djokovic a 23-3 record and Nadal a 21-3 record. These three men are out in front of players such as Davydenko, Ferrer, Roddick or Gasquet. Federer enters his 210th consecutive week at #1 with 6630 ranking points, Nadal is second with 5880 points and Djokovic posts 5165 points heading into next week. Oddly, Federer has the fewest points to defend between now and the start of the European clay court season, but the rankings are closer than they have been in years.

Roger Federer's run of 10 consecutive Grand Slam final appearances is at an end. Tennis fans and writers are likely too close to that record to truly appreciate what it means, but in the open era the second best streak is 4 consecutive Grand Slam finals posted by Rod Laver and Andre Agassi. Federer's record is 250% of the old record. His streak of 15 consecutive Grand Slam semifinals is still in tact and represents finishing no worse than 4th at any Grand Slam event for a nearly 4 year period. In NCAA basketball terms, his streak is the equivalent of reaching the final four for 15 consecutive seasons, except that Grand Slam events have a 128 player draw instead of the 64 team draw of NCAA basketball. It is an insane record, but given that Djokovic seems to be strongest on hard courts, it is unlikely that such dominance will continue without a serious and talented challenger.

Sports Illustrated's Jon Wertheim put it best with this column. Djokovic and Federer play a different style, but posses many of the same strengths so the Djokster is a major threat to Roger. Can you really name a serious weakness either player has on a match in and match out basis? I cannot. Bonnie D. Ford of ESPN has some words to help put Fed fans at ease. One loss is not the end for Roger. From 1998, 2000-2003 men's tennis saw 4 different men capture each of the slams. If tennis is hitting an era where three or four guys win most of the hardware, Federer will likely be among those three of four. Lendl, Edberg, Wilander, Sampras, Becker and Courier established a similar situation from 1988-1992. Also, success can sometimes be harder to deal with than losses because the expectations game rises at the same moment the distraction game rises. Federer and to a lesser extent Nadal are used to this. Djokovic may find it takes a little time to adjust to being a Grand Slam champion. Still, for now it is clear who among the Big Three is riding high. The young Serbian has earned his time in the sun.

What Next for Henin, Jankovic, Ivanovic, Serena and Venus?
Justine Henin likely has the least to prove after Australia of the five players listed above. She is a clear number one, and the French Open is the next major. Henin is one of the best clay court players of all time and that should provide her with confidence heading into Wimbledon and the U.S. Open. Jankovic needs to get healthy. She is a steady and intelligent player who seems to be adding some firepower to her game. Jankovic has to this point not reached a Grand Slam final and needs to get her health in line with her solid game and stronger ground strokes. Ivanovic has to feel good as she is looking like a perennial Grand Slam contender. Being 6' gives her more natural firepower than either Henin or Jankovic. For Ivanovic it is a matter of finding that extra gear versus Sharapova and Henin. Serena Williams looked out of sorts in her quarterfinal loss. She did not blame an injury, but her movement was terrible by Serena standards. Serena needs to get healthy while also managing to play events because the days of showing up every six weeks and contending seem to be ending. Venus Williams played reasonable tennis prior to her loss to Ivanovic, but of the two Venus' hitch in her forehand and serve make losses more predictable. Venus can use the loss to Ivanovic as motivation, but for now she seems to be 5th or 6th among the top pack with true obstacles in her path.