Djok's On Me

As I said last week-ish, it is often hard to predict how the Australian Open will shake out.  It's the start of a new tennis year, so not a whole lot of momentum or match-toughness going on.

That said, my prognostications were more miserable than even I could imagine.

While both ranked in the Top 5, I had neither Ana Ivanovic or Maria Sharapova tagged for the finals.

Silly me thought Sharapova would go down to new mom Lindsay Davenport in the 2nd round.   What was I thinking?  Sure Davenport has had quite a bit success in her comeback but it was at lower level tournaments, so it's not like she had been knocking off top ranked opponents in the past few months. Still Sharapova's path was tough - through two higher ranked opponents,  #1 Justine Henin and #3 Jelena Jankovic (the alternative to Jankovic was the dangerous, but enigmatic, Serena Williams).  But Sharapova seems to have overcome her physical problems that played havoc with her serve in the past year or so and looks to be a Grand Slam contender going forward.

While Ivanovic is ranked higher, the Serb is the underdog going into the final.  Working in her favor is having defeated Sharapova on the way to her first Grand Slam final at last year's French Open. 

But I have to say this has got to be one of the most "beautiful" Grand Slam finals in the Open era... though unlike some other of the "pretty faces" that occasionally come onto the scene... these gals got game!

Two weeks ago, f you told me that the Aussie Open women's final was going to be Sharapova - Ivanovic, I would have believed you... however, if you then added that the men's finalists would be Jo-Wilfried Tsonga and Novak Djokovic... well, I would have laughed in your face.

While the first letter of both their names are silent, this final match-up is certainly making a lot of noise in the tennis world!

Both eliminated the Top 2 players in exclamation mark-worthy straight sets... Tsonga dismantling Rafael Nadal and Djokovic in a slightly tighter scoreline vs. Roger Federer.... but still earth shattering ... I am sure the tennis pundit Federer "the sky is falling" hysteria will now commence... Federer had not lost a Grand Slam match in straight sets since 2004... and oh, had made the finals the last 10 Slams.

I'll forgive myself for missing Tsonga.  The Frenchman is ranked #38 and this is his first final at any tennis tournament, let alone a Slam.  Depressingly enough for me, Tsonga is the oldest of any of the finalists (both the men and women) at age 22!   I had predicted Tsonga losing in the first round to Brit Andy Murray.  But still, even if I had him past that match I am not sure I would have even placed this until now pretty undistinguished player into the second week.

I am kicking myself more over Djokovic.  I am in this on-going tennis prediction competition and I have certainly dug myself a hole for the rest of the year by not picking the #3 ranked Serb (Serbs are everywhere!).  It was a case of pre-Slam gullibility.  In an country vs. country team exhibition prior to the Open, "Nole" was flat on his stomach... trainers working on his bad back, etc., etc... it's happened before with him, so while I felt he could make it to the 2nd week, I figured he'd be toast at some point... certainly not having lost even a set going into the final.  Oh well!

It will be a first Grand Slam champion whoever wins... and for the first time in 3 years (the 2005 Australian Open), someone without the last name of Federer or Nadal... while I am a fan of both those players, it is still nice to finally see some new faces... perhaps it is the beginning of the end of the "lack of depth" complaint that had so often plagued the women's tour.  (Now there I go with the Federer "sky is falling" hysteria!)